Getting Oriented
Mauna Kea's west slope, inside the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve and Ka'ohe Game Management Area on the island of Hawai'i, holds the state's only permit-based ATV and dirt-bike riding area: two roads, Pu'u La'au Road / Mauna Kea Access Road (R-1) and Skyline Road (R-10), managed by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife's Na Ala Hele Trail and Access Program. Both roads run through forest and rangeland at roughly 7,000 to 10,000 feet, well below the summit and separate from the paved Mauna Kea Observatory Road that carries traffic to the telescopes.
Mauna Kea is sacred to Native Hawaiians, and its upper slopes, especially near the summit, carry cultural and legal protections that go well beyond what an OHV permit addresses. The riding area sits on the mountain's lower west flank, below that zone, but it's still part of the same mountain and the same forest system DLNR and its partners are actively restoring. The mamane-naio forest the road climbs through is home to most of what's left of the palila, a critically endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper found only on Mauna Kea.
Trail Overview
Skyline Road is a graded cinder and dirt route connecting the Kilohana check-in station, off the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road), to the Mauna Kea Access Road at higher elevation. Riders describe the lower sections as packed cinder and earth with pockets of loose gravel, giving way to sticky clay and looser, rockier, rutted stretches above roughly 8,000 feet. DOFAW doesn't publish an official mileage figure for R-10 alone, so treat any specific distance you see on third-party trail apps as unverified.
Riding is restricted to R-1 and R-10 only. No side roads, no cutting cross-country, even where a spur looks rideable. Licensed 4x4 trucks and Jeeps don't need the ATV riding permit and can use any established forest road in the reserve; the permit and liability waiver apply specifically to non-licensed vehicles (ATVs, dirt bikes, dune buggies). Every OHV needs a USFS-approved spark arrestor.
Points of Interest
- Pu'u La'au. A cinder cone near the western end of the system, close to a historic forestry cabin.
- Pu'u Mali. A high point along the Mauna Kea Access Road where the mamane forest opens onto rangeland, with ocean views on clear days.
- Pu'u Kemole and Pu'u Kanakaleonui. Cinder cones marked along the Access Road's upper arc.
- Kilohana and Pu'u Huluhulu check-in stations. The two mandatory sign-in points; closures are posted here first.
Where to Camp
There's no developed campground on Skyline Road itself. This is a day-use riding area, not a camping destination. DOFAW issues separate camping permits for select Forest Reserve sites under its own rules (Hawaii Administrative Rules Chapter 104); check the current list through the division's permit office before planning an overnight in the reserve. The closest developed option is Mauna Kea State Recreation Area, a Division of State Parks unit at the mile 35 marker on Saddle Road with seven rental cabins, two of them ADA-accessible, bookable through Hawaii's state camping reservation system.
Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Trip
- Sign in and out at the Kilohana or Pu'u Huluhulu check-in station every time. It's mandatory, and it's how DOFAW knows who's in the reserve if a closure gets called.
- Carry your permit and waiver while riding. Hunters actively hunting on a valid license are the only exception.
- Wear bright or blaze-orange clothing. Hunters, hikers, birders, and mountain bikers all share these roads, and hunting is allowed daily.
- Fill up before you leave Waimea or Hilo. There's no fuel past the highway, and DOFAW's own trip checklist adds drinking water, sunscreen, a first aid kit, and a paper map of the area.
- Check dlnr.hawaii.gov/alerts before you go. The reserve closes on short notice for wildfire risk and for the ground and aerial animal-control operations DLNR runs under a federal court order protecting palila critical habitat.
- In an emergency, call 911. For general questions, the Division of Forestry and Wildlife's Hilo office is at (808) 974-4221; DOCARE enforcement is at (808) 643-3567.
Fuel and Water
No fuel, water, or services past the highway. Top off before leaving Waimea or Hilo, the two towns where DOFAW keeps a permit office (66-1220A Lalamilo Road in Waimea, 19 E. Kawili Street in Hilo). The division's own trip-prep list adds extra fuel and drinking water on top of a full tank.
Nearby
Mauna Kea State Recreation Area, a separate Division of State Parks unit at the mile 35 marker on Saddle Road, has picnic areas and seven rental cabins. The paved Mauna Kea Access Road to the summit observatories is a different road than R-1/R-10; no OHV permit applies there, and none is accepted. Waimea and Hilo are the nearest towns for fuel, supplies, and DOFAW's permit offices.
