National Parks Tips

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park entrance fee

lava flowing into the ocean
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is located on Hawaii island, also known as the Big Island. The Big island is the southern most island of the six Hawaii islands. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to active volcanoes, lava tubes, a massive crater, and so much more. The first question new visitors have is how much is the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park entrance fee? The entrance fee for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is as follows:

  • Personal Car (non-commercial) : $30
  • Personal RV (non-commercial) : $30
  • Personal Motorcycle (non-commercial) : $25
  • Individual Pedestrians : $15

The fee to for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park allows you to enter the park, use the parks facilities, view the park exhibits, and explore the many hiking trails. 80% if your entrance fee goes directly towards helping the park with facility maintenance, hiking trail upkeep, expanding park programs, and improving park programs. The remaining 20% goes towards helping other national parks with similar projects.

How long is my entrance pass good for?

The entrance pass for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is valid for a full seven days. This means that you can enter and leave the park without having to pay the entrance fee again. Be sure to keep your receipt to present to the park ranger upon re-entry. The entrance pass is only good for seven consecutive days, meaning you cannot leave and return to the park beyond seven days. For those of you on a stricter budget or are looking for ways to save money, the national park system provides a handful of ways to help you save.

How can I save money on my entrance fee?
lava bursting up

After buying flights to Hawaii, renting a car, and booking lodging, the costs really do add up! There are a few ways that you save money on your entrance fee. You can save money by getting one of the following passes: Tri Park pass, American the Beautiful Pass, Senior Pass, Active Military Pass, or Fifth Grader Pass. All of these passes provide opportunities for many to save money. With a little bit of planning you can save a lot of money on the entrance fee.

Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass: $55

For those of you looking to visit the three Hawaii parks, Volcanoes National Park, Haleakalā National Park, and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, you can purchase an annual pass for just $55. This allows you to enter all three parks for just $55 multiple times over a 12 month timeframe. Keep in mind that this pass cannot be shared, transfered, and is non-refundable.

Senior Annual or Lifetime Pass: $20 or $80

For those ages 62 and older the national park system offers either a lifetime or annual pass for seniors at just $80 or $20. The lifetime pass allows those that are 62 and older to enter all national parks or federal lands completely for free with the pass for the rest of their lives. The alternate pass is the annual pass which is available for $20. This pass allows seniors to enter all national parks and federal lands for free for a twelve month span. This is fantastic savings for seniors and their families.

America the Beautiful Annual Pass: $80
smoke from a crater

And for you non-seniors, a great pass that is available is the America the Beautiful Pass whch costs $80. This pass allows you and your passengers to enter any national park or federal land for free for an entire twelve months. This pass pays for itself if you are planning visiting a minimum of three national parks in the same year as most entrance fees start at $30 per park.

Active Duty Military Pass: Free!

For those of you that are currently active duty military in the USA, the national park service provides a free annual military pass. In order to obtain this pass just present your active duty military badge or common access card to a park ranger and you will receive your free annual pass. Once that year is over, if you want to get another one, just bring your military identification again to get an updated pass.

Fifth Grader Annual Pass: Free!

The national park service offers a free annual pass for all fifth graders. This pass is meant to inspire the next generation to explore national parks and the outdoors with their families. Head over to [https://www.nps.gov/kids/fifthgrade.htm](https://www.nps.gov/kids/fifthgrade.htm). All you have to do is download the PDF form, fill it out and present it to a park ranger at the park entrance station in order to get you and your family in for free!

Are there ever any days where its free to enter Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

If you are looking to completely save money on the park entrance fees, the national park service does six celebrations every year which waive the park entrance fee and makes it free for all park visitors. The national park service fee free days are:

    • January 18 – Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.Day
    • April 17 – Celebrating National Park Week
    • August 4 – Celebrating the Great American Outdoors Act Passing
    • August 25 – Celebrating the Birthday of National Park Service
    • September 25 – Celebrating National Public Lands Day
    • November 11 – Celebrating Veterans Day

While these days are free, they do come at a cost. These fee free days see a significant increase in number of visitors, so expect more people on the trails, more traffic, and more crowded parking lots.

Summary
lava hardening

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park features jaw-dropping volcanoes, a colossal crater, out of this world lava tubes, and amazing hiking trails. The $30 entrance fee for an entire vehicle of people is well worth the visit. The entrance fee allows you to explore the park and build wonderful memories all while helping the park with its maintenance and park programs. You can also strategize and buy an annual park pass to help you save money in bulk for those more adventurous years where you are visiting multiple national parks. No matter how much you end up paying for your entrance fee, it will all be worth it once you set your sights on the majestic volcanoes of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.