Top Backpacking Trails in Hawaii
9 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.
The backpacking trips on this site cover four islands. On Kauaʻi, the Kalalau Trail follows the Nāpali Coast’s sea cliffs to a beach camp 11 miles in, and the Kukui Trail drops about 2,200 feet into Waimea Canyon. On Maui, routes cross Haleakalā’s summit crater or descend out of it through Kaupō Gap. Hawaiʻi Island has four trips: hot lava-coast hikes to Halapē and Keauhou, Nāpau Crater on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone, the Muliwai Trail to Waimanu Valley, and the Mauna Loa summit cabin at 13,250 feet. On Oʻahu, Peacock Flats is a short, steep climb to forest reserve campsites.
Elevation shapes every trip. The National Park Service gives crater nights at Haleakalā of 30 to 50°F and says snow can fall on Mauna Loa at any time of year, while it advises against hiking Kīlauea’s coastal trails at midday, when temperatures can reach the high 90s. Water is a constant planning problem: many camps have none, and the rest rely on rain catchment or streams that must be treated. Heavy rain brings flash floods to stream crossings on Kauaʻi and at Waimanu.
Every overnight trip needs a permit, either from the National Park Service on Recreation.gov or from the state, and open fires are prohibited on most of them.
Storms in 2026 closed many of these trips. As of mid-October, Kalalau camping, the Waimea Canyon camps, and Waimanu were still closed, so check the managing agency before you plan anything.
Quick picks
- Crater traverse: Haleakalā Crater Traverse (Keoneheʻeheʻe to Palikū, Hōlua, and Halemauʻu)
- Beach camping on lava coast: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Coastal Backcountry: Keauhou and Halapē
- High-altitude cabin trip: Mauna Loa Summit Cabin via the Observatory Trail
- Moderate overnight on Oʻahu: Peacock Flats via the Mokulēʻia Forest Reserve Access Road
Hawaiʻi Island
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Coastal Backcountry: Keauhou and Halapē Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Kīlauea's south coast, Hawaiʻi Island) 18 miles Hard Designated coastal backcountry campsites with shelters; NPS permit required
- Mauna Loa Summit Cabin via the Observatory Trail Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa summit (reached from Mauna Loa Observatory Road off Highway 200, Hawaiʻi Island) 12 miles Hard Backcountry cabin (Mauna Loa Summit Cabin); NPS permit required
- Muliwai Trail to Waimanu Valley Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR), Hāmākua Coast, near Waipiʻo Valley 18 miles Hard Nine designated campsites in Waimanu Valley; state camping permit required
- Nāpau Trail to Nāpau Crater (Hawaiʻi Volcanoes) Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Kīlauea East Rift Zone, Hawaiʻi Island) 12 miles Hard One backcountry campsite near the Nāpau Crater overlook (two tents); NPS permit required
Kauaʻi
- Kalalau Trail (Kēʻē Beach to Kalalau Beach) Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park and Hāʻena State Park, Hawaiʻi State Parks (north shore of Kauaʻi) 22 miles Hard Two authorized camping areas (Hanakoa and Kalalau); state camping permit required
- Waimea Canyon: Kukui Trail to Wiliwili Camp and Koaiʻe Canyon Waimea Canyon State Park and Puʻu ka Pele Forest Reserve (west Kauaʻi); camps managed by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife 12 miles Hard Designated canyon camps with shelters (Wiliwili, Kaluahaulu, Hipalau, Lonomea); state camping permit required
Maui
- Haleakalā Crater Traverse (Keoneheʻeheʻe to Palikū, Hōlua, and Halemauʻu) Haleakalā National Park, Summit District (East Maui) 20 miles Hard Two wilderness tent areas (Hōlua and Palikū); NPS permit on Recreation.gov required
- Haleakalā via Kaupō Gap (Keoneheʻeheʻe to Palikū and down the Kaupō Trail) Haleakalā National Park and Kaupō ranch lands (East Maui) 18 miles Hard Palikū wilderness tent area (or cabin, reserved separately); NPS permit on Recreation.gov required
Oʻahu
Backpacking in Hawaii: common questions
Do you need a permit to backpack in Hawaii?
Yes, every overnight trip on this site needs one, and rules vary by managing agency. Haleakalā and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes national parks issue backcountry permits on Recreation.gov, and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes also requires an in-person pickup at its Backcountry Office within seven days of the trip. State trips such as the Kalalau Trail, the Kukui Trail camps, Waimanu Valley, and Peacock Flats need state camping permits, with booking windows ranging from one month (Waimanu) to 90 days (Kalalau). Check the managing agency for current booking rules.
Are Hawaii's backpacking trails open after the 2026 storms?
Many are not. Hāʻena State Park reopened Oct. 15, 2026, for day hikes only as far as Hanakāpīʻai, with Kalalau camping and the trail beyond mile 2 closed until further notice, and Kōkeʻe and Waimea Canyon state parks remained closed. The state's Waimanu listing says camping is closed for a landslide and gives a Nov. 16, 2026 reopening date, while Hawaiʻi Volcanoes closed its backcountry for Tropical Storm Nolo on Sept. 24 and its Sept. 27 update did not say whether it had reopened. Check the National Park Service or Hawaiʻi DLNR for current status before you plan a trip.
What weather should you plan for when backpacking in Hawaii?
It depends on elevation. The National Park Service gives Haleakalā crater nights of 30 to 50°F with rain possible any time of year, and says snow or driving rain can hit Mauna Loa at any time, while on Kīlauea's coast it advises against hiking from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when temperatures can reach the high 90s. Heavy rain brings flash floods on stream and canyon trips like Kalalau, Waimanu, and the Kukui Trail.
Where do you find water on Hawaii backpacking trips?
Often nowhere reliable. The Nāpau campsite and Peacock Flats have no water at all, the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes coastal shelters and Mauna Loa cabin rely on rain catchment that NPS says is not always available, and Haleakalā's spigots are non-potable and may be dry in drought. Stream water on Kauaʻi and at Waimanu must be treated, and the state warns of leptospirosis in untreated water. Ask the managing agency about current water levels and carry more than you think you need.
Can you bring a dog backpacking in Hawaii?
Rules vary by managing agency. Pets are not allowed on trails at Haleakalā National Park, and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes allows only service animals on its trails. The state's listings for Waimanu Valley and Peacock Flats allow dogs on a leash. Check the managing agency before bringing a dog.
Where this comes from
- Hawaii News Now: Hāʻena State Park to reopen Oct. 15 after Hurricane Lowell closure
- The Garden Island: DLNR announces limited reopening of select Kauaʻi lands (Sept. 21, 2026)
- Hawaiʻi DLNR camping: Waimanu campsite details
- Big Island Now: Waipiʻo Valley Road emergency zone extended (Sept. 3, 2026)
- NPS: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes post-Nolo reopening (Sept. 27, 2026)
- NPS: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes backcountry hikes, Halapē
- Recreation.gov: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park backcountry permits
- Hawaii News Now: Haleakalā National Park reopens as storm passes