Top Glamping near Hilo, HI
Are you in need of a campground near Hilo, HI? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Hilo. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Hilo and user-submitted reviews.
Best Glamping Sites Near Hilo, HI (6)
1. Namakanipaio Campground
16 Reviews•53 Photos•42 SavesNāmakanipaio Campground is located 31.5 miles south of Hilo on Highway-11 at 4,000' elevation. It is a large, open grassy area with tall eucalyptus and 'ōhi'a trees. This campground has restrooms, water, picnic tables and barbecue pits. Campfires are permitted in the barbeque pits only. If there are more than 2 people in your party, you can expand to 4 people per site with another tent. Maximum stay is 7 days.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
2. Arnotts Lodge and Hiking Adventures
1 Review•5 SavesBring your own tent (Hammocks and makeshift tarps are not considered suitable tents) We offer covered outdoor hot water showers and toilets. Children must be at least 7 years of age and supervised by an adult/guardian at all times. No reservations needed (except for groups of 10 or more) Last check in at 4:00 pm Social distancing, sanitizing, and mask wearing is required on Arnott’s Lodge property. Remember, Hilo is the wettest part of the island! You will want a rain fly. The camping area is a quiet zone after 10:00pm. No music or cellphone use. If you need to take a call, we have a separate guest area or TV lounge where you can talk on the phone. Loud snorers may have to rent out a room. We will provide you with a camp space, shower, and toilet facilities. Everything else needs to be provided by the camper. We do not lend tools to assist with setting up your tent, nor do we rent out beddings, linens, or cooking supplies. You may purchase a clean towel for $5.00. We also do not provide free storage for your luggage and personal effects. Treat this as any other camping spot on the island and be conscious of your belongings. Tents must be moved after 3 nights to preserve the lawn; larger tents after two nights. 7 nights maximum stay limit. Management’s approval is needed for any extension.
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Group
- Cabins
$25 - $250 / night
3. Hawaii County Park Kolekole Gulch Park
1 Review•10 Photos•29 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Group
- Dispersed
- Tent Cabin
$20 / night
4. Hamakua Guesthouse & Camping Cabanas
1 Review•12 Photos•9 SavesThe Hamakua House is a rustic guesthouse located on the south end of Hawaii's breathtaking Hamakua Coast. Our accommodations include Private Rooms and Hammock Camping Cabanas. The Hamakua Guesthouse is made up of two neighboring properties. The first offers panoramic ocean views, while the second borders the stunning Kapehu river. The two properties are located across the street from each other and all property amenities are available to all guests.
We pride ourselves on being an off-the-grid accommodation. Being off-the-grid means that we get our electricity from the sun and our water is collected from the rain. We are not connected to the island's grid power system. Our solar panels charge a large bank of deep cycle batteries daily in order for us to have power around the clock. Our region is the perfect place to go off-grid as it is consistently 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit at night year round. This means that air conditioning is not necessary.
We are accessible to all the major Big Island attractions. The legendary
Akaka Falls State Park a short 12 minute drive around the corner. The world renowned Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens and the serene Onomea Bay is a mere 13 minute drive from us. These, can't be missed, gardens are among the world's best and the separate trail to the bay is free! The quaint area of Downtown Hilo is about a 17 minute drive to the South. It provides all of the modern amenities you will need (restaurants, supermarkets, shopping, and more). The epic Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a 1 hour drive to the South. It features unimaginable hiking trails and a lava tube cave experience. The picturesque Waipio Valley is a 1 hour drive to the North. Plus, there are countless sights and adventures along the Hamakua Coast.
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Group
- Cabins
- Tent Cabin
$37 - $130 / night
5. Kalopa State Recreation Area
1 Review•9 Saves- Pets
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Group
- Cabins
6. Farm to Table Hawaii
Be the first to review!•17 Photos•7 SavesWellness Retreats for Conscious Foodies + Travelers - enjoy a local farm to table, homesteading experience on the Big Island of Hawaii created by Chef Justine Ma.
After booking a camping or glamping experience on our farm, you can create your own personal retreat by adding on a farmers market tour, cooking class, and homemade meals; OR just enjoy the farm with on-site perks such as on-grid electricity, high speed wifi, unlimited drinking water, yoga mats, a covered picnic area to share with fellow campers, a large outdoor kitchen equipped with a propane burner, grill, air fryer, pots, pans, utensils, plates and cups! Looking forward to hosting you!
