Camping in Hawaii: What It’s Like and How Much It Costs

We set off for two weeks to a paradise in the middle of the ocean — the Hawaiian island of Maui. I’m not sure when the idea of camping in Hawaii first came about, but the more we prepared for it, the more excited we got. Sleeping in campsites on the beach or inside the Haleakala crater was something exotic we’d never done before. Let’s take a look at what camping in Hawaii is really like and how much it cost us.

How Much Does Camping in Hawaii Cost

On top of the adventure, it could also save us money that we’d need for our three-month road trip across North America. Hawaii is one of the most expensive destinations you can visit — even a campsite will set you back around $15–35 per night. And prices keep going up.

The problem with staying in hotels or Airbnbs was also that the comfort of daily Wi-Fi, a kitchen, or breakfast would probably mean we’d head out to explore Hawaii around nine or ten each day. That’s late on Hawaii, because it gets dark here by 7 pm.

We went to bed around eight or nine and woke up at half past five in the morning. We drove to Wi-Fi spots purposefully, and work that would normally take us a whole day was done in just a few hours. In our last campsite there was even Wi-Fi, so after dinner we’d regularly go and work for 2–3 hours.

In the end, we decided to spend the first two days in an Airbnb in Haiku, because we arrived late at night and the campsite near the main town of Kahului was closed.

Heading to Hawaii? Get the Guidebook We Used

How Much Two Weeks in Hawaii Cost Us Overall

Two weeks in Hawaii cost us approximately $1,100 per person (with a travel agency, a single week would cost around $2,000 or more).

On top of that, a birthday present for Lukáš — a trip to the island of Lanai, snorkelling for two at $181 USD.

Check out how we’re doing financially on our 3-month trip –> here

Food Prices in Hawaii

At the start, we did a big shop for two weeks of camping. We knew that on most days we wouldn’t be able to buy ingredients anywhere. Plus, Hawaii has a constant daytime temperature of around 29°C (84°F) and 22°C (72°F) at night, which meant we couldn’t buy anything too fresh.

This was the foundation of our meals. It turned out that buying in bulk was a mistake because, although the Tikka Masala and soups were organic with nothing bad in them (no additives or preservatives), by the second week we couldn’t even look at them.

Occasionally we bought some fruit at roadside stalls, went to Foodland (a supermarket) for sushi or sandwiches. A few times we treated ourselves to food like the locals from food trucks, and we also played tourist and went to a restaurant. Our weakness was cold drinks — we gave into those more often in the second week on the warmer side of the island. So if you want to go even more on a budget, you can. We had a budget of $65 per day, which had to cover accommodation that wasn’t pre-paid, petrol, and food.

Hawaii Camping Sites: Where to Camp

We were used to the super-clean and well-maintained campsites from the Canadian Rockies, so we were often taken aback by how run-down some of the Hawaii camping sites were. We tried all the ones available to individual campers on Maui.

Waianapanapa

2 nights, flush toilets, showers, drinking water, no signal, option to rent a cabin

A campsite near Hana. It takes about 3 hours to get there from Haiku with minor stops along the famous “Road to Hana,” which is said to be the most beautiful drive in Hawaii. “What a mess,” Lukáš wasn’t exactly impressed by the jungle. It’s located on the eastern part of the island, where it rains year-round. So you’ll be driving through jungle, where you can stop and hike to waterfalls you can swim in. Everywhere is mud, moisture, bamboo, and coconuts.

Waianapanapa is one of the better campsites — it has toilets, outdoor showers, and a drinking water source. You’re right above the black sand beach and at the start of the Kings Trail — Pi’ilani Trail, which runs along the cliffs. If you go, start early in the morning as you’re walking in the sun the whole time.

If you decide on Waianapanapa, our advice is: cook early. It rains every night there, and we were there during what’s supposed to be the driest period.

Kipahulu

1 night, pit toilets, drinking water at the visitor centre (which also has proper toilets), signal poor but present

From Waianapanapa you can continue along a much rougher road to Kipahulu, which is already within Haleakala National Park. Although according to the guidebook we were supposed to be completely without signal here, paradoxically there was some. At first we were quite spooked because the campsite has absolutely nothing — just grass in the middle of nowhere. But after some exploring, we found a camping spot near the main area right on the cliff above the ocean. And the sunset more than made up for the initial disappointment of the stinking pit toilets and no way to wash, since swimming in the ocean isn’t recommended here and we couldn’t even find access.

