Best RV Parks & Resorts near Kahului, HI

Our first time here we tent camped. Some of the sites seemed close together but we stayed at the end and had good privacy with the trade off of a long trip to the bathrooms.  The shared bathrooms are great! Clean, flush toilets, and running water.  Showers and dishwashing stations also a plus.  Free coffee for early risers.   You can see the beach from a few campsites.  Like most camping in Hawaii, bring your earplugs for the roosters.

I was here in December, which is the rainy, rough season in Hawaii. The park is very large, and is the quintessential black sand beach of Maui. Jutting cliffs, blowholes, fine black sand surrounded by lush greenery. Even on a rainy day it was beautiful.

The 6 sites in the only developed camping area in the park offer a great place to stage your morning sunrise experience in Haleakala. They are popular and very inexpensive($5 per night). The campsites are clustered into a small lawn area on a gently sloping hillside. While each tent platform is level, the parking lot definitely is not. So, if you plan to bring a camping vehicle, van, platform tent truck, or small camper, get there early to grab the most level spots (there are 2). And if your tent platform folds out to the side of the truck- please don’t take up two parking spots, figure it out so that others can also enjoy a good night’s sleep. Yes, this happened to us– ugggh! 

Night time temperatures can be in the 30’s and 40’s and we found that the bedding provided in our rental camper was not enough. Fortunately, we brought along our down sleeping bag and puffy jackets(they were definitely needed during January), but could be needed at any time of year as the campground is at 6K above sea level. Also, temperatures at the summit for sunrise and sunset are cold- at any time of year. We wore multiple layers, hats, gloves, and winter coats and still froze up at the summit. The wind was gusting over 30 knots, and the wind chill was in the teens. So, plan ahead! The campground has a covered picnic area, as well as 2 pit toilets with a handwashing sink outside. There are also water spigots in the campground which have potable water. 

One thing we didn’t know is that if you have a reservation for Hosmer Grove you don’t need a reservation for sunrise, because you are already in the park and past the entrance station. It’s still a long drive (around 30 minutes), up to the summit but it’s a bigger head start than most people who are coming from hotels and such farther away. But the rising and setting of the sun shouldn’t be the only thing you hope to experience while in this amazing park. Hiking and backpacking through the crater are spectacular. Some of the most unique and long range views we’ve ever experienced!

There are a few neighborhood markets nearby, gas station, restaurants and a farmer’s market, but the larger grocery stores are located down the mountain in Kahului. There are no eateries or shops, other than the summit gift shop(which offers very limited snacks) in the park so come prepared.

7,000 feet above sea level, you are literally up in the clouds. Amazing panoramic views of the pacific ocean and the crater right around the corner! Incredible stuff. Even though it is tropical Maui, it get very cold here at night. Think Warm!

Camping at Hosmer is like camping in a neighbor's nice grassy yard with everyone from the HOA's kids and conversations. The campground is just a square patch of soft green grass with some grills and potable water spouts. There is a nice enclosed pit toilet and a covered grill area for bad weather.

There would be no appeal here except...

• The campground is at the entrance to the Haleakalā National Park, allowing you to wake up and explore as opposed to make an early drive a couple miles up a windy road if you were doing a longer hike.
• The campground is home to a nature trail through a Frankenstein'd woods where they planted numerous different trees after logging the area in the old days searching for a fast growing tree they could then log again. It's a little bit of the Pacific Northwest in Hawaii, but with all the Hawaiian plantlife as well.
• The bird watching is wild. The confluence of water and mixed plants makes this a perfect spot for bird watching, including some rare and endangered birds.
• Did I mention the location?

They offer reservations of up to 3 days per month, which offers ample opportunity to explore the park and the volcano crater fully, but it is not wilderness camping or amenable to any sort of RV. Know that at camp, if there is an a-hole (or group of a-holes), they are going to be part of your stay. Similarly, if there is an expert on local birds, they become part of the group too!

Amazing campsite! Perfect place to watch sunrise and enjoy the hot sandy beach early in the morning before the tourists start rolling in. Reservations can only be made online. Plenty of short hikes in the area easy to medium skill level.

Any true national park “bucket list” should include a trip to the Haleakala volcano, in Haleakala National Park on the beautiful island of Maui.

And in visiting this beautiful place, you can enhance your experience even greater by camping overnight in the park. Hosmer Grove, located around the 7,000 ft. elevation mark along the road up to Haleakala, is the perfect campground to serve as your base for exploring the area.

Benefits of this campground include the fact that it’s free and offers quick access to the summit of Haleakala (especially for watching the sunrise!), its scenery and birding trail, and the experience of camping so close to a giant volcano in a national park.

