Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Kihei, HI

What a darling little spot. Would return in a heartbeat, and honestly probably will before the month is up. Had two glorious nights there and now I don't want to camp anywhere else in Maui because I was so spoiled.

Pros

• To echo other folks, absolutely LOVED the outdoor showers - and yes, they get hot. Felt utterly luxurious. Toilets and sinks remain clean and odorless. 
• Easy sandy beach access! Pebble-side great for hanging up hammocks.
• Can take relatively affordable kayaking tours from the campgrounds or rent SUP/kayaks for very affordable rates. 
• Free coffee in the morning! 
• Has its own teensy general store and a walkable larger market down a half mile and across the street. Famed pie place next door. 
• Pet-friendly!

Cons

• Literally 8 plugs for a bajillion people causing a massive traffic jam in the mornings and evenings. On the side of the ice house only (not even near campgrounds).
• Not that you need it, but if you do - weak wifi signal beyond the toilet/shower area. 
• Absolutely no shade at all on any sites, save for one campsite (campsite #1). 
• Beware the wind!!! Because it's open air with no shielding trees, sooo many people evacuated to sleep in cars or resigned to/woke up to collapsed tents because of high winds. 

Overall

4.5/5. Absolutely worth it. LOOOOOVE.

This was the first place that we camped at on our Hawaii trip and it was by far our favorite. Paliku is one of two backcountry campsites in the Haleakala National Park summit district. Paliku lies along the eastern side of the crater and will take your breath away. The beauty of this campground is even more apparent after hiking through the barren landscape of the lava fields to get here.

After trekking nearly 10 miles from the visitor center to get here, you’ll be welcomed to take your boots off and step on the lush grass that grows all over the campsite, quite the contrast from all of the ‘a’a lava you’ve just been walking through. This rainy side of the crater features rich, thick, and best of all - almost completely native Hawaiian plants and animals. I can’t say that I’ve ever heard more interesting and diverse bird calls in my life that come from vividly colored native Hawaiian birds that live in this unique habitat. Be sure to collect a bird brochure at the visitor center when you pick up your permit to identify some of these unique birds you may never get the chance to see again in your life.

Campsites are tucked away and hidden along braided paths and tall grass of the dispersed camping area. Not one of them has a bad view.

Being so secluded, this backcountry campground takes preparation and work to get to. Campers must be fit enough to hike to and carry gear necessary to stay at this site. Water filters are a necessity as the water here is non-potable. Cold weather clothes and gear are also needed as temperatures often drop to sub-40.

The Polipoli State Park is one of my favorites. There is great swimming holes you can swim in that arent too aggressive. There is also a great place to do some cliff jumping, and all the locals hang out here jumping. One thing I like about this park is that it is close by the town where you can walk to and get lunch. There are some really great restaurants with yummy local food. They have a smoothie shop that is incredible with so many different flavors. Highly recommend. They have some great places where you can rent body boards. We rented some for the morning and had an absolute blast. Seems like this park was pretty busy when we were there. The paths are filled with people walking, running, roller blading and skateboarding. Lots of dogs too. There are picnic tables and those seemed to be all taken with people eating lunch and hanging out. I would recommend getting there early in the day if you want a good spot.

I discovered this campground by accident when an avid camper/ bartender in Maui pointed me in this direction with a hand-drawn map (see photos) It was easily my favorite camping spot during my week in Maui.

The campground itself is nothing to speak of- it looks mostly like a big green field with sites designated by grills and parked cars. From the parking/grill area however, you could wander off the path and find sites right on the cliffs under big trees with picnic tables. As a hammock camper, I found a tree to sleep under towards the edge of the cliff with a view of the ocean from my bed--and I was able to watch the sunrise over the Pacific without even getting out of my sleeping bag!

Amenities at the campground are basic- but you get what you pay for. There is no fee to camp here for up to 3 days as long as you've paid the Haleakala NP entrance fee --which of course everyone who makes it to the end of the Hana highway does anyway!

There's plenty of hiking around the campground in the national park- the most popular is the Waimoku falls that you reach by hiking through the bamboo forest up the Pipiwai trail. Camping at Kipahulu means that you can hit the trail early before the resort /day visitors make it to this side of the island. The campground is also very close to the Seven Sacred Pools (which were more mud than sacred looking during our visit).

For sunset, there is an unmarked trail that begins in the South East corner of the campground and will take you up over the cliffs for a good evening view. You can also hike down to some pools to swim if the tide is low.

Note that this campground is pretty far away from the closest town so you'll want to be sure you're all stocked up on fuel, water, and all the things you need when you pass through Hana. There aren't any showers, but if you're driving back north, you can always pop into Waianapapana State Park and hit their outdoor shower.