Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park to Increase Entrance and Camping Fees

Beginning June 1, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park will increase park entrance and camping fees.

The new fees are the beginning of a three-year implementation plan to fund maintenance and improvement projects, and raise standards for visitor amenities.

The per-vehicle entrance fee will rise to $15 on June 1, and increase by $5 increments over the next three years.  The per-person entry fee (for bicyclists and pedestrians) will increase from $5 to $8 on June 1, and increase by $2 each year over the next three years. Motorcycle entrance fees will rise in $5 increments, going up to $10 on June 1.

The annual Tri-Park Pass will remain at the current cost of $25 through 2016, and then increase to $30 in 2017.  Public input determined the cost of the annual pass, making it less than the national standard of $50.  The pass allows unlimited entry for one year to three national parks in Hawai`i: Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, and Haleakalā National Park.

Fees for backcountry and front-country campsites in the park are being introduced at $10 per night.  Backcountry campsites will have a stay limit of three consecutive nights, while the front-country campsites will be limited to seven nights.  Camping will remain free through the end of May, with the exception of Nāmakanipaio Campground.

Entrance fees for commercial tour companies are also slated to rise to $8 per person, in addition to the $25 base fee, rising in $2 increments every year for the next two years.  The base fee is not scheduled to change.

Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando says the new fees will enable upgrades for basic services and amenities like campgrounds, while continuing to provide safety to visitors.

“We reached out to our community for their feedback on the new fees, and many comments were supportive of the increase as long as the Tri-Park Pass continued to be offered,” she said.

The increases in fees are the first introduced by the park since 1997.

An NPS report revealed that over 1.5 million park visitors in 2014 spent $136,838,700 in communities near Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, supporting 1,672 jobs on the Big Island.