Best Tent Camping in Hawaii

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!

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!

Secluded spot in the Oahu Mountains. Getting there can be a challenge and Camping is very primitive. The only amenities on site are put toilets and picnic tables, plan accordingly.

On a clear night however the sky is amazing!

From the Website: Special Conditions Public access through the Yokohama Guard shack is from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. 4WD access only. Everyone in the vehicle must be listed on the permit. Only street legal vehicles are allowed; registration, safety check and insurance must be current. Permits must be printed out and on hand at all times. No Parking on Air Force Installation over night. All paved roads and areas immediately adjacent to paved roads are considered a part of the Air Force Installation.
At the campground, no water is available. Check-out from campsites is by 11:00am. Check-in to campsite is any time after 12:00pm noon. Hazards No hazards. Prohibited No prohibited.

This camping site is great! It’s 10 miles inside the volcanos national park. At the end of the drive there is parking for about 4 vehicles and a very clean and nice structure housing a pit toilet with paper. No running water, no fires allowed. Camping stoves ok. There are I believe 10-12 sites some right off the lot some farther out ours was up over a hill so you could not see any other sites or the lot from our location. There was a picnic table in each site. You pay at the gate (we got the year pass) and then $10 a night you put it in the bash box on site and put the receipt at your site if you happen to love for the day. We both tent camped and put up hammocks. You are in the shadow of Laura loa volcano and when we went you could see the glow of the main crater from our site however with the recent activity I am pretty sure the level may be too low now.

We hikes for a half hour towards the crater glow in the night to get to a ridge to look out over the valley. The moon was bright enough you didn’t need flashlights. It’s very windy at night and the temp drops. I had a sleep mat in my hammock and slept in sweats with a blanket and Summer sleeping bag. Our hammocks were swaying in the wind all night.

One of the best sites was the moon setting behind Mauna Loa just before sunrise and then watchingbehr sure from purple to pink to red as the sun came up from behind us and cast colors on her. A few miles farther on the drive you will reach a dead end with a pavilion and an incredible view of the Pacific.

Its close enough to hilo we left our site for the day and went to the hilo parks to swim than did all of the volcano park activities in the early evening.

This campground features both male / female bathrooms and has two outdoor showers available. The showers are "cold", which in Hawaii, means room temperature, so after the initial shock, it actually becomes quite comfortable. I do not recall if there were picnic tables, but at the most maybe one or two. It does require a permit, but those are easy and cheap (~$3). I elected to post up under the tree section, which provided a good cover, flat ground and actually had a downed tree that I used to set up backpacking stove for coffee in the morning. There were a few small fires on the beach throughout the stay, but I don't believe it is technically legal to do so. Overall, my favorite place to stay in Kauai with the given options due to the recent storms and North Shore closures.

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.