Mauna Kea Humu'ula Trailhead — Attraction in Hawaii

Give yourself more than 30 minutes to acclimate to the altitude. We drove from Hilo (59ft above sea level) to the visitor center (9,200) and waited about 1 hr before we started the hike. I still was not feeling great, heart beating like crazy walking extremely slow. Despite that, we made it 2 miles into the trail before I had to call it quits for safety. 95% of the first TWO MILES (that's all I made it to, not sure of the rest) is all SAND. Like, beach sand. Super slippery and your feet/legs have to work 2x as hard to get you the same distance. By time we reached 1.5 miles, I couldn't go 10-15ft without stopping for a breather. Then on the way down I slipped and fell 2x on the slippery sand in my hiking shoes, due to the deep sand and from my legs being so tired.

When we got back to the visitor center, the park ranger told us they had to close the road due to extreme winds 55+mph. Very kind and helpful park rangers and staff inside the visitor center.

Nothing wrong with the trail and of course, nothing wrong with the mountain. It's just that the altitude makes you feel like you're carrying an extra 100 pounds while trying to walk up a vertical wall.

Don't attempt this if you are out of shape and turn around if you start feeling ill. Or just make sure it's not the first long hike of your trip like I did. You've got nothing to prove to the mountain, it will still be there waiting for you after you've done some training/exercise!

Also, bring sunscreen, the sun is no joke up there on the trail you will burn like the devil if you're not careful.

Mahalo, Mauna Kea, for teaching me my limits and for the...

A nice hike though the landscape doesn't appear particularly diverse or interesting, and the summit area is plastered with observatories, and full of idiots driving up in their cars to slide down the summit slopes on sledge plates.

Also, be aware it is a highly regulated environment. No matter your experience and preparation, upon arrival the rangers will tell you what you can and are allowed to do before you even make it to the trail since you of course cannot be trusted to take responsibility for yourself.

Also, no hiking after sunset so the only option of seeing the sunset from the summit is finding someone to take you back down in their car. Otherwise you are supposed to be back at the visitor center by 18:00.

If you want to avoid all of this, just do Mauna Loa instead. We didn't meet anyone when doing the observatory trail...

Incredible hike, but you must take the altitude seriously. I’m young and in good shape (thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail last year), and this trail was the hardest I’ve done, because of the altitude. I made it to the top, but my head was spinning and my pace ended up being about 1 mph. It’s pretty steep the whole way up. Luckily it runs parallel to the road for most of the time, so you can get off and get help if it gets bad. Make sure you bring enough water for the whole trip; the visitor’s center is the last and only place you can get water. Remember it gets quite cold as you get closer to the top, especially after the sun sets. Definitely check in with the rangers at the visitor’s center before you start. Shout out to Ranger Rob who was...