HONOLULU (KHON2) – A study found two of Hawaii’s mountains on the top 10 list of Best Mountain Climbing Destinations in the United States.
The study was done by Family Destinations Guide and ranked Haleakala Crater on Maui and Mauna Kea on Big Island among the top ten referencing data collected from Instagram and TripAdvisor.
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Haleakala Crater is ranked number two as one of the best destinations for mountain climbing according to the study, right under Mount Rainier, WA as number one.
According to Haleakala National Park, Haleakala Crater sits 28,000 feet from base to peak and is the third tallest mountain in the world. This mountain takes up three-quarters of Maui Island.
Haleakala Crater is rated 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor with over 8,000 reviews with comments on the “many different types of topography and the views of the whole island.” The study showed there are 22,580 Instagram posts associated with the hashtag #haleakalacrater. Click here to learn more about Haleakala Crater.
Mauna Kea is ranked number nine as one of the best destinations for mountain climbing and is the earth’s tallest mountain, measuring base to peak at 33,500 ft, according to the Guinness World Records. However, the mountain sits 13,802 feet above sea level.
Mauna Kea is ranked 5 stars on TripAdvisor with over 4,000 reviews. According to TripAdvisor, many visitors like seeing the sunset above the clouds and said, “Watching the sun go down over the heavens was a spiritual event.” Some reviews also touch on how close they were to the stars after sunset and the enjoyment of learning about the sacred grounds. Click here to learn more about Maunakea in Hawaiian Culture. The number nine Best Mountain Climbing Destination also has 7,263 posts on Instagram associated with the hashtag #maunakeasummit.
Top 10 list for Best Mountain Climbing Destinations:
1. Mount Rainier
2. Haleakala Crater
3. Lookout Mountain
4. Grand Teton
5. Camelback Mountain
6. Mount Washington
7. Maroon Bells
8. Cadillac Mountain
9. Mauna Kea Summit
10. Clingmans Dome
