Haleakalā National Park (Wilderness Tent Permit)
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 15:36 UTC
- A night
- $20From, per site
- Sites
- 10All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
There are two primitive wilderness tent areas which are accessible only by trail, Hōlua and Palikū. Backcountry users must plan to enter the park entrance for their stay no earlier than 7 am unless they have also obtained a sunrise reservation granting access to the park between 3 and 7 am. Sunrise reservations can be made on recreation.gov. Hōlua, the wilderness tent area reached by the shortest hike, lies at 6,940 ft (2,115m) in the shrubland near Koʻolau Gap. Hōlua is 3.7 mi (6 km) one way down the Halemauʻu trail or 7.4 mi one way (12km) from the Keoneheʻeheʻe (sliding sands) trailhead. Keep reading
Visitors staying at Hōlua can enjoy day hikes further into the crater. The landscape around Hōlua supports a native shrubland which colonizes the lava flows. At 6,380 ft (1,945m), Palikū is on the east end of the wilderness valley at the base of a rain forest cliff. This wilderness tent area is reached via a strenuous 9.3 mi (15km) one way hike on the Keoneheʻeheʻe (sliding sands) Trail or 10.4 mi (17km) one way hike on the Halemauʻu Trail. Clouds and fog often roll over the top of the cliffs behind Palikū, and rain is common. The extra moisture makes this spot exceptionally cool and lush.
Recreation
Both tent areas are wonderful opportunities for night sky viewing in what's considered one of the quietest natural places on earth! Campers may even come across native species such as the Nēnē (Hawaiian goose). Please remember to keep your distance from any wildlife and refrain from freeding them. From both Hōlua and Palikū campsites, campers have the option to day hike on trail through the crater. Locations to enjoy from Hōlua may be the Silversword loop or the loop around Halaliʻi cinder cone. Locations to enjoy from Palikū may be a loop hike toward Kapaloa or toward Kaupo Gap and back. Visit https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/maps.htm to plan your day hikes from either campsite. Please stay on designated trails throughout your crater journey and pack out everything with you!
Facilities
Both wilderness tent areas have 4 designated individual tent sites (5 people, 2 tents maximum) and 1 group site (10 people, 4 tents maximum). One pit toilet is located nearby in both wilderness tent areas. A non-potable water spigot is located outside of the wilderness visitor cabins adjacent to the wilderness tent areas.
Natural Features
Sites are located inside Haleakalā crater and involve a strenuous hike. Campers should prepare for hot, sunny, cold, wet, and windy conditions as weather can change rapidly. There is no shade or water on the crater floor, and temperatures can vary from 40-70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit at night, so pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and layers. If it is stormy, winds can exceed 80 miles per hour with temperatures dropping well below freezing. Hiking trails may be steep. Terrain may include loose cinders and/or rocks. Change in altitude can be from a high of 9,780ft to a low of 6,380ft. Due to the soft sandy nature of the trails, plan on spending twice as much time to hike out as to hike in. Contact Info This location has limited staffing. Please call (808) 572-4400 for general information.
Nearby Attractions
Campsites are located near the wilderness visitor cabins. A wilderness tent permit does not grant access to any wilderness cabin within the crater. Wilderness cabins can be reserved through rec.gov.
Charges & Cancellations
Do not print your permit until you have confirmed you will be completing your backcountry trip. Once the permit has been printed you can not cancel or modify the reservation. Changes/Modifications Changes may be made prior to the day the reservation begins. If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Cancellations Customers may cancel their reservation prior to day of arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 cancellation fee will be withheld from any refund due back the customer. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below). Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will have a $10.00 cancellation fee withheld from their refund AND will forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee.
What the agency tells you
REQUIRED: Prior to their trip, all visitors MUST watch “Haleakalā NP’s Leave No Trace (LNT) Video ” to set expectations on how to recreate responsibly in Haleakalā National Park’s wilderness. www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping.htm
Reservation Permit. A printed copy of the reservation must be held by the reservation holder at all times. The reservation holder is legally responsible for the actions and safety of the group. Be prepared for weather extremes. Leave an itinerary and guest list with a friend.
License Plate. If you are renting a vehicle- please enter “Rental” in the license plate form field. When you arrive on island, you MUST log back into recreation.gov to enter your rental car plate. Once your permit is printed you cannot edit your license plates.
Everything else this campground posts · 12
Water. There are non-potable water spigots located near the campsites. All water must be filtered or treated prior to consumption. Water is not guaranteed, bring enough water with you for your trip. In times of drought, all water must be carried in.
Restrictions. NO pets, firearms or wheeled vehicles. NO feeding or harassment of wildlife. NO picking plants, disturbing rocks, building cairns.
Stay On Trails. Haleakalā is an on-trail park. Please stay on all designated trails. Hiking off trail and short-cutting switchbacks is prohibited and subject to citation. Off-trail hiking causes erosion and damages fragile and/or endangered life forms that are not readily apparent to the casual observer.
NO Fires. Open fires or gathering firewood is NOT allowed.
Wilderness. These campsites are located in federally designated wilderness. There is no cell service accessible within any part of the crater.
