First Light Bookstore

"Beautiful view and a ranger posted at the gate to make sure only properly equipped vehicles summit. Unfortunately, the store is still closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Come for the view and be sure to pack a lunch and plenty of water as well as a jacket for weather changes. Temperature drop was about 20 degrees from shore to 9K feet with a light rain in the early afternoon. Plenty of parking available due to the store closing. You can order online and spare some precious luggage space for other island goodies."

"A great place to see sunset and stargazing here. You can park your car at the lower level visitor center parking lot for stargazing after sunset. You can walk through a tunnel (so you don’t need to cross the highway road) to the other side of the road to see sunset on the sunset hill and there is only a 10-20min walk. After sunset you can return to the parking lot for stargazing or stay uphill. It can be a little difficult to stargazing at the parking lot because people are coming and going and they turn on their high-bean light which is quite annoying and that definitely affect stargazing. But you can still view lots of stars because the mountain above the clouds. Right now the visitor center has closed for their stargazing program. However, you can stargaze yourself in the parking lot. Be sure to arrive EARLY!!! At least 1 hour before sunset to secure a place in the parking lot as it can get very crowded. Visitor center is very informative and they provide hot water, microwave, water cups, for free until closing around 5:15ish. You can bring some instant noodles, snacks, bento box, etc for a stargazing picnic. You can get very hungry at that altitude on the mountain. It is very important to keep warm! Bring lots of cloth, winter jackets!!! You might also need flashlights for walking uphill/downhill at night. Also bring lots of water as well. If you want to go to the summit for sunset. Make sure you check with your rental company if you can drive there as most of them will not allow you to drive because of the gravel road. Make sure you have a true 4- wheel drive vehicle to travel to the summit. The visiting hours to the summit area are from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1/2 hour after sunset. So you can only stay there for the sunset. You can stargaze at the visitor center parking lots."

"The ride up to Mauna Kea was a bit of a hike from Kona. The climate change was huge from the beach to the top. From warm sunshine to cold rain. There was still a beautiful view above the clouds. The temperature drops quickly as the sun sets, so be sure to pack additional clothes. I saw one person bring a folding chair to the top, which would have been nice for the sunset. Many people brought food and drinks to enjoy. There are microwaves and hot water available and the shop sells cups of noodles and hot cocoa. Once the sun set, there were several microscopes set up in the parking lot on various planets. I saw Venus, Saturn (rings and all!), Jupiter (with 4 moons!), and the moon. I would recommend downloading one of the star apps before you go. It was an amazing place to see the night sky!"

"One of my favourite experiences in Hawaii. We drove up and arrived around 5 PM. Visitor Info Station has restrooms, hot water, souvenirs, and informational videos and guides, all at 9200 feet. Drive from the main road up to the visitor centre is only about 15 min, but a huge elevation gain. Once parked at the visitor centre, there is an amazing but short hike across the street up a "hill" to a "peak" where you can watch the sunset. Make sure to bring a flashlight - PREFERABLY one with red cellophane over it, as this helps your eyes stay more sensitive to the stary night sky (and respects others there to view the stars as well). Certain nights of the week the astronomers get out the telescopes and do a informative show. We've been twice, but always end up taking off to enjoy the solace and have the stars to ourselves. Bring a blanket to lie down and star gaze. Also bring a toque, mittens, and warm sweater - it's not "tropical" Hawaii at this elevation. Staring at the Milky Way in the silence at the top of Mauna Kea is one of my favourite things to do in Hawaii. Highly recommend it."

"You have to stop here for at least 30 minutes to acclimate to the altitude before continuing to the summit. If you're feeling woozy by this point already the sunset view from a nearby cinder cone is just as majestic as from the summit. Bring very warm clothing as it gets very cold at night. the picnic tables are a great spot to spread out a blanket and enjoy some star gazing. The views are amazing."