We will be staying in Volcano Village for two nights in August. One of the nights, we are hoping to hike to see the lava flow. For the second night, we are considering the drive to the observatory on Mauna Kea. How long would the drive take from Volcano Village? What time would you suggest leaving Volcano to get there when it's "prime time" for viewing the stars? Any suggestions for knowing if the weather is ideal for viewing (besides the obvious!)?We are renting a 4 wheel drive car so we should not have any trouble getting to the observatory, right? We don't plan on going to the summit. Is it worth it to go that far or would we be missing the best part by not going to the summit? Would children (7 and 10) enjoy this experience? We have a third adult who could stay at our accomodations with the chilren if this would not be a good choice for them. Thanks for your help!

The Mauna Kea observatories are on the summit. Most people who make the trek without a guided tour go as far as the Visitor's Center (at 9500') and set up their telescopes outside the Center. Others first go to the summit to see the sunset (which is spectacular), then back down to the Center for stargazing.

Predicting weather on Mauna Kea is tricky, which is one of the many advantages of taking a guided tour. They do all the legwork, including weather checks, providing parkas, gloves, hot beverages etc. But the two tours I know of (Mauna Kea Summit Adventures and Arnott's) both have age restrictions for participants -- I think 7 and 10 is too young for either tour. If you decide to go to the summit, be aware that altitude sickness is a possibility. Don't go on the same day you've been scuba diving.

With all that said, most kids love this adventure. It's one of the most unique activities the island has to offer. Leave from Volcano Village at least 2.5 and preferably 3+ hours before sunset, and if you possibly can, go on a night with a new moon.

We did this on an organized tour and loved it, but it was exhausting. We stopped at the visitor's center, then headed to the summit, which was amazing. The telescopes were cool, and the view was other-wordly. Then we went back down and had our guide run through some star-gazing with his powerful telescope. Our tour was excellent, but did not allow children, I think under 14 or 16. The 10-year-old might be OK, but the younger one might not. Why not call a few tour companies and get some background information?

Even though going to the summit gives you great views not easily replicated, the altitude is very tough to take. You go from sea level to almost 14,000 ft. in the span of a few hours. I have trouble going over 11,000 ft, so this trip, while having great scenery, gave me a whopping headache.

When we took our kids to the visitor's center a few years later, it was great. They had telescopes set out of many different sizes. The center also has videos you can watch while waiting for the sun to set.

Suzie: For people who are prone to altitude sickness it's a good idea to stop for 30-45 minutes at the Visitor's Center first, before going to the summit, to allow your body to adjust. Most symptoms can be avoided that way.

I once made the mistake of trying to smoke a cigarette while on the summit. I very nearly passed out, and the cigarette barely stayed lit because of the lack of oxygen.

Website with info. about Mauna Kea and keike's(kamali`i):
www.malamamaunakea.org/site/publicsafety.php?article_id=54

fdecarlo,
We had stopped at the visitor's center first, I'm just prone to altitude sickness. Just a heads up for others who might not know about this problem.

Do check in advance about the minimum recommended age for kids above the 9000 ft.visitor's center. My recollection is kids 9 and under should not go any higher, nor should people with cardiac or respiratory problems. The children will enjoy the center- the stars will be awesome. There are telephone numbers with updated recordings regarding weather at the summit to call before heading there from Volcano Village (I'm guessing it could take close to 1 and 1/2 hours to get to the visitors center from there and be sure to fill the tank with gas before leaving Hilo as there are no services on the Saddle Road to Mauna Kea. In case some of your family decide to go to the summit, take seriously the comments of others regarding low oxygen. It can take hours for medical emergency personnel to get to you atop Mauna Kea, and North Hawaii Community Hospital has no cardiac unit. (I don't believe Hilo hospital does either.) They Medivac you on a priority basis to Oahu if they suspect a heart attack.)