No 2-wheel drive vehicles are allowed past the end of the paved road just above the VIS. Most 4WD rental agencies do not allow their vehicles to be taken up to MaunaKea but have a look at Harpers Car Rentals for rental cars that you can take up to the summit.
Yes 4WD is required past the Visitors Center to go to the Summit of Mauna Kea. You will need to use Low Range due to the steep road and the fact the road is a gravel road. The view is great and you can see the Telescopes at the summit. You must have a Four Wheel Drive Vehicle to go to the top of Mauna Kea.
Mauna Kea is a large volcano at an elevation of 4.207m (13,803ft) above the sea level, located in the U.S. state of Hawai'i in the Pacific Ocean. It's the only place in the world you can drive from sea level to a nearly 14,000ft peak in under 2 hours. It's really challenging to get to the top. It's not an easy road.
One of the highest lakes on the planet, Lake Waiau, just 750 ft below the summit. You are welcome to drive your vehicle on the Mauna Kea Summit Rd to the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station. … None of our major rental car companies allows their vehicles, Jeeps included, beyond the visitors center.
Having four wheel drive on a car rental is not necessary on any of the Hawaiian Islands. This is because the car rental companies DO NOT allow any of their cars to be taken off the pavement, even if they are 4-wheel drive (4WD). Going onto any unpaved area in Hawaii is a car rental contract violation.
On the “Big Island” of Hawai'i, the storm produced 14.26 inches (36.22 centimeters) of rain and prompted a blizzard warning for high winds and snowfall atop Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. … While blizzard conditions are rare in Hawai'i, snow is not uncommon on the two tallest volcanoes in the island chain.
How cold is it at the Mauna Kea summit area? The average temperature near the summit is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 Celsius. The wind-chill factor may dip the temperature far below freezing.
“Use four-wheel drive, and low gears on the way down,” he said sternly through the open window of our SUV, as we checked in at the Maunakea Visitor Information Station, 9,200-feet above sea level. “If you ride your brakes, you won't have any left when you get back down here.”
You need a 4WD vehicle to drive to the summit of MaunaKea. No 2-wheel drive vehicles are allowed past the end of the paved road just above the VIS. Most 4WD rental agencies do not allow their vehicles to be taken up to MaunaKea but have a look at Harpers Car Rentals for rental cars that you can take up to the summit.