Anchorage· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Halape and Keauhou Landing (Volcanoes NP coast)
19° 16.3′ N · 155° 15.4′ W · approximate
The wild Kau coast inside the national park, where a tiny bay behind Keaoi islet and the shallow bight at Keauhou Landing are the only small-craft shelter between Pohoiki and Punaluu - backcountry campsites with shelters ashore.
Practical
COORDINATE IS A ROUGH ESTIMATE - not plotted from a chart; derived from Coast Pilot distances (Keauhou Point 2 miles west of Apua Point; Keaoi islet about 1.5 miles west of Keauhou Point). Plot it on a current NOAA chart before using. Coast Pilot: at Keauhou Landing favor the west shore entering to avoid a reef covered 2 ft; reported 6 ft in the entrance channel; an anchorage with restricted swinging room and 9 ft lies inside the reef. Small boats shelter behind Keaoi islet by entering from the west. Little protection from wind. Ashore: NPS backcountry campsites at Halape, Keauhou, Kaaha and Apua Point - permit required ($10 per trip, Recreation.gov up to 90 days ahead; campers arriving by watercraft can arrange permits by phone, Backcountry Office (808) 985-6178, open 8 am to 4 pm). Three-night limit per site; catchment water must be treated; avoid posted turtle nesting areas. Remote and roadless: carry everything, and leave on any tsunami warning or south swell forecast.
Best for
Expedition-style landing on a roadless coast, calm weather only
Season
Settled trades only; untenable in south swell or kona weather
Nearby
- Chain of Craters Road5.1 NM away
- Kilauea Eruption Viewing8.1 NM away
- Vog and Volcanic Air Quality8.1 NM away
- Kilauea Iki Trail8.6 NM away
- Nahuku (Thurston Lava Tube)8.7 NM away
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park9.5 NM away
- Kona Storms and the Southeast Coast16.2 NM away
- Punaluu Harbor Anchorage (small craft)16.2 NM away