You can do two hikes from here — Waimoku Falls to the waterfalls, and Seven Sacred Pools. We headed to the waterfalls; it rained the entire time, but it only took under three hours. Then we had to sleep in the tent covered in mud.

Hosmer Grove

1 night, pit toilets, drinking water, signal available

From Kipahulu we took a detour via Baldwin Beach near Kahului, where we had a swim and a shower. Highly recommended — it’s worth it. Hosmer Grove was the campsite where we nearly froze. It’s the spot where most people sleep when they’re heading up Haleakala. We were doing our longest hike in the crater the next day, where we’d also be camping, so it made sense to stay here. Plus there’s nothing else nearby. Be prepared — it can get cold at night, with temperatures dropping close to freezing.

Otherwise it’s a nice, small campsite with a shelter where you can cook when it rains.

Haleakala Crater

1 night, non-potable water, pit toilets, no signal

We hiked 21 kilometres to the campsite in the crater at Paliku, where there’s also a cabin you can rent. Although we’d braced ourselves for brutal cold after Hosmer Grove, the morning was chilly but not freezing. By the cabin there’s a pit toilet, and when I walked in, a swarm of flies launched at me, buzzing around my backside. Suddenly the idea of digging a hole to go to the toilet seemed far more appealing. Strange ducks called Nene wander everywhere (they might not actually be ducks, but they look like them and make sounds that remind you of a cow crossed with a duck).

Polipoli

1 night, non-potable water, pit toilet, weak signal

The last 3 miles to the campsite take 20 minutes to drive. The road is more pothole-next-to-pothole than an actual road and vividly reminded us of our road trip through Romania. No wonder we were the only ones at the campsite. The pit toilet literally smelled of disuse. If we hadn’t booked the site in advance, we probably would have turned around and left. On the way we encountered wild boar, and they came snorting around our tent at night.

Papalua Beach Park

1 night, no water, maintained pit toilet, signal available

Between Kihei and Lahaina on the west coast, where it’s sunny most of the year and rain is only sporadic, you’ll find this beachfront campsite. The issue was that you could only book it either in person in Lahaina or by phone. We didn’t know about the first option and couldn’t get through by phone.

Note that you’ll need a Hawaii camping permit for many county-managed sites like this one. The rangers didn’t kick us out — they just explained where to buy the permit.

Olowalu

Drinking water, hot showers, flush toilets, power outlets, Wi-Fi, FREE morning coffee, fruit growing in the camp (mango, papaya, coconuts) FREE

Camping at Olowalu beach is a paradise among Hawaii camping sites. Not only do you have everything you need, but there’s also Wi-Fi at the “reception” and cleanliness on par with campsites in Canada. The downside is that when the waves pick up, they close a large section of the campsite because it could flood. We recommend booking a spot further from the water just to be safe.

Where to Wash When There’s No Water at Camp

At Papalua Beach Park, Polipoli, Haleakala crater, and Hosmer Grove, there’s no way to wash. Except for Haleakala, it’s not that big a problem. Just drive to the nearest beach. We’d regularly go to Baldwin Beach for this, and from Papalua Beach Park we spent time on beaches in Lahaina, so it was no issue. Feeling awkward? You’ll see plenty of locals who wash themselves with shampoo and soap under the beach showers after swimming in the sea, so don’t worry and go for it. For the tougher moments when there’s nowhere to wash, bring wet wipes with you.

Hiking on Maui

Hawaii is wonderfully diverse, so you can experience hiking through jungle on trails that lead to waterfalls where you can swim. You hike in forests, on mountains, and in craters.

When we were looking for the best hikes on Hawaii, it was surprisingly difficult — there’s no single comprehensive source. So here’s a list of the hikes we chose.

Twin Falls

30–45 minutes

A very short trail to waterfalls where you can swim underneath them. You can do it in flip-flops, but water shoes are better because you walk through streams and the current can easily carry them off. Don’t leave anything in your car at the car park — this is one of the main spots where break-ins happen.

