Camping in April

We are going to be on the Big Island the end of April, and are interested in camping somewhere near the volcanoes. I%26#39;ve read about the Volcanoes Park sites -- since they%26#39;re first come-first served, are they likely to be full (it will be a Saturday/Sunday visit)? Any other camp sites to recommend?

Camping in April

There are no camp sites I can suggest and you can bet they will be full. There are back-pack camps but you must walk in several miles and get a permit from the Park and or the Department of Natural Resources. You must get a permit in Hilo.....befor you try to find a place..... most of our parks are in terrible shape and in disrepair....

The area around the park is not a place I would suggest camping..... for safety.

There is no camping like Kauai.... and it is localy discouraged buy many.....

There are some cabins you can rent... off of Saddle Road and at Spencer beach park in west Hawaii.... $35 a day

Camping in April

Aloha bfk, we have been down this road of discussion before I believe HD has forgotten. Camping is permited in Hawaii in fact encouraged you just need to visit the site Hawaii Camping, Hawaii Campgrounds, Camping BI. There is also a site for obtaining a camping permits and maps to campgrounds. Camping is an affordable way to see Hawaii not a big $$ for the hotels or those involved with the tourist $.

Thanks for the info -- from what I%26#39;ve read here %26amp; elsewhere, I%26#39;m not getting an overall positive review of the camping opportunities. I think we%26#39;ll skip that %26amp; stay somewhere -- any feedback on Volcano House? We%26#39;re not looking for anything fancy, just comfortable %26amp; convenient.

I think that wise...From the condition fo our camping areas... and the terrible state of disrepair... broken restrooms... no water... and a population of homless/ dopers that frequents them, it is not like the other counties in Hawaii... it is a disgrace we here need to address. There was a letter to the editor today in West Hawaii Today on just this topic.

I also drive by a few of these places and its not what visitors expect, having seen their own state park and county park campgrounds.is is third world here.

Sadly it is the locals who are trashing these places not you visitors.

The exception is the National Parks where the park supervises and enforces the law and behaviour of its campers.

But as of today Hawaii is not a safe or enjoyable camping place till the local government gets a clue..... Any advice to the contrary is sadly out of touch with today reality.

Volcano house and Kiluea kodge are the best places which also have food in them.

What kind of camping do you want to do? Are you wanting to legally backpack in and camp in a primitive spot near the volcano? If so, let me know, I will give you the scoop. There are no recommended ';car camping'; places (with toilets, etc).

My fiance and I just got back from a weeklong camping trip on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was wonderful. We stayed at Spencer%26#39;s Beach. It was a really nice and clean campsite. The locals and other travelers were extremely friendly. The facilities were beautiful. They are cleaned daily by a maintenence staff. There are plenty of bathrooms, showers, and there is a beautiful pavillion with picnic tables and electic outlets to plug in a cell phone to charge. There is also security there to ensure no camper is playing their music too loud or getting rowdy. There is also a little market about 1/2 mile up the road along with several great restaurants. Spencer%26#39;s beach is wonderful for children, it%26#39;s very calm and has GREAT beginning snorkeling.

I was very nervous when we went because of all the negative reviews, but was really surprised at how beautiful the campsite was. It%26#39;s a wonderful trip and would recommend it to everyone!

Aloha Back from Kauai,

Try this website for information about the Hawaii County camping parks.

http://www.hawaii-county.com/parks/parks.htm

There is a page showing information (with a picture) of each park as well as a page for online camping permits. I had forgotten about Volcanoes campground (a National park instead of a County park) in an earlier posting, I%26#39;m glad you folks here remembered it. There is probably a website for the Volcanoes National Park campsites.

If you are at any way associated with the military, you can rent some really kewl as well as very inexpensive cabins up at Kiluaea Military Camp, but those are usually reserved at least several weeks in advance. They do have some sort of barracks type sleeping arrangements very inexpensively, but again, you have to be somehow related to the military. If you can buy things at a military commisary, then you can probably stay there.

If you are camping up near Volcanoes, it might be a bit chilly at night, perhaps down into the fifties. Folks around here consider that downright freezing, but perhaps folks from the mainland are a bit more resistant to cold weather.

A hui hou,

Hotzcatz