Originally Posted by
bocastephen
I was there 7/21 - the odd thing was the website did not show any bookable 4x4 of any kind for 3 weeks before our pickup, so we ended up reserving at Waikoloa, but the KOA location was able to rebuild our reservation and save us the Uber ride to Waikoloa, so we drove away in a 4 door Wrangler.
If anyone is thinking of driving to the summit of Mauna Kea, make absolutely sure you have a true 4x4 and know how to shift into 4LO because the rangers WILL check both before releasing you for the drive up.
Haha, yes, practice this if you haven't driven a jeep before... I was very chagrined to have the ranger have to show me how to put it in true 4WD my first time up, because what I thought was right was in fact not.