The Maunakea Visitor Information Station will be closed on Sundays beginning Aug. 26, 2018, until further notice. Restrooms and the parking lot will remain open. The VIS has seen a significant increase in visitors since the May closure of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park due to the volcanic eruption. The unexpected increase has placed a strain on resources.
Closing on Sundays will provide a day of recovery. The Maunakea Access Road and summit area will also remain open and the Maunakea Rangers will continue to be on duty.
The VIS will continue to be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The situation will be reassessed in a month.
The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, also known as Hale Pōhaku, is a complex of support facilities for the telescopes and other instruments that comprise the Mauna Kea Observatory atop Mauna Kea on Hawaiʻi island.
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The Maunakea Visitor Information Station will be closed on Sundays beginning Aug. 26, 2018, until further notice. Restrooms and the parking lot will remain open. The VIS has seen a significant increase in visitors since the May closure of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park due to the volcanic eruption. The unexpected increase has placed a strain on resources.
