Campground · Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
A remote coastal camp reached by a steep switchback descent.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes audio tourRecorded for this place
Hilina Pali: The View Beyond the Shelter“Hilina Pali Overlook is ahead, high above the Pacific coast. For the fullest view, follow the short grass path beyond the stone shelter to the rocky outcrop and orientation plate.”
Plays as you drive up to Kaʻaha in the Parkwolf Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Kaʻaha is a remote backcountry campsite and coastal cove on the park’s south shore, with a simple three-walled shelter near the rocky shoreline. From the Hilina Pali Overlook Trailhead, the main approach is 3.6 miles one way. It drops down the pali on steep switchbacks, then crosses open coastal flats. Choose it for a quiet night by the ocean; it is a poor fit for a quick coastal stop or a shaded walk.
Backcountry camping here requires a permit. The primitive shelter has a composting toilet and a roof-fed catchment tank, but tank water is not always available. Ask a ranger about the level, treat any water you collect, and carry at least four quarts per person per day. Hikers must pack out everything they bring.
There is no tree shade along this coast, and sun, wind and heat can be intense. The park advises against hiking coastal trails during the hottest part of the day, roughly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and warns that surf and currents can be rough and unpredictable. If you continue west along the coast, unexploded World War II ammunition may be present; leave anything suspicious alone.
Small communities once lived along this dry coast. Archaeological traces recorded in the area include agricultural pits used to grow sweet potatoes, house sites, petroglyphs and a papamu stone game board.
Wildlife
600 sightingsHawaiian Goose (Nēnē)Most seen around 5 PMSighting map
35 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
36 sightingsHawaiian Hawk ('Io)Most seen around 11 AMSighting map
41 sightingsBlack NoddyMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
96 sightingsWhite-tailed TropicbirdMost seen around noonSighting map
24 sightingsHawai'i 'ElepaioMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Hawaiʻi Volcanoes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingHilina Pali Trail to Halapē16 mi · 10 hr · 2.3 mi awayA long, hot lava descent to a remote coconut-lined shore.
ChallengingHilina Pali Overlook Loop8.1 mi · 7.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep pali descent opens onto a hot, rocky coastal loop.ChallengingKaʻaha Trail7.2 mi · 6 hr · 2.3 mi awayA rocky cove rewards a steep, sun-baked climb back up the pali.Sight · 2.3 mi awayHilina Pali OverlookA nine-mile detour for Kīlauea’s wide-open Pacific view.
Campground · 3.3 mi awayHalapēA remote beach camp for prepared backcountry hikers.
Campground · 3.6 mi awayPepeiao CampsiteA remote camp in grass and lava, reached only by long hikes.
Campground · 4.8 mi awayKeauhou Backcountry CampsiteA primitive shelter and rocky bay reward a hard coastal hike.Parkwolf’s Hawaiʻi Volcanoes ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
