Kilauea Military Camp (KMC)

Courtesy of KMC-volcano.com

Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) a Joint Services Recreation Center, is surrounded by the dramatic beauty of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Nearby is the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea. The accommodations, amenities and tour packages offered by KMC let you capture all the mystery and wonder of the Big Island.

Discovering a military camp within confines of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is an unexpected surprise to the majority of the park’s visitors. While Kilauea Miltary Camp occupies about 50 acres of the park’s 300,000+ acres, its history is as old as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park having been established in the same year 1916. What once began as an idea by Hilo Board of Trade members for a training ground for the National Guard and an Army "vacation and health recruiting station" has become one of Hawaii's most unique resorts for the military. However, its first visitors to the camp may have felt differently.

On November 6, 1916, a group of 68 enlisted men from Company A, Second Infantry of the United States Army, arrived to find Kilauea Military Camp’s three main buildings unfinished and unfit to be occupied. As a result, the men were forced to sleep under whatever shelter they could find during that rainy weeklong stay. Since then, the wonders of Kilauea Volcano have drawn millions of soldiers, their families and guests to KMC. In its eighty-nine years of existence, KMC had served as a training facility, housed a Navy camp, hosted numerous dignitaries including General Dwight D. Eisenhower who later became the president of the United States and briefly served as an internment camp and later as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II. KMC has also experienced the power and destruction of Kilauea Volcano. While the camp still maintains its historical charm, renovations to the camp in the last decade have enhanced KMC’s facilities and services making it one of the military’s favorite vacation resort.

Location
KMC is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. Direct flights from the West Coast of the U.S. and Japan land at Kona International Airport. Interisland flights land at both Kona and Hilo Airports. To reach KMC from Kona takes approximately 3-1/2 hours by car; from Hilo, 45 minutes by car.

Kilauea Volcano
In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on January 3, 1983, a vent opened up on the flank of Kilauea and lava erupted from the earth’s mantle. The lava continues to flow to this day, sometimes visible in molten streams against the cooled black lava, sometimes invisible until it reaches the ocean from beneath a lava crust and explodes in columns of steam. Kilauea is the most active volcano in the world. To date, over 2 billion cubic yards of lava has been released and over 500 acres of new coast has been created on the Big Island.

To witness the eruption of Madame Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, is to be carried back to a time millions of years ago when these islands were first created.

Accommodations
KMC offers 90 one-, two- and three-bedroom cottages and apartments with all the comforts of home. Each unit includes a mini-refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, and even an umbrella for those unexpected showers. Because we are in a cool, upcountry setting 4,000 feet above sea level, every cottage and apartment is also comfortably equipped with electric heat and a fireplace. We also recommend that you dress for fluctuating weather; layers and rain jackets are recommended.

For guests with special needs, there are ADA-compliant units. Please inquire when making your reservations.
For rates and eligibility visit the KMC Website.

Amenities
KMC is a village unto itself, surrounded by the majesty of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. At an elevation of 4,000 feet, temperatures are cool and refreshing. With the many amenities and activities, you can fill every moment of your days and nights with excitement. The Recreation Lodge offers something for everyone, including:
• Bowling Lanes
• Keiki Corner
• Cyber Room
• Pool and Ping Pong Tables
• Miniature Golf
• Air Hockey
• Video Games
• Golf packages and helicopter arrangements
• Hiking and sports equipment rental