Mauna Kea State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Mauna Kea State Recreation Area also known as Mauna Kea State Park, is a state of Hawaii
protected area at the southern base of Mauna Kea
.
The 20.5 acres (8.3 ha) park is administered by the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources
.
The park is located on Saddle Road (Route 200) 35 miles (56.3 km) west of Hilo, at 19°44′57"N 155°31′35"W with about 6500 feet (1,981.2 m) elevation. Facilities include restrooms, cabins and camping, trash cans, and a picnic area. water improvements are planned.
Wild pigs and sheep 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
, and artillery
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 55 miles (88.5 km) road, through the 8 miles (12.9 km) west of the park and 14 miles (22.5 km) 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.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
protected area at the southern base of Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea
Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...
.
The 20.5 acres (8.3 ha) park is administered by the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources
Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources is a part of the Hawaii state government dedicated to managing state parks and other natural resources of the state of Hawaii.-Divisions:...
.
The park is located on Saddle Road (Route 200) 35 miles (56.3 km) west of Hilo, at 19°44′57"N 155°31′35"W with about 6500 feet (1,981.2 m) elevation. Facilities include restrooms, cabins and camping, trash cans, and a picnic area. water improvements are planned.
Wild pigs and sheep 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
Pohakuloa Training Area
Pōhakuloa Training Area is located on the island of Hawaii in the high plateau between Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and the Hualālai volcanic mountains...
, and artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
practices can disturb the quiet of the site.
On August 18, 2009 Senator Daniel Inouye
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
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 55 miles (88.5 km) road, through the 8 miles (12.9 km) west of the park and 14 miles (22.5 km) 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.