Join the fun near Kailua. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Kailua is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Kailua camping trip.
"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."
"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."
$45 / night
"Like many other places on Big Island, it needs to offer a diverse number of things, so it's also part of the Hawaii Island Resort. Excellent hosting and easy to book."
"The grounds for camping are on her resort property a couple acres behind it in fact , so there’s no visible building from tent sites ."
$89 - $135 / night
"Couldn’t find the entrance but beautiful sweeping views from ocean view estates with market, food and gas nearby."
RangerWe 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.
TravelerA 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.
ScoutThis 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.
TravelerDue 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.
GuideVery 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.
GuideI 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.
RangerPretty 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.
TravelerI 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.
GuideThis was a great little campground! We showed up in the early afternoon and got the last spot available but only because the original person who got it had upgraded to a cabin. If you’re planning on staying here I’d definitely recommend getting here early! Once there though it was a great site. Super friendly people and beautiful area!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Kailua, HI is Nāmakanipaio Campground — Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 17 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 4 RV camping locations near Kailua, HI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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