Essentials: first aid kit, trail map, compass, extra food, Extra water (3 - 4 liters per person/day), flashlight, headlight with extra batteries, tent/shelter with rain fly, sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, hat), sleeping bag, emergency blanket, extra layers (rain jacket/pants), pocket knife and gear repair kit
Quiet Hours. Respect other visitors' right to quiet and solitude--quiet hours are 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Trash. Pack out ALL trash that is brought into the crater.
Visitor Cabins. There are cabins located nearby both campsites. A reservation for a campsite does NOT grant access to the cabins. All campers must respect cabin user privacy and will not be let in by those with a cabin permit. Cabin reservations may be made separately here.
Visited Hawaii Island or Kauai recently? All gear, especially tent and shoes must be cleaned thoroughly to prevent rapid ʻōhia death (ROD) Wiping down gear with a 70% alcohol solution is recommeneded to satisfy this requirement.
Kaupō Gap Trail: The Kaupō Gap Trail leaves the boundary of Haleakalā National Park and is not maintained by the NPS. Hikers assume all risk on this rugged, unmaintained, and brushy trail. At times, the trail can be difficult to follow or find. Several hikers have become disoriented, lost, or injured while navigating this trail. NPS officials highly recommend travel on either the Halemauʻu or Keoneheʻeheʻe Trails to access Haleakalā Crater.
Pack Animals: If planning to travel by pack animal--please notify park staff upon making your reservation to ensure sufficient paddock space is available. All waste produced by pack animals must be removed from parking areas and trailheads. No group may have more than 12 pack animals. Riders, commercial operators, and owners are responsible for the removal of dead or injured stock within 72 hours. Pets of any other kind are prohibited on all trails.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 10 · 10 walk-in, 2 group
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Campfires
- Not allowed
Facilities
- Toilets
- Pit Toilets
- PIT TOILETS on 10 of 10 campsite records
- Drinking water
- None, bring your own
- “There is no shade or water on the crater floor, and temperatures can vary from 40-70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit at night, so pack plenty of water, sunscreen, and layers.”
- Stay limit
- 3 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- Backpacking
- Birding
- Hiking
- Stargazing
- Wilderness access
- Wildlife viewing
12 of 20 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 15:36 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 23
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $20 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Changes/Modifications - Changes may be made prior to the day the reservation begins. - If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. - There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes d…” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 15:36 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
10 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 10 mapped sitesAll 10 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 10 of the 10 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 10 of the 10 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Hōlua | Hōlua 1 | hike to | 127 ft | 2.6 mi | 130 ft | $20 |
| Hōlua | Hōlua 2 | hike to | 78 ft | 2.7 mi | 226 ft | $20 |
| Hōlua | Hōlua 3 | hike to | 45 ft | 2.7 mi | 197 ft | $20 |
| Hōlua | Hōlua 4 | hike to | 45 ft | 2.7 mi | 240 ft | $20 |
| Hōlua | Hōlua 5 (Group) | group hike to | 64 ft | 2.7 mi | 166 ft | $20 |
| Palikū | Palikū 1 | hike to | 52 ft | 1.4 miHanawī Stream | 178 ft | $20 |
| Palikū | Palikū 2 | hike to | 52 ft | 1.4 miHanawī Stream | 218 ft | $20 |
| Palikū | Palikū 3 | hike to | 104 ft | 1.4 miHanawī Stream | 250 ft | $20 |
| Palikū | Palikū 4 | hike to | 64 ft | 1.4 miHanawī Stream | 262 ft | $20 |
| Palikū | Palikū 5 (Group) | group hike to | 116 ft | 1.4 miHanawī Stream | 333 ft | $20 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Wilderness Tent SitesHaleakala National Park · 0.0 mi
Haleakalā National Park (Cabin Permits)Haleakala National Park · 4.1 mi
Hosmer Grove CampgroundHaleakala National Park · 4.5 mi
Kipahulu CampgroundHaleakala National Park · 4.5 mi
Wilderness CabinsHaleakala National Park · 5.2 miFor maps of the island and the park visit https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/maps.htm
To the Summit District of Haleakalā National Park: There are brown information signs along the way. From Kahului, take Hana Highway (SR36) and travel 2.0 miles (toward Hana). Turn right onto Haleakalā Highway (SR37) and travel for 7.8 miles. Turn left onto State Highway 377 and travel for 6 miles. Turn left onto Crater Road (large brown wooden Haleakalā NP sign mounted in median) and travel for 1.2 miles. Continue on Crater Road for 9.9 miles to arrive at the park boundary/entrance station. The summit of Haleakalā (elevation 10,023ft 3055m) is 11 miles further and about an additional 30-minute drive, beyond the entrance station.
To Headquarters Visitor Center: The Headquarters visitor center will be the first building on the right hand side of the road past the entrance station. Here you can use flush toilets and fill up on water prior to starting your hike.
To Halemauʻu Trailhead: From the Headquarters visitor center, continue up 3 switchbacks to the first pull-off on the left hand side marked "Halemauʻu Trailhead". You may choose to begin your hike at this trailhead (3.7 mi (6 km) one way to Hōlua; 10.4 mi (17km) one way to Palikū).
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Kula, HI
Typical weather
Typical October night 48°F, day 64°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical February night 43°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Augusts are colder than the August line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Haleakalā National Park (Wilderness Tent Permit) is in Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Jill Tokuda (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →