![mauno loa volcano mauno loa volcano](https://home.nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/images/USGS_19840326_Mauna-Loa-1984-Eruption-Aerial_JDGriggs_img4779_1.jpg)
Across the island we could see the summit of Mauna Kea in detail. It resembled a colorful blanket draped over the mountain. Being above the clouds gave us incredible hues of pinks, oranges, and yellow. We hiked to the top of the red hill to watch the sunset. Also, do not consider building a camp fire as 1.) It is illegal, 2.) There is no wood anywhere, your on a barren lava desert. Plan to hike out all of your trash as there is a strict “Leave No Trace” policy. The water needs to be treated before drinking. Behind the cabin there is a compost outhouse, with no toilet paper, and water catchment tank. There is no wood stove or cooking utensils. The sleeping bags were left by previous hikers and not stocked by the NPS. When we arrived there were many extra sleeping bags to be used as blankets. Inside the cabin there are 8 bunks with comfortable sleeping pads. Red Hill Cabin: 10035ft: The cabin is a basic square frame and ply wood construction and features a nice covered porch. But for now we pushed those unfavorable thoughts away, and celebrated as we made it to our first cabin at Red Hill. Would we be socked in and not be able to see the crater? It was a very likely and common possibility. We planned on reaching the crater cabin by tomorrow afternoon. The top was completely covered in clouds and we wondered if it would remain that way for the next few days. We could now see the summit of Mauna Loa in the grand distance. As a cooling fog rolled in the mood went fell ominous.Ī few hours later we had broke through the clouds. A mixture of jagged a’a and pahoehoe flows filled the the view in every direction. While we hiked we were treated to a symphony of native bird songs.Īfter about 3 hours of hiking, the landscape was now a desert of black volcanic rock of different shapes and sizes.
#MAUNO LOA VOLCANO SERIES#
There are a series of cairns to follow but they can easily be missed if not paying attention. The first few miles of the hike are through sparse but native vegetation such as Ohia Lehua, Koa, and Ohelo Berry. We were in very good spirits and the time seemed to slip away. Mauna Loa Lookout: 6662ft - The beginning of the trail is steep but pleasant. At the lookout there are a few parking stalls, a bathroom, trash cans, and a covered area. Once we had our permit we then had to drive an hour up to the trail head at the Mauna Loa Lookout.
#MAUNO LOA VOLCANO FULL#
If the cabins are full and your the last one there…that means your sleeping on the floor. This is because the the cabins are first come first serve. I recommend asking the Park Ranger how many permits are currently out and when they were issued to try and figure out where other hikers might be along the trail. The permit is good for up to 12 people and 7 nights. It is a very simple process and only costs $10. We picked up our back country camping permits from the backcountry office. Unless you have a yearly pass to the NPS, it is a $25 entry fee into the national park. And then it was a 1 hour drive to the Volcano National Park to pick up our backcountry permits. After picking up the rental car we went straight to Wal-Mart to pick up some last minute items. Our flight landed in Hilo Airport around 6:00am. While flying into Hilo Airport we could see Mauna Loa (Long Mountain), the largest active volcano in the world, in the distance. Mauna Loa Lookout -> Red Hill Cabin -> Mauna Loa Cabin -> Red Hill Cabin -> Mauna Loa Lookout. Here is our guide to backpacking Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii. It is a very straight forward in-and-out route. Day 2 we would go from Red Hill to Mauna Loa Cabin. We were going to start at the Mauna Loa Lookout in the morning and hike to Red Hill Cabin. After hearing this, and reading how difficult the terrain is, Joe, Sean, and I made an agreement that if anyone gets altitude sickness we were going to descend immediately. They had to turn around before reaching the Mauna Loa Cabin. Friends who had done the trail in the past had reported that the high elevation (13,000+ft) had made some of the hikers in their group nauseous, dizzy, and fatigued. alluded to an incredibly challenging hike with rugged terrain. Everything we had read such as internet posts, hiking guides, NPS pamphlets, etc. When we started planning this trip we quickly realized this was going to be a monster of a trail.