A tent site at Kulanaokuaiki, inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, costs $10 a night and is first-come. The other main option is a county beach park on the Kohala coast or along the lava-rock shoreline in Kaʻū. The county charges per person per night, $21 for a non-resident adult, and you book the permit online.
Each person can stay 7 nights per county campground per calendar year from June through August, and 14 the rest of the year, so a longer stay means moving between parks. If you rent a camper van, sleep in it only at a campground that allows it: state law bars sleeping in a vehicle on public roads and public property from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Table of contents
- Map + list of campsites
- How to get a camping permit
- Camper van rentals (and are they legal in Hawaiʻi?)
- Camping tips specific to the Big Island
Several of the campgrounds on this page are also Big Island beaches you can visit even if you’re not camping.
Map and list of Big Island Campsites
Campgrounds sit on every coast and in the highlands. Use the map to find a site near where you want to be.
The table below lists the county, state, and national park campgrounds on the Big Island, with the amenities at each. Some sites have showers and drinking water, others have neither, so scan the columns before you settle on a park. Each site’s booking page has the current details.
Details and map locations below last verified July 2026.
| Name | Picnic Area | Restrooms | Showers | Drinking Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hoʻokena Beach Park | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 2Kalōpā State Recreation Area | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| 3Kapaʻa Beach Park | ✔ | ✔ | – | – |
| 4Kīholo State Park Reserve | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 5Kohanaiki Beach Park | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 6Kulanaokuaiki Campground | ✔ | ✔ | – | – |
| 7Laupāhoehoe Beach Park | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 8Mauna Kea Recreation Area | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 9Miloliʻi Beach Park | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 10Nāmakanipaio Campground | ✔ | ✔ | – | ✔ |
| 11Punaluʻu Beach Park | – | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 12Spencer Beach Park | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 13Waimanu Campsite | – | ✔ | – | – |
| 14Whittington Beach Park | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – |
See our photo gallery of these Big Island campsites:
Pictures and descriptions of the campsites on Hawaii's Big Island. Pick a camping place to pitch your tent and go camping.
How to Get a Camping Permit on the Big Island
Every legal campsite in a county or state park requires a permit. There’s no free camping in either system, and you can’t buy permits at the parks themselves. You can book either one online.
County and state run separate booking platforms, and camping in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park takes no permit at all.
- Hawaiʻi County Park Camping Permits
- Hawaiʻi State Park Camping Permits
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (No Permit Needed)
You don’t need a permit to camp on private land. Hipcamp lists private-land campsites on the Big Island.
Hawaiʻi County Camping Permits
County parks make up the majority of Big Island campgrounds, including Spencer Beach Park, Punaluʻu, and Hoʻokena.
Prices (2026)
County permits are priced per person, per night:
- Adults (18+): $6/night for residents, $21/night for non-residents.
- Juniors (13–17): $3/night for residents, $21/night for non-residents.
- Children (12 and under): $1/night for residents, $20/night for non-residents.
These rates include a $1 per adult and $1 per junior online processing fee for each night.
How to book
- Go to the Hawaiʻi County Camp Reservation System.
- Create an account (or log in if you already have one).
- Search by park name or browse all available locations.
- Select your dates.
- Enter the number of adults and juniors in your group.
- Pay by credit card. You’ll get a confirmation email with your permit.
- Print your permit or save it on your phone. You must be able to show it at the campsite.
You can also buy permits in person at the Hilo office (101 Pauahi St., Suite 6), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Kona permit office sits outside the Kona Community Aquatic Center (75-5530 Kuakini Highway) and sells permits Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Satellite offices in Waimea, Kapaʻau, Nāʻālehu, and Pāhala also sell permits, but staff hours vary. Call ahead.
Refund policy: Request a refund at least 15 days before check-in. The county keeps the $1 per adult and per junior processing fee for each night.
Hawaiʻi State Camping Permits
State Parks runs three places to stay overnight on the Big Island: Kalōpā State Recreation Area, Kīholo State Park Reserve, and the A-frame shelters at Hāpuna Beach. All three are closed to camping and lodging for hurricane recovery, with no reopening date posted. Day use is open at Kalōpā and Kīholo. State Parks lists reopenings on its camping page.
