Mauna Kea summit and observatories

Treat the summit as sacred ground. This is not a generic mountain peak; it is the most sacred mountain in Hawaiian cosmology. Do not climb on the cinder cones, including Puʻu Wēkiu, the true summit. Some cones are off-limits entirely; the protocol is enforced. Do not collect rocks of any kind. Stay on roads and designated viewing areas. No drones — banned by the Center for Maunakea Stewardship. Photograph respectfully; no photographs of ceremony or practitioners in protocol. The cold is severe — even in summer the summit is often below freezing at sunrise; in winter it can be in the teens with wind. Dress for it or do not go.