Mālaekahana State Recreation Area

Hidden gem for those wanting a more authentic Oahu experience! I suppose we came "off-season" and post-pandemic, so we might be a bit fortunate; We felt like we were at our own little piece of paradise. We stayed in the Hale 14 which was great because it was close enough to walk to and hear the waves, but far enough that I felt like my son wouldn't wander off into the surf. My son is 5 and I feel this is the perfect age to stay off the beaten path. Our Hale was so affordable and exactly what I'd expect when paying less than $60 a night. You can only stay 10 days. There is a gate to keep random cars out of the camping area. The beautiful cove has great beginner waves for surfing. The "beds" are vinyl and not too thick, but of you're taking advantage of everything it shouldn't be a problem. This is not the Ritz (which I have frequented), however it's perfect for a single mom wanting to show her son the world on a budget. We will definitely be back. So grateful for this place having a family friendly, budget friendly Hale away from home! Be ready for roosters to wake you in the morning and cold showers. But I'll take Hawaii on a budget any day. If you really feel the need, get a hotel on your arrival and departure and just Live Aloha the rest of your stay!!!

My Wife and I just moved here and had a hankering for camping. This place is definitely an amazing gem. Beach was beautiful and the camp ground was kept well.

I love this place!

This was a fun stop on Oahu. Keep expectations low as the amenities are few and far between. The beach shacks are pretty raw, but it's nice to have a place to keep stuff safe. There was no mattress on the bed, and the whole thing was crawling with ants. But it had electricity, a bit of privacy, and a porch to hang out on. Two-minute walk to the ocean from our site. They also had car/tent camping area for those with the gear. Outdoor shower with no privacy screen. Looking forward to staying here again.

This is a giant and pretty fantastic campground on the eastern side of Oahu’s North Shore with that has access to so much! The campground itself is super reasonably priced at 10$ pp per day. 

Each site has a table and fire pit. The sites across the different loops are super variable. There are sand sites super close to the beach that you walk into(parking is not far away) with almost no windbreak at all, and there are also sites that are in much more dense tree areas that you can easily drive into for car camping. The campground also has some bunk cabins. 

On the weekends it’s much harder to get a site and the camping areas are a bit of party central for the locals. I was here during Covid when sites were limited to 5 people per site– and it was still even a little loud and crazy then. 

There are also very friendly campground chickens (do not leave your food unattended) The bathrooms were a short walk away and mostly clean, and the staff at the office were really helpful. There isn’t electricity besides one plug in outside of the reception area. 

There is nighttime security on the property and they actually do patrol the grounds in a golf cart. There is a gate to get in with a code and a property curfew. When I visited you could not get in after 7pm or out before 6am. This was actually a bit challenging for logistics if you wanted to have dinner in Haliewa, stay late on sunset beach to watch the sunset, or get up for an early start for a hike. We wound up parking near reception outside of the gate a few times to make it work- but if your site is a long walk this might be a challenge.

The campground is rustic and noisy because of the chickens wandering around. It is beyond gorgeous by a surf break and a great sunrise spot. Very windy when I was there. Select a spot with some mangrove cover if you can.

One of the best campgrounds on Oahu because it is private and very well maintained! There are day use parking areas for people to use the beach but the campsites themselves are blocked off by a gate with a keypad entry so there aren't random cars driving by your campsite ever. Initially I was bummed I didn't get a beach front campsite, ours was only a 30 second walk to the beach. But because it's the windward side, it was sooo windy and we really appreciated our campsite set a little farther back from the beach and protected by trees. I personally think we chose the site well because of all the trees. Almost all the Area 1 sites have lots of trees to set up hammocks and for the much appreciated shade from the sun. Each campsite has a picnic table and a firepit. 

The bathrooms have flush toilets and are very clean! Bring your own roll of TP to share. There are outdoor beach showers and outdoor sinks throughout the campground to get water, wash dishes and brush your teeth. So convenient. There are actually several options for camping.. Drive up tent sites, vehicle campsites for vans, hales or houses that sleep 4 with no electricity for $58 and larger suite hales or cabins that have electricity and their own bathroom inside for around $120. The beach is really nice white sand though a bit windy and they have surf board rentals and some small surf breaks. The camp store is convenient for ice or marshmallows or any small needs. Lots of fun things to do and see nearby. Overall a wonderful time camping here!

The campsites are spacious and very spread out. There were a handful of other people camping, but I only briefly saw them while I was there. The bathroom and shower facilities were nice and well maintained. I was able to pitch my tent close to the beach and had ocean views from my tent. 

I had a bit of a walk to my campsite from the parking area, which wasn't terrible, but good to keep in mind depending on how much you bring! 

