Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve

The Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve is a Hawaii state natural reserve that includes the Mauna Kea Adz Quarry, on the southern slope of Mauna Kea on the island of the Hawaii.LocationThe reserve is accessed from the Saddle Road (Hawaii Route 200), about 24mi northwest of Hilo. At, the Mauna Kea access road leads to the north at about elevation. The road was unofficially named for John A. Burns who was Governor of Hawaii when it was built in 1964. The land is part of the Natural Area Reserves System administered by the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources. The reserve lies above the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, to the west of the road starting at an elevation of about at. It extends to just below the summit area of Mauna Kea Observatory, at about elevation at. The 3894acre reserve was established in 1981.In 1998, the area leased to the Mauna Kea Observatory (called the Kea Science Reserve) was modified to exclude the Ice Age reserve. Another small parcel surrounding the rocky cinder cone called Puu Pōhaku at, contains a rare example of permafrost in the tropics. A 2004 study found the rare wēkiu bug (Nysius wekiuicola) in the reserve.