Mauna Loa

Planning snapshot

Mauna Loa is a 13,679 ft summit in the Hawaiian Islands (USA). PeakAtlas rates it strenuous hike (High-altitude hike); best season is Year-round (weather dependent). Permit required. Typical staging is Hilo (35 mi). Limited lodging data is mapped from OpenStreetMap for this region — stage in the listed town rather than expecting a full hotel directory. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.

Elevation

13,679 ft

Prominence

7,079 ft

Difficulty tier

Strenuous hike

Best season

Year-round (weather dependent)

Permits

Permit required

Staging

Hilo · 35 mi

Mapped lodging

Limited / none mapped

Listed trails

2

As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.

How hard is Mauna Loa, and what do you need before you go?

Mauna Loa is listed as High-altitude hike with a best season of Year-round (weather dependent). Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.

Difficulty

High-altitude hike

Best season

Year-round (weather dependent)

Access / staging

Hilo, Hawaii

How tall is Mauna Loa, and where is it?

Location

Hawaii, USA

Elevation

13,679 ft

Prominence

7,079 ft

Mountain range

Hawaiian Islands

Difficulty

High-altitude hike

What makes Mauna Loa notable?

Largest volcano on Earth by volume; active Hawaiian shield beside Mauna Kea.

Earth’s largest shield volcano by volume — a vast, gently sloping Hawaiian giant beside Mauna Kea, with long alpine approaches above the rainforest.

After you check trip readiness for Mauna Loa, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii, USA.

Closest places

• Hilo — Hawaii via Saddle Rd
• Kailua-Kona — Hawaii via HI-190