HVNP Announces 6 Free Days of Admission in 2021

HVNP file photo.

The Hawaiʻi Islands were all born of volcanoes, and residents and visitors alike will be able to visit the most active volcano in the state free-of-charge six times during the upcoming year.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will waive its entrance fee on six days in 2021. The fee-free days support the park’s commitment to increase access, promote recreational opportunities, improve visitor facilities, and conserve natural and historical treasures for the benefit and enjoyment of all.

The six entrance fee-free days for 2021 will be:

• Monday, Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 17 – First Day of National Park Week
• Wednesday, Aug. 4 – Great American Outdoors Act anniversary
• Wednesday, Aug. 25 – National Park Service Birthday
• Saturday, Sept. 25 – National Public Lands Day
• Thursday, Nov. 11 – Veterans Day

“We encourage our community and visitors to mark these days on your calendars, and come visit the constantly changing landscape, shaped by Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes,” said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. “Most of the park is open, and the changes since the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea are extraordinary, and are explained in a series of new exhibit signs near the crater rim.”

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park normally charges $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per pedestrian or bicycle, and the pass is good for seven days. The entrance fee waiver for the fee-free days does not cover camping or backcountry overnight permit fees.

The park is one of approximately 100 national parks that has an entrance fee. There are more than 300 other national parks that do not charge an entrance fee. The National Park System includes more than 85 million acres and is comprised of more than 400 sites, including national parks, national historical parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, national battlefields, and national seashores.

Last year, 327 million people visited national parks and spent $21 billion which supported 340,500 jobs across the country and had a $41.7 billion impact on the US economy. In 2019, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park welcomed 1,368,375 visitors who contributed $116 million to the local economy.

Park visitors can also opt for the Hawaiʻi Tri Park Annual pass for $55. The pass provides entrance to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Parks and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park for one year.

Earlier this year, US military veterans, Gold Star Families, and fifth-graders were granted free access to all national parks, wildlife refuges, and other federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior. Fifth-grade students were granted the reprieve through this academic year as some of last year’s fourth-graders may have been unable to make full use of the Every Kid Outdoors Annual Fourth Grade Pass due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Active duty military and fourth-grade students will continue to have free access, and discounted passes are available for senior citizens. For other visitors, 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.