*** THIS SPACE WAS CREATED FOR SEASONED CAMPERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE LIVING IN NATURE, AND APPRECIATE ADDITIONAL AMENITIES LIKE A FULL KITCHEN AND PICNIC WITH ACCESS TO WIFI + ELECTRICITY ***
*** IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE CAMPING IN A TENT, YOU CAN UPGRADE AND GLAMP IN THE TINYHOMES THAT COME WITH BEDS/LINENS ***
WHAT’S NEARBY:
- WITHIN 5-10 MINS: Ocean cliffs, public labyrinth, Pahoa Town, grocery stores, restaurants, food delivery options and a 24 hour 7-11 is available 15 minutes away from the farm.
- WITHIN 25-60 MINS: Hilo Town, Pohoiki Hot Ponds, Lava Tree State Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kehena Black Sand Beach, Kalapana, hikes and caves are all within 30 minutes. Keaukaha (numerous beach parks, ocean ponds and swimmable tidepools about 35 minutes).
- WITHIN 1.5-3HRS: Green Sand Beach and South Point are approx. 2.5 hours. Mauna Kea Mauna Loa 1.5 hrs., and Kona 2.5 hours.
Ask about excursions!
PS: Our dog Olena may be on the property. Friendly dogs who get along with dogs/chickens/ducks allowed, no cats.
PPS: We do supply garbage bins however we ask that you take your garbage with you, thank you!
Booking is per pitched tent. If you have more than 2 people per tent, please add additional guest fee up to more persons. If you have more than 1 tent, please make separate bookings. Only 1 vehicle per booking allowed, mahalo!
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- RVs
$39 - $55 / night
Recent Glamping Reviews In Hilo
21 Reviews of 6 Hilo Campgrounds
Jennifer H.
Legend
Namakanipaio Campground
Proximity to NP & Volcano house ++
Roddy efficient grass sites - big enough for a couple or snag multiple for a family. Little cabins you can rent too. Bbq at each site l, mowed grass, bathrooms and sinks. Grab dinner at volcano house and have all day and night to explore the NP
Shari G.Legend
Hamakua Guesthouse & Camping Cabanas
Hammock Cabanas, Hawaiian Style
This guest house offers a wide array of lodging opportunities, but the most unique are their hammock cabanas. These elevated, screened and tented porches offer one a pleasant and inexpensive (for Hawaii) night’s sleep. Rather than providing a bed or cot, each tent has two sleeping hammocks, a small cooler, secure gear locker and some basic lighting and electricity. Note, the power goes off at 10pm, as the whole compound runs on solar power and batteries. It was raining buckets the night we stayed there, but we were dry and comfortable, although torrential rain on any small structure might make sleeping a challenge.
The guest house at the top of the property has a great covered back porch with some great cooking, food preparation, and washing up options. Also the bathrooms and showers are lovely, especially if you’ve just come from a backcountry trip in the National Park!
The guest house also welcomes the small herd of local stray cats to roam around outside and get an evening meal. It’s so cool if you like cats, but could be a bit of a nightmare if you do not. These furry guests are not allowed inside so no worries there, but they will investigate your food bag and meow like crazy should you be trying to make dinner outside.
Annie E.
Scout
Soil to Soul
Peace on Earth
I found this place on Craig’s List. It was for sale when I arrived and has been updated since then. It is such an amazing spot.
Aubrey G.
GuideArnotts Lodge and Hiking Adventures
Centrally located in Hilo, city camping!
Surprisingly there are few places to camp on this side of the island. Unless you have a car it's almost impossible to get to them with your luggage. Hot showers, wifi, and plenty of common areas for eating, relaxing, etc. Children under 7 not allowed. No stores or restaurants in walking distance. So many birds and other loud creatures singing all night long. Overall a great stop but not quite what we were looking for.
Alejandro G.
RangerNamakanipaio Campground
Amazing Travel
The campground was lovely. Great location, just down the road from Volcano House (where you go to check in). We stayed in a cabin and it was excellent. The doors have key cars swipe (don't forget your key, the doors lock automatically behind you!) The shower was good and even the complimentary shower gel in the women's shower was nice! Dinner at Volcano House was good. I only wish we had stayed more than one night to be able to explore the area more.
taylor C.ScoutKalopa State Recreation Area
Upland forest beauty
Awesome hiking/running trails, many native plant species difficult to find elsewhere. Pavilions and cabins for rent. check the county website for availability.
Christine N.GuideNamakanipaio Campground
Great day trip
lots Of trails for a variety of levels
- Karrieanne W.
TravelerNamakanipaio Campground
Currently Closed
Due to the draining of the Lava Lake and constant earthquakes in Volcanoes National Park, this area is closed. At this time it is uncertain that it will open again.
- Karrieanne W.Traveler
Namakanipaio Campground
Closed due to volcanic activity
I love camping at this spot. Namakanipaio has wonderful views the Milky Way, and used to have a great view of the glowing lava lake. It was a short hike to Jagger Museum, that now is being consumed by the caldera. With daily earthquakes in the area, it is no longer safe. you can not even stop in the highway in that area. Hopefully it will open again in the future.
