HVNP Offers Entrance Fee-Free Day in 2019

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park reports that it will waive its entrance fee on five days in 2019.

While Kīlauea is not currently erupting, evidence of the active volcano and the magma that lies below the surface is seen in the steam that rises from the crater. PC: NPS Photo/Janice Wei on Nov. 23, 2018.

The five entrance fee-free days will be:

• Monday, Jan. 21 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 20 – Start of National Park Week/Junior Ranger Day
• Sunday, Aug. 25 – National Park Service Anniversary
• Saturday, Sept. 28 – National Public Lands Day
• Monday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day

“We are excited to extend fee-free days in 2019, and we invite everyone to come and explore the remarkable changes that occurred in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park during 2018,” said Acting Superintendent Ben Hayes.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes normally charges $25 per vehicles, $20 per motorcycle, and $12 per pedestrian or bicycle. The receipt is good for seven days. Camping and backcountry fees still apply on free entrance days.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is one of 115 national parks that charge an entrance fee, and is one of three national parks in Hawai‘i that charge entrance fees (there are nine national park units total in Hawai‘i). The 2019 fee-free dates will also be observed by Haleakalā National Park on Maui, and Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park in West Hawai‘i. The other 303 national parks do not charge an entrance fee. The National Park Service includes more than 85 million acres and is comprised of 418 sites, including national parks, national historical parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, national battlefields, and national seashores. Last year, 331 million people visited national parks spending $18.2 billion which supported 306,000 jobs across the country and had a $35.8 billion impact on the U.S. economy.

The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks. There are also free or discounted passes available for senior citizens, current members of the military, families of fourth grade students, and disabled citizens. Visitors to the Hawai‘i parks can also opt for the annual Tri Park Pass for $50 which grants unlimited entry to all three fee-charging parks for one year from date of purchase. Inquire at the entrance stations at Hawai‘i Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Parks, or at Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park.