Wiliwili Camp

It was a great experience for all us. Nice scenic view of the camp.

As others have said, the hike in and out of the canyon is not easy.  But the reward is being totally isolated and quiet down in the canyon.  So gorgeous!

The main thing that we learned the hard way is that the river that is near the campground can become impassable after a rainstorm.  We left our camp to go for a day hike further into the canyon, and crossed the river with no issue.  There was a downpour while we were on the other side of the river, and weren't able to cross back to get to our camp.  We had to spend the night on the other side where thankfully there was another shelter.  Luckily we had some food and our water filter and hammocks, and someone left a brand new sleeping bag that we used to keep warm.  We were able to cross back over the next morning.

Also, our car got broken into where we left it parked on the road.  Dont leave anything valuable in the car!

Despite being stranded and getting our car broken into, we also got engaged in the canyon...so this was definitely my most memorable backpacking trip.

The 2.5 mile hike down Waimea Canyon to arrive at this site is worth it for the views alone. The campground is rustic. There is one outhouse and a covered picnic area. Our site was directly on the river. We stayed in the river or on the rocks in the river to swim, cook and hang out as it was the only spot free from mosquitoes. The views from the bottom of the canyon were breathtaking. We were the only campers when we went to bed but woke up to 2 men with horses and hunting dogs staying there.