Sasha W.Legend
Hawaii County Park Kolekole Gulch Park
Beautiful, just like Hawaii
My family and I visit Hawaii every other Christmas. I know, spending Christmas without snow may seem weird to some people, because we always have a white Christmas where I am from (Washington State). But honestly, we love going this time of year because it isnt as busy. We love either camping, staying at my families condo, or doing a combo of both. We visited Kolekole Beach Park when we came last Christmas, and it was great. It was super clean, which we really loved. There was also some great small cliffs that we could jump off of- the whole family loved doing this. It almost feels like you are in a "jungle" only because of the greenery and trees. Not to mention the weather is pretty muggy. My family and I had a picnic here, and played in the water for the day. They didnt have any life guards on duty just FYI. Weirdly, there were a lot of cats around? Not sure why? but thought this was interesting. The park is a little hard to find, we drove past the sign and had to turn around. It's a pretty small, spray painted sign. We hiked in the morning before we came here, which was beautiful hike overlooking the water. Highly recommend!!
- MMolly B.Guide
Namakanipaio Campground
Colder than you think
Awesome access to lots of trails and of course the volcano. Wouldn’t go right now with the eruptions but worth the visit in the future.
Bring extra warm stuff; can get windy and quite chilly at night.
- Kristen P.Scout
Namakanipaio Campground
10 miles from anything you are used to (except a bathroom 😂)
This camping site is great! It’s 10 miles inside the volcanos national park. At the end of the drive there is parking for about 4 vehicles and a very clean and nice structure housing a pit toilet with paper. No running water, no fires allowed. Camping stoves ok. There are I believe 10-12 sites some right off the lot some farther out ours was up over a hill so you could not see any other sites or the lot from our location. There was a picnic table in each site. You pay at the gate (we got the year pass) and then $10 a night you put it in the bash box on site and put the receipt at your site if you happen to love for the day. We both tent camped and put up hammocks. You are in the shadow of Laura loa volcano and when we went you could see the glow of the main crater from our site however with the recent activity I am pretty sure the level may be too low now.
We hikes for a half hour towards the crater glow in the night to get to a ridge to look out over the valley. The moon was bright enough you didn’t need flashlights. It’s very windy at night and the temp drops. I had a sleep mat in my hammock and slept in sweats with a blanket and Summer sleeping bag. Our hammocks were swaying in the wind all night.
One of the best sites was the moon setting behind Mauna Loa just before sunrise and then watchingbehr sure from purple to pink to red as the sun came up from behind us and cast colors on her. A few miles farther on the drive you will reach a dead end with a pavilion and an incredible view of the Pacific.
Its close enough to hilo we left our site for the day and went to the hilo parks to swim than did all of the volcano park activities in the early evening.
Tarah W.RangerNamakanipaio Campground
A Volcano at Midnight
Pretty epic experience sleeping so close to Pele. The best entrance to see the volcano at night is a bit of a drive/back ride but well worth it! Talk to locals in Pahoa and Keaau for tips on how to see the best views of the volcano. Cheap site about like $15 i believe.
Sharon N.TravelerNamakanipaio Campground
Walking distance to Volcano crater!
A friend came to visit from off island and I had to take her to see Volcano National Park. We tent camped one night at this campground. It has toilets and a large pavilion, that we utilized to cook and eat under due to early morning rain. The night we stayed was verily quiet with not many other campers. I paid in the onsite dropbox with a check, but I am sure there is a way to probably pay online. Unfortunately there are no shower facilities.
The all time highlight is that when it got dark we made the 15-20 minute hike up to the Jagger Museum overlook/observatory to see the glowing lava in the crater.
The campground is technically outside of the national park and if you hike in there is no park fee.
Dave G.GuideNamakanipaio Campground
Arrived and Left in Awe
We were able to snag a walk up site right at check out time, which is when you should arrive if you want to camp here. The campground was full by dinner time. The huge upside of this campground is the proximity to the Jagger Museum and the inner caldera of the volcano. You can hike from the campground to the caldera overlook and if you get lucky with a cloudy night sky, you'll be treated to a fiery display with the volcano glow lighting up the sky. The only downside of this campground is that there are no showers for tent campers. Definitely not something that would prevent us from returning.
Elliott B.LegendNamakanipaio Campground
Kind of a green desert...
Nice, open sites with decent amenities. You don't really have a lot of privacy at all... but you should be off exploring the park! I say desert, because it can get so hot during the day and turn around and get really cold at night.
