MEDIA RELEASE

Hawai‘i National Park, HI (Apr. 26, 2011) – Restrooms at Nāmakanipaio Campground in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park are closed for renovation, and will reopen in July. Three portable restrooms are in place in the meantime.

A Park maintenance team is upgrading the facilities for people with disabilities, as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. The renovated comfort station will feature a new unisex ADA-compliant stall with grab bars that is easily accessible from the parking areas, plus three stalls for women, and two stalls and one urinal for men. Workers will also install a new wash sink for campers and will replace lighting with environmentally friendly skylights and a solar light tube system.

The upgrades are expected to be complete by mid-July.

Nāmakanipaio Campground is a tent camping area within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, located at 4,000-ft. elevation off Highway 11, 31 ½ miles south of Hilo. No reservations, permits or check-ins are required but Park entrance fees apply and may be paid at the Park entrance station. Drive-up tent camping is on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground is a large open grassy area nestled beneath tall ‘ōhi‘a and eucalyptus trees, and is a half-mile walk from Jaggar Museum. Nāmakanipaio features barbecue pits, picnic tables, and water for campers. Stays are limited to seven days in one month, not to exceed 30 days a year.