Hawaii National Parks

Hawaii has two national parks: Haleakala National Park on Maui, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. Haleakala is the site of Haleakala Volcano, whose majestic summit above the cloud line has become a popular peak for watching magnificent sunrises. Rangers are actively engaged in the preservation of the park’s fragile ecosystem, which includes the silversword and nene goose, two endangered species. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses both the most active volcano in the world, Kilauea, and the largest, Mauna Loa. There are miles of hikes through amazingly diverse ecosystems and awesome trappings of 70 million years of volcanic activity; you can even walk up to the slow-flowing active lava in the eastern rift zone.

Haleakala. Prepare for mosquitoes, sun, rain, and—if you are camping on Haleakala—cold and wind. Haleakala has two drive-in campgrounds, two wilderness campgrounds, and three wilderness cabins. No permits, reservations, or registration are necessary for the drive-in campgrounds. Permits are required for hike-in campsites and are issued the day of the hike for free on a first-come, first-served basis at Park Headquarters (open 8am-3pm). Permits are good for a maximum of three nights per month, with no more than two nights at any site. Cabin reservations are awarded by a monthly lottery. Apply three months in advance. See Camping and Cabins, for more info.

Hawaii Volcanoes. Volcanoes has two drive-in campgrounds; two backcountry tent sites; three backcountry shelters with tent sites, pit toilets, and water catchments; and three hike-in cabin locations. The drive-in campgrounds are free and permits, reservations, and registration are not required. Permits for backcountry sites are free and can be easily obtained from the Visitors Center on a first-come, first-served basis. Stays are limited to seven days per month and 30 days per year. Registration is required for backcountry camping. For more information, see and their website, www.nps.gov/havo.