Jessica F.GuideNamakanipaio Campground
No showers, unless you make friends with someone in a cabin
I stayed here in spring of 2007, and was struck by how similar it was to Northern California, with the tall eucalyptus trees, and cute little cabins.
The camping bathroom didn't have showers, but the communal bathroom for the cabins did, and a sympathetic cabin renter let me into that bathroom. (I'm a bike tourist, so I really need the shower.)
I spent two nights here, because the second day I went for the dusk hike among the lava fields. Note to bikers, make friends with someone at the bottom who can drive you up, because it is a big climb not to be biked up in the dark.
There was a pavilion with a stone fireplace that was very attractive for groups.
Leah P.RangerNamakanipaio Campground
camping
great camp site, had everything you would want at a tropical camp site.
Eric N.GuideNamakanipaio Campground
Volcanoes NP
Very quiet location with nearby access to incredible hiking. The higher altitude kept the temperatures in the low 60's and perfect for sleeping. Not very many campers so it was a peaceful evening.
- Leah P.Ranger
Namakanipaio Campground
Namakaipaio
nice open camping sites, with restroom access and BBQ pit for pit. reasonable price per night. also has a entrance fee.
Christy K.RangerNamakanipaio Campground
Nice grassy open area and very clean
We stayed here Thanksgiving night prior to spending a day in Volcanoes national park. Given the holiday, everything was closed in town so make sure you bring some food and supplies. It was also pretty quiet and felt very safe.
In the middle of the night we woke up to RAIN! And if anyone knows rain in Hawaii is HARD - so make sure you are prepared if you decide to camp in Hawaii.
This is a great way to be close to the volcano park to get an early start.
There is a paystation on site and restrooms, firepits and picnic tables.
Guide to Hilo
Camping near Hilo, Hawaii, offers a unique blend of lush landscapes and volcanic wonders. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to explore.
What to do:
- Hiking: There are numerous trails around Hilo. For example, at Nāmakanipaio Campground, visitors can enjoy trails for various skill levels. One reviewer mentioned, "lots of trails for a variety of levels," making it a great spot for both beginners and experienced hikers.
- Exploring Volcanoes National Park: Camping at Kulanaokuaiki Campground gives you easy access to the park. A camper noted, "Camping at Kulanaokuaiki allowed us to immerse ourselves into the park and access some of its greatest sights."
- Beach Activities: At Isaac Hale Beach Park, you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling. One family shared, "We had some of the best snorkeling we have ever had, here. We saw turtles, tons of fish, and 1 shark!!"
What campers like:
- Scenic Views: Campers rave about the stunning views. One visitor at Kalopa State Rec Area said, "Phenomenal views of the mountains and ocean."
- Quiet Atmosphere: Many appreciate the peacefulness of places like Kulanaokuaiki Campground. A reviewer mentioned, "This lovely primitive camping area has 9 designated sites," highlighting the seclusion.
- Unique Experiences: Campers enjoy the chance to see volcanic activity. A visitor at Nāmakanipaio Campground noted, "You could see the glow and the steam from the crater."
What you should know:
- Limited Amenities: Many campgrounds, like Kulanaokuaiki Campground, do not have water available. A camper advised, "Make sure and bring lots of water (you'll want it)."
- Weather Conditions: The weather can be unpredictable. One visitor at Kalopa State Rec Area mentioned, "It rained quite a bit, it was damp and pretty cloudy."
- Volcanic Activity: Some areas may be affected by volcanic activity. A camper at Isaac Hale Beach Park shared, "Due to the new volcanic activity, you can no longer reach this beach."
Tips for camping with families:
- Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for spots like Nāmakanipaio Campground, which has cabins available. One family said, "We stayed in a cabin and it was excellent."
- Plan Activities: Make sure to have a list of activities. A camper at Kalopa State Rec Area mentioned enjoying hikes nearby, which can be great for kids.
- Pack Snacks: Having snacks on hand is essential. One reviewer at Isaac Hale Beach Park noted, "We grabbed a few groceries to have for snacks, breakfast and dinners."
Tips from RVers:
- Check Accessibility: Ensure the campground can accommodate your RV size. Nāmakanipaio Campground is not big rig friendly, so plan accordingly.
- Look for Hookups: If you need electric hookups, Kalopa State Rec Area offers them, making it easier for RVers to stay comfortable.
- Be Prepared for Limited Services: Many campgrounds, like Kulanaokuaiki Campground, have minimal services. A reviewer advised, "You’ll have to be prepared with food, water, and supplies."
Camping near Hilo is a fantastic way to experience Hawaii's natural beauty. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Hilo, HI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Hilo, HI is Namakanipaio Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Hilo, HI?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 glamping camping locations near Hilo, HI, with real photos and reviews from campers.