Namakanipaio Campground

For those who want to experience Hawaii Volcanoes National Park while camping, Namakanipaio campground is the easiest and most convenient way to do so. Sitting 31.5 miles south of Hilo, Namakanipaio is only a 1/2 mile walk from the Jaggar Museum on the edge of Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater. Volcano sits at an elevation of 4000 feet and at nighttime it gets downright cold. It rains in here nearly every day and evening temperatures at Namakanipaio can drop as low as 30 degrees farenheit, so if you’re camping here make sure to have rain gear and plenty of warm clothes.

The Campground is a large grassy area beneath towering Ohia and Eucalyptus trees. Camping is free and on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations, no permits required. Camping is limited to 7 nights per month.

Namakanipaio has restrooms, water, picnic tables and barbecue pits. Campfires are permitted only in the pits provided. This area is extremely wet and fire wood is not available. (Even if you do manage to find dry, dead wood, it’s against park regulations to remove it) If you plan on making a fire you’ll need to bring your own firewood or fuel.

Namakanipaio also has rustic cabins for rent by reservation only. As of April 2012 the cabins are being renovated and are scheduled to reopen in late 2012.

1 comment on “Namakanipaio Campground”

  1. Deeson Jayson

    Well they finally opened but do not have yet as of November a staff who know how to treat guests with fairness and respect. If you book by phone they tell you about the 6:30 p.m. cut-off for checking in, but if you go to their website and see the Book Online Now! and do just that, you do not get informed about check-in cut-off anywhere on their reservation page or on their reservation confirmation. That information is missing (as of Nov 2012). Also the cabin number was missing from the reservation confirmation. We were told all we would have had to have done was go that cabin and the key was inside, so you get no refund.. Sure, and we tried to find out the cabin number even before 6:30 but the site manager never answered his phone the 2 ½ hours we (and two others including the lady at the their reservation desk) tried calling. So $100 for that night in Hilo.

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