Mauna Kea – Lake Waiʻau loop from Mauna Kea

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Hiking trails & Routes

Hawaiʻi County

Mauna Kea – Lake Waiʻau loop from Mauna Kea

Moderate

hikers

Mauna Kea – Lake Waiʻau loop from Mauna Kea

02:44

8.83km

310m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

Last updated: August 20, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

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22 m

Mauna Kea summit climb

Highlight • Summit

Awesome, that only works in Hawai'i. Start at the beach and end at over 4000m. The driveway to the visitor center is long but easy to do. The rest of …

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36 m

Mauna Kea

Highlight • Summit

Grandios to be on the highest mountain in the world (seen from the foot of the mountain). While it's warm down by the sea, there's even snow here.

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175 m

View of the True Mauna Kea Summit

Highlight • Viewpoint

On a clear day you can even see Hilo in the distance.

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230 m

Mauna Kea Summit and Observatories

Highlight • Summit

487 m

Mauna Kea Summit

Highlight • Summit

The second highest peak in Hawaii offers a super panoramic view

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4.70 km

Lake Waiʻau

Highlight • Lake

a beautiful little lake in an old volcano crater

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4.89 km

View of Lake Waiau

Highlight • Viewpoint

5.34 km

Lake Waiʻau trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

While the trail is nicely maintained, still keep watch for an occasional loose rock along the way. But the path is mostly clear and easy to traverse.

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8.83 km

End point

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

3.71 km

1.91 km

1.60 km

1.58 km

Surfaces

4.87 km

2.50 km

1.33 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (4,180 m)

Lowest point (3,890 m)

Weather

Today

Wednesday 7 October

17°C

7°C

24 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

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Mauna Kea – Lake Waiʻau loop from Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea summit climb

Mauna Kea

View of the True Mauna Kea Summit

Mauna Kea Summit and Observatories

Mauna Kea Summit

Lake Waiʻau

View of Lake Waiau

Lake Waiʻau trail

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