Mauna Kea State Recreation Area also known as Mauna Kea State Park, is a state of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

protected area at the southern base of

Mauna Kea Mauna Kea ( or ; ; abbreviation for ''Mauna a Wākea''); is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. Its peak is above sea level, making it the highest point in the state of Hawaii and second-highest peak of an island on Earth. The peak is ...

. The park is administered by the

Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is a part of the Hawaii state government dedicated to managing, administering, and exercising control over public lands, water resources and streams, ocean waters, coastal areas, minerals ...

. The park is located on

Saddle Road Route 200, known locally as Saddle Road, traverses the width of the Island of Hawaii, from downtown Hilo to its junction with Hawaii Route 190 near Waimea. The road was once considered one of the most dangerous paved roads in the state, with ...

(Route 200) west of

Hilo Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Hawaii (island), Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 United ...

, at with about elevation. Facilities include restrooms, cabins and camping, trash cans, and a picnic area. water improvements are planned. Wild pigs and

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

can be hunted in the area. The dry shrublands get cold at night due to the elevation. The nearby Bradshaw Field, a military airstrip on the

Pohakuloa Training Area Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) is a US military training base located on the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualalai, Hualālai volcanic mountains of the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii. It includes a small military airstrip k ...

, and

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

practices can disturb the quiet of the site. On August 18, 2009 Senator Daniel Inouye and other officials held a ceremony at the park marking the third phase of the realignment of the Saddle Road. The first three phases improved 22 miles of the road, through the west of the park and east of the park. On August 22, 2010, a fire broke out between the park and the training area. Dry conditions, strong winds, and steep terrain hampered fighting efforts, although military helicopters were used. The fire burned for over a week, with traffic diverted to the older saddle road and the park closed down. In 2014, Hawaiʻi County took over management from the state in 2014 to improve the facilities."$10.5M renovation coming to Mauna Kea Recreation Area", ''West Hawaii Today'', February 10, 2016. http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-news/105m-renovation-coming-mauna-kea-recreation-area

References

{{authority control Protected areas of Hawaii (island) State parks of Hawaii

See also

References