I didn't see or talk to any staff while staying there, but also didn't have any issues.

Clean, well run private campground on Da North Shore. Fairly convenient (20 minutes) to Polynesian Cultural Center which offers a great opportunity to experience a luau. Proximity to a white sand beach second-to-none. Watch for humpback whales December through March...

I would recommend the beach camping spots. We had a site a ways back and in the trees. It was private and nice. Gates close at 7:00 pm. Watch out for centipedes; I got bit and it was extremely painful. Outdoor showers by the beach. There are toilets. Beach beach in all of Oahu!

We lived in nearby Hauula Oahu for five years and this campsite was one of our favorites. The campsite is on Malaekahana Beach one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii. The site is just north of Laie on Kamehameha Highway. The campground was recently put under new management and has invested in new cabins and facilities. You may not find a better site on Oahu. You will need to make a reservations for the cabins which are very popular with local residents. You can find supplies in nearby Laie or Kahuku. The cabins are very basic with screen and bunk bed setups. The site has an automatic gate for security and helpful resident staff. You can ride horses across the highway. The camp store has some basic items as well. This is a great choice for students or other visitors looking for a low cost option in a beautiful location.

Malaekahana State Recreation Campground & Malaekahana Beach Campground are 2 separate campgrounds run by 2 different “owners” on the Island of Oahu-Hawaii. They are only a few miles apart.

The State Campground is State run requiring a permit (on line). No fires, no pets, tent camping. Reasonable pricing.

Malaekahana Beach Campground is privately owned. Tents sites are $9.00 per person per night with maximums based on site size. They also have Rustic cabins with one queen bed and a bunk. ($50+). No electric or water. Water nearby. Then they have the larger cabins with 2 queen beds, flush toilet and electric for approx $120. a night. All sites have fire rings and a picnic table. No pets.Outdoor showers and flush toilets various locations around campground. Very dark at night-bring flashlights, lanterns. Employees there have always been very friendly and helpful. Gate locked 7p-7a. Must call for assistance if emergency arises or you’re out late! I’ve camped here many times and love having the beach so close! Last time I camped there was in Feb. There was a big storm that Sat & Sun and on Monday-the campers were all out trying to clean up the beach!

Had two cabins right next to each other. The only bad things about this camping stay: was only one table with bench seats between the two cabins the tent campIng there seemed lIke the tents were rIght on top of each other but then again we dId not tent camp and the flies, so many flies! Bring an electric fly swatter and let the kids go to town! The great things about this stay : great view, beds to sleep in, toilet in the cabin, water spicket to clean stuff, hidden shower in the trees, fire pit and literally a min walk from the beach. I would definitely go camping there again!

Favorite spot. Camped here many times

I had a great time at this camp ground. Bathrooms were clean and they were flushies! Tons of families but very quiet at night. The only issue was the “locked gate” hours. They literally lock the front from 7 pm - 7 am and charge a fee if you need to go in late or leave early. During the day I wandered and hiked and stressed to get back to my site by 7 pm. They have fire rings, steps from the ocean and offer surf lessons (which I didn’t do but looked very popular). Make sure to bring big spray as their were mosquitos at night, tons of roosters so you will be woken up early but who really wants to sleep in when you have a big beautiful ocean to play in! I suggest this campground to anyone who is eaither camping solo like myself of bringing the entire family.

Really chill place to stay for few night. There is restrooms, showers, breakfast trailer, and of course the beach. I love it.

We had a perfect camp site right on the beach to pitch our hammocks. Wonderful stay! Only complaint is the smell from the pot smoking sites next to ours

if you are looking for a campsite next to the beach this is the one to see. it is lovely waking up to the sound of the waves hitting the beach

Camping next to the ocean what more do you need to know

We started camping on a Friday and probably because it is far from town it was empty the Friday night. Saturday night the campsite exploded with other campers and activities. Beach is great, a little windy but the campsites are blocked well by trees.

Two nights for a birthday weekend. Location: The location is great. Far from the hustle and bustle of Oahu's main tourist sites, Malaekahana is situated on the north shore of the island. Dark skies and large stretches of nearly empty beach make this campground fairly unique. Facilities: It feels a little cramped compared to mainland campgrounds. When you can look over and see directly into your neighboring site's tent is a little awkward. Site placement or more trees or barriers might help in adding to a little bit more privacy. Cost: This is what got me. A tent site is $9 per person, up to 6 people. Nearly $60 a night for a larger group is a little steep, especially when we paid $10 a night for a group of 7 at some of America's greatest national parks this summer. Overall: It's a nice way to get away from the mundane cycle of work and bills and responsibilities. Not too far away but a good distance away from civilization.