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Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Backcountry Permit
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Required year round for every backcountry night in the park. Pick the area you want, from the coastal shelters to the Mauna Loa cabins, and the quota is 16 people a night per area.
“Walk 8 miles down a lava desert with no shade at all and finish at a coconut grove above a tide pool, in a park where the ground itself is still being built.”
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Be notified instantly when Hawaiʻi Volcanoes permits become available due to cancellations.
Get availability alerts
Be notified instantly when Hawaiʻi Volcanoes permits become available due to cancellations.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Quick Facts
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Permit Facts
- As of August 2026, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, National Parks requires a permit issued via reservation.
- The Hawaiʻi Volcanoes route covers 8 miles with 3,000 feet of elevation gain with rated strenuous.
- Cancelled Hawaiʻi Volcanoes permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Permit Details
Pro Tips
- •A quarter of each area's quota is held back for in-person pickup starting 7 days out. If the online window is full, that is your second shot.
- •Ask the rangers about catchment tank levels when you pick up the permit. That is the only current read on backcountry water.
- •Halapē books first. Keauhou and ʻĀpua Point are the same coast and the same walk.
- •Report out when you finish. In a park that erupts, the check-out is how rangers know who is still out there.
What to Expect
Route Details
Highlights
- •A quota of 16 visitors per night per area, plus cabin occupancy where a cabin exists
- •Three-walled primitive shelters at Kaʻaha, Halapē and Keauhou with roof catchment tanks
- •No streams anywhere in the coastal area, and catchment tanks that are sometimes empty
- •Zero shade on the coastal approaches and daytime temperatures into the high 90s
- •Sites that open and close as eruptions change the ground
Best Time to Visit
The permit office is open daily year round. Coastal trips are most comfortable in the cooler months from November through March, when the lava desert is survivable in the middle of the day.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Daytime temperatures on the coast soar into the high 90s with no trees for relief
- !Earthquakes can produce large rock falls. Avoid potential rock fall areas
- !Centipedes, scorpions and black widow spiders are common in stone walls and rocky areas
- !Sharks are sometimes seen in coastal waters
- !Volcanic gas and sudden eruption closures
- !Mauna Loa sites are subject to severe weather closures
How to Get This Permit
Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
When to Go
Conditions
Warming with steady trade winds. Good conditions on both the coast and the mountain.
Crowd Level
ModerateAdvantages
- +Reliable trades
- +Long dry windows
Challenges
- !Coastal heat building
- !Catchment levels dropping
Difficulty Assessment
Fitness and endurance required
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Route finding and trail clarity
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Backpackers who can carry two days of water across an unshaded lava desert and are comfortable following ahu instead of tread.
Recommended Experience
A prior desert or lava-field hike. The Park Service asks you to be honest about whether you are fit for the hike you are booking.
Not Recommended For
Anyone counting on finding water on route, or anyone attempting the coast in the middle of a summer day.
About This Permit
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes requires a backcountry permit year round for every overnight, and day hikers do not need one. The quota for each area is 16 visitors per night, raised by the occupancy of the cabin where there is one. A single permit covers up to 12 people.
Permits can be reserved up to 90 days in advance, with new dates released daily at 7:00 am Hawaii time. Seventy-five percent of each area's quota goes online 90 days out and the remaining 25 percent is held for in-person pickup starting 7 days before entry. You pick the permit up at the backcountry office and must carry a printed copy.
The Experience
Why It Matters
This is the only backcountry in the National Park System that gets rewritten by eruptions. Sites open and close as flows move, the permit office wants to know who is out there in case of an eruption, tsunami or earthquake, and the shelters at Halapē and Keauhou stand where the 1975 earthquake dropped the coast into the sea.
The Route
The coastal sites are the heart of this permit. Halapē is reached in 8.0 miles from Hilina Pali Overlook, 8.5 or 9.2 miles from the Mau Loa o Maunaulu trailhead, or 11.3 miles from Puʻuloa, with a maximum elevation change between trailhead and campsite of 3,000 feet. Keauhou, ʻĀpua Point and Kaʻaha spread along the same coast.
Kaʻaha, Halapē and Keauhou have three-walled primitive shelters with roof catchment tanks, which is the only water out there and is not always in them. Everyone treats what they take.
Inland, Nāpau sits in the rift zone below Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Up high, the Mauna Loa Cabin and Puʻuʻulaʻula (Red Hill) Cabin sit on the flanks of a 13,677 foot volcano, where bunks go first come first served on arrival and severe weather closures are routine.
The Feeling
The Kaʻū Desert is black on black, hot enough to feel through boot soles, and completely without a tree. You walk for hours and the only landmarks are ahu, little stacked rock cairns. Then the pali steps down, the trade wind arrives, and Halapē appears below you as a smear of green on a black shore.
Trailhead Information
Hilina Pali Overlook
The shortest approach to Halapē at 8.0 miles, straight off the edge of the pali.