The only real downside is that since it requires no reservations or permits, all sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that early arrival is important for acquiring a site, especially during the peak season.

Haleakala was a great highlight of our trip visiting all 59 national parks. We especially enjoyed watching the sunrise from an empty overlook (instead of the crowded summit), backpacking into the crater for a night, and visiting the lush side of the park at Kipahulu.

You can read much more about our two days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Haleakala)

This campsite would be amazing for wedding parties! For tent and car campers, it’s nothing super special. ALTHOUGH! The outdoor shower is an AMAZING experience. To look up at the stars and trees and smell the fresh air while showering outside in an enclosed area was incredible. The beach is underaverage in my opinion (not the typical Hawaii experience). Close to local shops and fairly close to Lahaina!

Absolutely beautiful camp site above the clouds. Nearby trails through beautiful forests and with jaw-dropping views. Wake up early for the sunrise and pre-dawn birdsong. Even if you can't see too far due to clouds, it's a lovely once-in-a-lifetime campsite. Make sure you have a good tent! It is windy up here and the campsite is very exposed. I watched so many people with cheap dome tents struggle and/or have their poles snap or invert. A good guide for if your tent will survive is if it has aluminum (instead of fiberglass) poles and has a ranfly that goes down to the ground with lots of guyline points. Chilly all year due to the elevation. Like much of Hawaii, expect to experience at least a brief rain shower. Nice clean facilities live up to National Park standards.

This is a must-see in Maui! From the base of the mountain, it will take you about 30 minutes to drive to the top of Haleakala.

The roads are very twisty, and there are sections where there are no guardrails. Be sure to drive at a pace that is comfortable for you, and utilize the pullover areas to let faster traffic pass. There is no need to make a reservation to enter the park unless you’re showing up early to watch the sunrise. You’ll just have to pay a park entry fee when you arrive at the base of the mountain(don’t worry you can’t miss the payment booth).

The summit is over 10,000 ft from sea level. Due to the elevation, it is pretty darn cold and the air is noticeably thinner. When we went, the base of the mountain was about 90F(32C) and the top of Haleakala is around 50F(10C). Also, it is very very windy at the summit. You should bring a sweater and a windbreaker to make sure you’re able to walk around comfortably.

The view of the surrounding islands and the crater are absolutely stunning! Check out some pictures here: https://creditcarrots.com/haleakala-crater/))

Since the big resorts are on the opposite side of the island, most visitors to Maui travel the Hanna Highway as a day trip. Camping on the eastern shore along the highway at Waianapanapa State Park means you get to wake up early, watch the sunrise, and get a start on your day's adventures before the rest of Maui's visitors arrive for the day.

The location is the best thing that Waianapanapa has going for it. It's a pretty basic campground which looks more like a park set right along the coast. There's some small beach inlets you can explore, but it's mostly lava rock and cliff with the campground set up high.

You'll need a permit to camp. The cost is $18 per night for up to 6 people, and there is a discount if you're actually from Hawaii. You can get the permit online and you'll need to print it out and attach it to your tent once you arrive. The process is super easy but requires a little bit of pre-planning.

There aren't many (if any) actual sites- but there are a few grills scattered around that people tend to make camp around. We picked a "site" near a couple of trees so we could sleep in our hammocks of course. The campground does have bathrooms and cold outdoor showers.

My favorite part of camping at Waianapanapa was waking up in the morning to watch the colors of the sunrise and then exploring the park while it was still pretty quiet. There are blow holes, lava tubes, some caves you can swim in, and a hike up and around the coastal cliffs. And of course, there is everything else on the Hana highway just a super short drive away.

Ok, you twisted my arm...

Hosmer Grove Campground is a small set of primitive sites located in the Kīpahulu region of Haleakalā National Park, at the cloud line. This means it will get cold, especially at night, and even in the summer. Come prepared for this nice break from the Maui beach heat. The spaces are first come first serve, summer will likely be busier so come early. No permit needed. Fairly easy to pack in as well.

There are grills and nice picnic tables available at each site, but no campfires are allowed, so you must use the grills for your cooking. All the better to see the stars at night, right? Portable water is available and there are also put toilets only. Please be respectful of other campers since the area is so small.

Be prepared to be woken early to the sound of an array of birds, and even a clearly lost rooster up before dawn. The best thing about Maui, is that it’s an island formed out of nothing from a volcano, meaning it did not break off from a land mass carrying with it all the variety of animals and insects campers often find troubling. In fact, typical tropical concerns like venomous snakes and large cats are nonexistent here. A very safe place, animal wise, to camp, but do be warned of flash floods when hiking the area and come aware of the conditions and also prepared with a first aid kit, as outside help is far and difficult to reach. Towers were recently put in to assist with calls out, but in the valleys and at high elevations you will often find it hard to get reception. And help us an hour or more away. So hike with caution.

