Hawaii trails · Mauna Loa Trail
Mauna Loa Trail
A 15.7-mile out-and-back in Hawaii, with 6,369 ft of climbing. Reaches Puʻuʻulaʻula and other summit destinations.
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It climbs almost continuously, with little descent to recover on.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Puʻuʻulaʻula (summit)
- Pohakuʻohanalei (summit)
- Pukauahi (summit)
- Steaming Cone (summit)
Getting there
Mauna Loa Trail access — parking nearby, restroom. 19.49311, -155.38529 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:43 a.m., the sun rises at 6:06 a.m. and sets at 6:37 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:59 p.m. (HST) — 12 h 31 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 31.4-mile round trip works out to roughly 18 h 00 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Mauna Loa Trail — 13.9 mi loop, 3,463 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Crater Rim Trail — 8.0 mi
- Ka?? Desert Trail — 8.6 mi
- Ainapo Trail — 11.0 mi
- N?pau Trail — 14.1 mi