Halape Campground must be earned with an 8-mile hike from the nearest trailhead.
It also requires a free backcountry permit from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
The hike is hot but the views are expansive, and Halape, with its powder-white sands and solitary tidepools, is a gem well worth the hiking price.
Thanks to the light human footprint here, normally skittish fish (like parrotfishes) are often willing to tolerate close scrutiny, and the water quality is so high that the visibility can seem like blue-tinted air.
The reef is young but healthy. Be aware of currents and remember that you are a long way from assistance.