Pu'u Ulaula (Red Hill)

Puʻuʻulaʻula Cabin, also known as Red Hill Cabin, is a rustic cabin along the Mauna Loa Trail in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The trail starts at the top of Mauna Loa Road, and the hike to the cabin is long, with a lot of elevation gain. The park has closed Mauna Loa Road to all use from the second cattle guard to Mauna Loa Lookout into late October, so check park alerts before planning a trip. The cabin has bunks with thin foam pads, a cooking area and a pit toilet. Water comes from a catchment tank and must be treated, so ask about current water levels when you get your permit. Every overnight stay needs a backcountry permit, which carries its own fee on top of the park entrance fee, and the park limits how many nights in a row you can stay. Mauna Loa Summit Cabin cannot be reached from this trail, because a Mauna Loa eruption damaged the trail. This is high-altitude country: altitude sickness is common, snow or driving rain can come in any season, and nights are below freezing all year. Pregnant women, people with heart, lung or other serious health problems, and children below the park's age guideline should talk to a doctor before hiking on Mauna Loa, and scuba divers must wait a full day after diving. The trail is marked with cairns that are easy to lose in low visibility.