The 2022 eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano cut off road access to the Mauna Loa Baseline Observatory. Construction on the temporary Mauna Loa Access road was completed on 26 March, 2026.

At this time, there is no site access for the general public to the Mauna Loa Observatory and NOAA has not yet established a public opening date. GML and scientific partners are working together to bring mission critical scientific projects back online. It is still unclear when utility infrastructure will be replaced and power re-established to the site.

We will provide another update as more information becomes available.

Media contact: Theo Stein at (303) 819-7409 or theo.stein@noaa.gov.

Mauna Loa Visiting and Tours

! The Mauna Loa observatory is closed to the public and not giving tours until further notice.

Tour Information for General Public

Tours of the Mauna Loa Observatory are performed by appointment only. To arrange for a tour please use the "General Visitors Link" below. Please note that the Mauna Loa Observatory is not an astronomical observatory and those interested in astronomy should visit https://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/

Visiting Scientists

If you are visiting to work at the site, please go to the "Visiting Scientists Link" below.

Directions to MLO sites

If you need directions to the observatory or the Hilo office from around the Big Island, please use the "Get Directions and Maps Link" below.

Preparation Checklist

Everyone should look at the Preparation Checklist before heading up to the observatory.

School Visits

MLO can host school groups and field trips on selected weekdays by creating interactive displays throughout the Hilo office. The displays are designed to inform, entertain, and involve the children. Many of the displays are flexible enough to be fitted to the education level of the incoming group. The following special reports are in Adobe Reader (.pdf) format, are suitable for printing, and are excellent resources for teachers interested in finding out what a visit to the MLO office entials. For more information on scheduling a school visit to MLO, see the General Visitors page.