Before you rely on this water
No water at the trailhead and none on route. The only backcountry water is roof catchment at Kaʻaha, Halapē and Keauhou, it is not always available, and it must be treated.
Parking
Small overlook lot at the end of Hilina Pali Road.
Getting There
Hilina Pali Road off Chain of Craters Road. Narrow and slow but paved.
Nearest Services
Volcano village, about 40 minutes back up the road.
Puna Coast Trailhead (Puʻu Loa)
Coastal approach at the bottom of Chain of Craters Road. The longest way in to Halapē at 11.3 miles.
Before you rely on this water
Nothing here. Carry everything from the summit area.
Parking
Roadside parking at the Puʻu Loa petroglyphs pullout.
Getting There
End of Chain of Craters Road, paved the whole way.
Nearest Services
Volcano village.
Mauna Loa Trailhead (Mauna Loa Lookout)
6,662 ft elevationStart of the Mauna Loa Trail to Red Hill and the summit cabin.
Before you rely on this water
No water at the trailhead. Cabin catchment tanks are the only source and can be empty.
Parking
Lot at the Mauna Loa Lookout at the end of Mauna Loa Road.
Getting There
Eleven miles of narrow one-lane road with pullouts, off Highway 11.
Nearest Services
Volcano village.
Rules & Regulations
- •A backcountry permit is required year round for all overnight stays. Day use needs no permit
- •The quota is 16 visitors per night per area, increased by the occupancy limit of each cabin
- •One permit covers a maximum of 12 people
- •Three consecutive nights maximum in one site, and no more than seven consecutive nights on the whole permit
- •No person or group may camp anywhere in the park for more than 30 days per calendar year
- •Permits are not transferable. Only the listed group leader or the named alternate may be issued the permit
- •Cabin bunks are first come first served on arrival and cannot be reserved
- •Report out at the Backcountry Office or call 808-985-6178 when you finish
Gear Checklist
Required
- All your water for the trip, since catchment tanks are not always available
- Water treatment for anything you do take from a catchment tank
- Sun protection that works with no shade at all
- A printed copy of your permit, carried at all times
- Sturdy boots. The lava eats trail runners
Recommended
- Gloves for lava scrambling
- Extra layers for the Mauna Loa cabins, where it is 12 to 15 degrees cooler than sea level at the 4,000 foot Kīlauea summit and far colder higher up
- Satellite messenger, since there is no coverage on the coast
- Sleeping pad even at the shelters, which have concrete floors
Plan Your Trip
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes
Shuttle Services
Trailhead transportation options
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Key Landmarks
Landmarks (9)
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes FAQ
How do I get a Hawaiʻi Volcanoes backcountry permit?
Reserve it on Recreation.gov permit 4675341 up to 90 days ahead, with new dates released daily at 7:00 am Hawaii time. Pick the permit up at the backcountry office starting 7 days before your entry date, and carry the printed copy.
How many people can be on a Hawaiʻi Volcanoes backcountry permit?
Up to 12. The separate area quota is 16 visitors per night, raised by the occupancy of each cabin where one exists.
Is there water in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes backcountry?
Only roof catchment tanks at the three-walled shelters at Kaʻaha, Halapē and Keauhou, and at the cabins. The Park Service says water is not always available and there are no streams in the area. Treat anything you take.
How much does a Hawaiʻi Volcanoes backcountry permit cost?
$10 per permit. Reserved and walk-up permits cost the same. The park entrance fee is separate.
Can I reserve a bunk in the Mauna Loa cabin with a backcountry permit?
No. Recreation.gov states bunks are available on arrival at the cabin on a first come first served basis. The permit reserves your place in the area quota, not a specific bunk.
👥Community
Trail Conditions
Questions
Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
Sunrise at Halapē over the tide pools, with the coconut palms in silhouette against the black lava.
Best Light
Shoot the Kaʻū Desert early. By 10am the light is flat and the heat is punishing.
Beat the Crowds
Halapē fills first. Keauhou and ʻĀpua Point are on the same coast with the same view and far fewer permits taken.
Classic Shots
- 📍Halapē coconut grove from the pali above
- 📍Tide pools filling on the black shore at first light
- 📍Ahu cairns marking the route across the lava desert
- 📍The Mauna Loa summit caldera from the cabin trail
Can't Get a Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Everglades wilderness camping
Similar ExperienceThe other coastal wilderness permit where every drop of water is carried and the campsites are fixed structures.
Tradeoffs
You paddle instead of walk, and navigation is by chart rather than by cairn.
Death Valley Cottonwood-Marble loop
Similar ExperienceAnother unshaded desert route where the water sources are unreliable and the season is winter.
Tradeoffs
Cooler nights and actual springs, but a 4x4 approach.
Guadalupe Mountains wilderness
Easier AlternativeDesignated desert mountain campgrounds where the park states plainly that there is no water.
Tradeoffs
Shorter trips and a much easier drive, but 2,000 feet of climbing to any campground.
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