Lodging · Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
A high-altitude bunkhouse for a demanding Mauna Loa hike.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes audio tourRecorded for this place
Mauna Loa Lookout: Shelter and Silverswords“You're nearing Mauna Loa Lookout at the end of the road, well below the mountain's summit. In clear weather, you can look down toward Kīlauea, across old lava flows and out to the ocean.”
Plays as you drive up to Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Cabin in the Parkwolf Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Tour Guide.
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Cabin is a small backcountry cabin on Mauna Loa Trail at 10,035 feet. From the top of Mauna Loa Road, the route is 7.5 miles and climbs 3,373 feet. This is a demanding hike over rough lava in thin air, so treat it as a serious backcountry destination, not a casual stop. A backcountry permit is required for an overnight stay.
There are eight bunks with thin foam pads, though up to 24 hikers can stay at the site each night, so don't count on a bunk. The cabin has a cooking area, catchment water, and a composting toilet. Bring your own food and sleeping bag, and treat all catchment water before drinking; the tank level can vary.
The route crosses forest and open volcanic ground. Loose, jagged lava makes for slow, uneven footing. Cairns mark the trail, but they can be hard to follow in mist or poor visibility.
Altitude sickness is common at this elevation. Nights fall below freezing year-round, and high winds, whiteouts, snow, or driving rain can arrive in any season. Carry warm, waterproof layers and be ready to turn around and descend if you feel unwell.
Wildlife
600 sightingsHawaiian Goose (Nēnē)Most seen around 5 PMSighting map
35 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
36 sightingsHawaiian Hawk ('Io)Most seen around 11 AMSighting map
41 sightingsBlack NoddyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
96 sightingsWhite-tailed TropicbirdMost seen around noonSighting map
24 sightingsHawai'i 'ElepaioMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Hawaiʻi Volcanoes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Parkwolf’s Hawaiʻi Volcanoes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
