Big Island Camping: Campsites, Permits & Costs

A tent site on the Big Island starts at $10 a night inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. First-come, no permit needed. County beach parks and state park sites cost more, $6 to $30 a night depending on the park and your residency. The campgrounds themselves vary widely: sheltered Kohala-coast beaches, windy lava-rock shoreline in Kaʻū, cool highland forest at Kalōpā.

Campsites make sense on a trip past a week, when hotel nights add up fast. County and state parks each require a permit, booked online in about 10 minutes; the two national park campgrounds are first-come with no permit. Hawaiʻi also limits sleeping in a vehicle on public property overnight, so check camper-van plans first.

Several of these parks double as Big Island beaches worth visiting even if you’re not camping.

Map and list of Big Island Campsites

You can camp almost anywhere on the Big Island. 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.

See our gallery of campsites on the Big Island for an impression of some of the campsites listed above:

Campsite Pictures

Pictures and descriptions of the campsites on Hawaii's Big Island. Pick a camping place to pitch your tent and go camping.

Read more →

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. The good news: both are fully online, and booking takes about 10 minutes.

County and state run separate booking platforms, and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a third case with no permit at all. Which one you use depends on where you want to camp.

• 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, for example, lists private-land camping options on the Big Island. See the Hipcamp website.

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.

An online processing fee of $1 per adult and $1 per junior, per day, is added at checkout.

How to book

1. Go to the Hawaiʻi County Camp Reservation System.
2. Create an account (or log in if you already have one).
3. Search by park name or browse all available locations.
4. Select your dates.
5. Enter the number of adults and juniors in your group.
6. Pay by credit card. You will receive a confirmation email with your permit.
7. Print your permit or save it on your phone. You must be able to show it at the campsite.

You can also purchase permits in person at the Hilo office (101 Pauahi St., Suite 6) or the Kona office (75-5530 Kuakini Highway), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Several satellite offices in Waimea, Kapaʻau, and Nāʻālehu also sell permits, but call ahead to confirm hours.

Refund policy: Refunds must be requested at least 15 days before your reservation date. The online processing fee is non-refundable.

Hawaiʻi State Camping Permits

On the Big Island, state-managed camping locations include Kalōpā State Recreation Area, Kīholo State Park Reserve, and the Hāpuna Beach A-frame shelters. Waimanu Valley camping is also managed through the state system but is restricted to Hawaiʻi residents.

Prices (2026)

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

1. Go to Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi (the state’s new booking platform as of late 2025).
2. Create an account.
3. Search for your park by name or browse Hawaiʻi Island locations.
4. Select your campsite and dates.
5. Pay in full at the time of reservation. Credit card required for online booking.
6. Print your permit or keep a digital copy. You must have it with you at the campsite.

In-person purchases are available at the DLNR District Office in Hilo, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Accepted payment methods include credit card, cash, and money orders.

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 do not require a camping permit. Both are first-come, first-served.

• Nāmakanipaio Campground: $15/night.
• Kulanaokuaiki Campground: $10/night.

These fees are in addition to the $30 park entrance fee per vehicle (or free with an America the Beautiful pass). Pay camping fees at the campground self-registration station.

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.

More information on the Hawaii Volcano House website.

The A-frame cabins share the same grounds as the tent sites, for anyone who would rather not pitch one.

The sites sit on open lawn under eucalyptus, high enough that nights run cold even in July.

Camper vans, are they legal?

We get asked a lot whether it is legal to sleep in a camper van on the Big Island. The answer is yes, but not everywhere.

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. You can legally sleep in a camper van on private property with the owner’s permission. Hipcamp lists Big Island options that explicitly allow overnight vehicle stays.

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. Their Big Island map filters for sites that allow vehicles.

Camper van rental websites

You can rent a camper van directly from several Big Island operators:

• Sun + Salt Campervans (website): Unlike the other operators here, this one has fully kitted-out vans. Rates are $225/night before discounts, and they require a minimum rental period of 3 nights.
• Big Island Campers (website): Rent out several customized camper vans with lots of additional options.
• Hawaiian Overlanders (website): The most affordable option here: rooftop tents mounted on several 4WD vehicles.
• Ready Rigs (website): Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road vehicles with a tent rigged to the roof.

Ready Rigs vans are equipped with rooftop tents, electric coolers, cooking and eating amenities, and more. 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, not into it.
• Several county parks (Miloliʻi, Kapaʻa, Kīholo) have no potable water. Check the amenity table above before you go, and bring more water than you think you need. A gallon per person per day is a safe baseline.