Sites are fairly level, close to each other, and on soft grass. The route to this area via the Hāna Hwy is almost worth the trip in and of itself, it’s truly a gorgeous area at all elevations.

Be sure to take advantage of the many guided hikes (also for safety reasons) offered by the national park and local private companies. We took a GREAT waterfall rappelling trip with Rappel Maui and enjoyed all their info about the area and expertise in rappelling. Be prepared for mosquitos, however we really didn’t encounter too many in June.

Check out the Pools at ‘Ohe’o and the many many waterfalls around the Nat Park as well as the state park while there. And the rocky, rough-waved cost on that side of the island (not great for swimming but so so beautiful).

The road to Hana is a Maui Island must-do. And lots of people try to do it in a day -- sure it can be done, but why would you want to?  You’ll see so much and won’t take any of it in. So, slow down, take a minute between stops on your itinerary and stay a night or three in Wai’anapapa State Park.  We stayed 3 nights and wished we'd had 1 more.

This park is known for its amazing black sand beach and offers visitors a 4-hour permit to experience the beach, the cove and coastal trail through rugged a’a lava fields. However, if you camp there your permit is good for the whole day and into the next to make the most of your visit. The park closes at sunset for all the other visitors, but campers can come and go and feel like you have the place all to yourself at sunrise just before the early permit holders arrive. 

The current camping area isn’t much more than a big patch of grass with trees around the perimeter. Things might open up again once the pandemic regulations subside. A small area, perhaps 50 yards by 20 defines the camper van camping area and there are only 6 loosely defined sites. The bathrooms old and well used, showers are the outside beach variety with cold water and spectators. Potable water is available as well as a few Coke machines. 

We had a problem charging up our electronics and assumed that we might find electricity at the state park just like back on the mainland -- we were wrong. There wasn’t an outlet to be found either in the park or even in the beach park down in Hana – this one got our hopes up because they have outlets which weren’t hot.  So bring your solar panels!  Plan ahead, or go to the coffee shop five miles back up the road.

The road to the SP has at least 3 fruit stands and you’ll find another dozen on your way into Hana town. There is a small grocer as well as a handful of good restaurants associated with the local inns or guest houses. Gas is also easy to find in town as well as a small hospital. There is also a spouting hole in the lava which erupts with the incoming waves very close to the main beach -- this is fun for the whole family. Snorkeling is pretty good in the cove, especially on calmer days. Body surfing is fun when it’s less calm as this beach has a black sand break rather than reef. 

Hiking in the park is totally worth it. The trail winds along the coastline high above the water, allowing amazing views of the lava structures, arches, tubes, coves and caves that the sea has shaped. The trail is strenuous and footing can be tricky in places, but the views, especially on a south eastern swell are amazing. Give yourself some time to check it out.

We were lucky enough to get a cabin for one night at Waiʻanapanapa State Park, allowing us to spend more time hiking at this end of the island without worrying about driving back to the other side the same day. The black sand beach is lovely, but when we went in February, it was a bit too dangerous to enter the ocean. There are definitely rocks all around, and it's the side of Maui where the waves are larger, so be careful. The high surf did let us see the blowhole in action - great fun to watch the wind carry the sea spray for yards into the park. 

Campground: The campsites we saw don't really have vegetation between them, but you're here for the location and the beach, and there aren't any other economical overnight options in the area, so that is neither here not there. Would definitely recommend staying at the park if you'd like to spend more time in this corner of the island.

Cabins: We stayed in a cabin, which are usually two-night minimum, but we planned our trip around a 1-night only availability to get around this rule (~$100/night). Our cabin (#9), didn't have a direct ocean view, but it did sit a bit above the tree line and nevertheless had a great view. It was also intermittently pouring, so a cabin was ideal for our February stay. For tourists, there are some hurdles to booking the cabins (you need to bring your own sheets, towels and soaps, which many folks don't fly to the island with). The cabins have 3 sets of bunks (4 beds total in a bedroom and 2 beds in the living room). We slept in the living room as the mattress condition was better and the mosquito nets on the windows in that room didn't have holes. The cabin has water and electricity, but no AC, so we just slept with the windows open and it was comfortable. No window coverings. To avoid ripping the mattress covers or scratching the floors, there is no moving the mattresses or the beds. There was a bit of a smell (maybe the drain, maybe oxidizing steel sink and hotplate) when we arrived, so I did a thorough clean and blocked the drain with a towel. The cabin will be pretty much the way the last guests left it so I'm sure conditions will vary - our bathroom and floors were clean for cabin conditions. No complaints there. The bathroom has a shower, sink and toilet. the kitchen has a fridge/freezer, microwave, hotplate?, and sink. There is a table and 4 folding chairs inside and a built-in picnic table on the porch, and a grill for each cabin. 