The state forestry division issues permits for Waimanu Valley’s backcountry campsites through its own booking page. The only road to the trailhead runs down into Waipiʻo Valley, and it’s open only to Hawaiʻi Island residents in 4WD vehicles.
Prices (2026)
When camping reopens, state permits are priced per campsite, per night (up to 10 people per site):
- Residents: $20/night per campsite.
- Non-residents: $30/night per campsite.
- Children 2 and under: free.
Hāpuna Beach A-frame shelters cost $40/night for residents and $70/night for non-residents (max 4 people per shelter). Kalōpā cabin rentals are $70/night (residents) and $100/night (non-residents), for up to 8 people.
How to book
- Go to Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi (the state’s new booking platform as of late 2025).
- Create an account.
- Search for your park by name or browse Hawaiʻi Island locations.
- Select your campsite and dates.
- Pay in full at the time of reservation. Credit card required for online booking.
- Print your permit or keep a digital copy. You must have it with you at the campsite.
You can also buy permits in person at the DLNR District Office in Hilo, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., by credit card, cash, or money order.
Refund policy: No refunds within 15 days of check-in, no exceptions. A $5 cancellation fee per permit applies to all refund requests.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (No Permit Needed)
The two campgrounds inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park don’t require a camping permit. Both are first-come, first-served.
- Nāmakanipaio Campground: $15/night.
- Kulanaokuaiki Campground: $10/night.
Both fees come on top of the $30 park entrance fee per vehicle, which an America the Beautiful pass covers. Nāmakanipaio has an on-site pay station for cash or checks, and Volcano House takes credit cards.
Tent rentals in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
If you didn’t bring a tent, you can stay in a cabin at the Nāmakanipaio site, or rent a 2-person tent for $55/night. That rate covers the site ($15) and the gear ($40), and doesn’t include the park entrance fee.
Volcano House lists cabin and tent-rental details on its campground page.
The A-frame cabins stand on the same grounds as the tent sites, for anyone who would rather not pitch a tent.
The sites sit on open lawn under eucalyptus, high enough that nights get cold even in July.
Camper Vans: Where You Can Sleep in One, and Rentals
Sleeping in a camper van is legal only in permitted campgrounds and on private land with the owner’s permission.
Hawaiʻi law prohibits using a parked vehicle for human habitation on public roads and other public property between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. (§291C-112), though permitted campgrounds and recreational areas are exempt. In practice that rules out sleeping in beach parking lots, roadside pullouts, and trailheads. State Parks also bans sleeping in vehicles in its campground parking lots.
Where to spend the night with a camper van
The easiest way to find a legal overnight spot is Hipcamp, where residents rent out space on their own property to vans and RVs. Start with its Big Island RV sites, and confirm a listing allows vehicles before you book.
Camper Van and Rooftop-Tent Rentals
You can rent a camper van or a rooftop-tent 4WD directly from these Big Island operators:
- Sun + Salt Campervans (website): Fully equipped camper vans based in Kailua-Kona, near the airport, with a 3-night minimum.
- Big Island Campers (website): Four customized camper vans, with discounts that start at 10% for rentals of 8 nights or more.
- Hawaiian Overlanders (website): Toyota FJ Cruisers, each with a rooftop tent and a ground tent.
- Ready Rigs (vehicle rentals, camping kits): Three setups out of Kona: Kea, the Lava Van, and camping kits. Kea is a 4WD with a rooftop tent, camp kitchen, and refrigerator. The Lava Van is a Mercedes Sprinter camper for two adults with a king-size bed, stove, running water, and solar power. Drivers for either must be 25 or older. If you already have a rental car, the camping kits are for 1 to 3 people and come with a tent, sleeping pads, stove, cook kit, and cooler.
A Ready Rigs 4Runner with its rooftop tent set up on a beach. Overnight, park it only at a permitted campground or on private land. Image from the Ready Rigs website.
Tips for Camping on the Big Island
- Nights at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park drop into the low 50s°F (10–12°C) at 4,000 ft elevation. Bring layers and a warm sleeping bag, even in summer.
- Trade winds blow predominantly from east to west. Set up your tent and cooking area so smoke from your fire or grill blows away from your sleeping spot.
- Several county parks (Miloliʻi, Kapaʻa, Whittington) have no drinking water. Check the amenity table above before you go, and bring at least a gallon of water per person per day.