That all may not sound luxurious, but we really enjoyed our night here! The porch was large and each porch is designed to face away from other porches and towards the view. It was beautiful watching the sky change at sunset and sunrise. Staying here was much more economical than our other options in Hana. Most importantly, staying over night removed the time stress of doing the road to Hana. We were able to stop, hike, picnic, etc. as often as we wanted on the way out without worrying about a time crunch. We checked out the town of Hana after checking into our cabin and had a relaxed meal across the street from the entrance. We were able to add a 3-hour hike in Haleakala national park (Pipiwei Trail - recommend!) the following day and since that was a hot day, it was nice to start before the sun was too high and the parking lot was too full.

This was probably our favorite campground in a state park on Maui. We camped in a campervan, and there's a separate section for RV/campervans and tents. Campervans park in a mostly dirt (so it does get a bit muddy when it rains) lot adjacent to the bathrooms/beach shower and the grassy area for tent camping. The black sand beach is small and has rough waves but it is absolutely beautiful, and there's an incredibly lava tube (a cave, basically) that you'll have to do a little searching for (when you walk down the stairs that lead to the beach, look to your right when you get to the bottom and search along the rocks for an opening. You'll have to duck in, but once in the lava tube opens up far above your head and leads to an opening that touches the ocean). 

You *definitely* need to get a reservation ahead of time for the park - it's easy to reserve online, but you must do it as soon as possible and print out your reservation to show once you're camping - they do have people come around and check. 

The campsite for campervans has no picnic tables and just one old grill made out of bricks that looked a bit gross, but there's picnic tables near the parking lot where day visitors park, and near the trail along the coastline. There's a bathroom building at the center of the campground that includes separate women's & men's rooms with running water toilets (2 stalls in the women's), a changing area (basically just a bench) and 1 sink (with no soap or mirror). Outside of the restroom are soda machines and an open-air shower. The shower has multiple showerheads so 2-3 people can shower at a time, but they're all connected to one main rod so it is a bit awkward to be showering so close to strangers. During the day, day visitors use it a lot to shower off after the beach, but once evening comes around we saw a lot of campers use it just like a regular shower, just keeping bathing suits on. Considering the other state parks on Maui (like Kipahulu) even the beach shower was pretty nice to have to be able to shower off. There's also a water fountain next to the bathrooms and another very low-to-the-ground water faucet that many use to wash their pots and pans, and we used to fill up a large water jug. 

The beach was great, as were the hikes along lava rocks - though they were definitely not super well maintained, and at times you were kind of guessing whether you were still on the same path. Overall a great place to camp!

 I was kicked out for camping in designated area, by maui county parks and recreation as it does clearly state if you look well there is no overnight camping here

This beautiful 40 acre oceanside park is perfect for hanging out by the beach for a picnic or bbq, play volleyball on 3 courts take to the water in a wind or kite surfer, outrigger and canoeing. The white sand beach is surrounded by trees and bike paths. A lifeguard office is manned and equipped for rescue. Outdoor showers and water taps available and there are 4 parking lots with 189 parking spaces.

Sensational OLD Maui away from the crowded resorts, yet close to the beach and easy to get into town. Peaceful, tropical place to camp with Iao Mountain views. Easy to get to, very close to town and Whole Foods, but it seems like it's miles away. Lots of fruit and avocado trees everywhere, and quick easy hike up to a swimming hole.

This is such a naturally beautiful space. It is the perfect blend of picturesque nature and modern living without any of the day to day stress you’d find in other places. I’ve stayed several times and with each visit have been new upgrades and features. That being said this is not for the high maintenance. Jungle rains are a likely visitor. There is dirt - and peace. I love the outdoor shower which offers an unreal jungle shower experience. There was a some privacy, but not complete - be prepared to let your skin hit the air here. This is definitely a space for those who desire the simplicity of natural surroundings. The birds offer a cacophony of songs throughout the day. You will feel like you are in the middle of jungle heaven. The raised platform and tent are a step up, literally - and rain or shine this is a pretty sweet sleep setup. There are real mattresses and box springs and nice bedding- you will sleep unbelievably well, surrounded by so many shades of green. There is a cool gazebo for hanging out and talking story, BBQ grill, occasional bonfires when weather and conditions permit, lots of accessible destinations within range and a vibe so sweet you won’t want to leave. Macadamia nut trees scatter the property as do a wide range of flora and fauna. It’s a slice of heaven off the beaten path and unlike anything else you can find. I love spending time in this hidden gem.