Bamboo Forest Trail

3 hours

A trail through the jungle near Haiku that leads to several waterfalls. Be careful — the trail isn’t marked and the Lonely Planet guidebook gives dubious instructions on how to reach them. After crossing the river, go left. The path to the right is well-trodden but leads nowhere — it would just take you back and you’d have to crawl under bamboo. Before long you’ll reach the first waterfalls. From there, continue right along the river until you reach the second set of waterfalls, where you can swim. The trail then continues to the left, where there’s a rope you need to hold onto as you scramble up. You’ll reach waterfalls where you can play Tarzan and jump into the water by swinging on a rope. The guidebook said you have to swim across the water, but you can actually walk around it and continue up a ladder to beautiful, crystal-clear pools.

Don’t bring too much with you — you’ll need both hands, and the best shoes for this hike are water shoes.

Pi’ilani Trail

3 hours, 6 miles, almost no elevation gain

Starts at the Waianapanapa campsite and takes you along the cliffs the entire way. Set off early in the morning because you’re walking in the sun the whole time, which can make the hike much harder than it actually is. If you don’t love hiking, you can turn back at any point — the views don’t change much. If you make it to the end, you can walk back along the road, where there are small patches of shade, and someone might even give you a lift.

Bring at least proper trainers.

Waimoku Falls

2.5 hours

A climb to a waterfall through muddy jungle with bamboo, vines, and ancient trees. It’s not too steep, but if it rains, it gets slippery. Bring at least proper trainers.

Haleakala Crater – Hiking

42 km, two days

We parked at the spot where we wanted to finish and hitchhiked to the summit. The second car picked us up. From the summit we walked back to the visitor centre, where our two-day journey along the Keonehe’ehe’e Trail began. From there it’s mostly downhill across the parched crater to the first cabin, Kapalaoa, which appears after about 10.5 km from the start of the official trail. Don’t be fooled by the signs — our Fitbits recorded far more miles than indicated. At Kapalaoa the landscape starts to green up and you see the first Nene birds. From the cabin it’s another 9 km to Paliku cabin, where we also camped. This section is closer to Hana and is completely overgrown with greenery. The hike took us 6.5 hours and the sun was shining the entire time, so we arrived completely sunburnt despite layers of sunscreen. From the summit it was 21 km in total.

On the second day we set off from Paliku back to the car via the Halemau’u Trail. This trail led to the Holua cabin. The landscape gradually changed again from green to a parched wilderness of red, black, brown, and green. The first section was gently uphill, but from Holua cabin the last 8 km were steeply uphill through a vegetation-covered hillside. We practically had to claw our way out of the crater. Our Fitbit recorded 21 km in total.

Tip: Hiking boots are a must, as is sunscreen SPF 50+, a rain jacket, and several layers — prepare for both cold and heat, because it will definitely be cold at night. We made the mistake of over-preparing for cold, because everyone told us to. But instead of rain, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky for most of the trail. Bring enough water to the first cabin, where you can boil more or use a water filter — so you don’t need to carry more than 2 litres per person. Drink plenty — you’re near the equator, so force yourself to drink at least a litre before the first cabin. Don’t forget a rain jacket, enough food for two days, and a water filter or stove to boil water.

What we carried with us:

Waihe’e Ridge Trail

3 hours, approximately 10 km

After the Haleakala crater, this was the most beautiful hike on Hawaii. It reminded me of Sri Lanka. The guidebook describes it as a climb through a botanical garden of tropical flora. It’s a trail that goes uphill the entire time, so you’ll work up a sweat. Start around seven and you’ll avoid not only the crowds but also the clouds. By the time we were heading back, it was already overcast.

3 Best Beaches on Maui: Where to Swim with Turtles

Here’s a list of our favourite beaches on the Hawaiian island of Maui — and we tried nearly all of them.

1) Baldwin Beach

Calm during the day for swimming; in the afternoon the wind picks up and you can have fun in the waves. It’s located near the main town of Kahului.

2) Ho’okipa Beach Park

A beach where you can swim with sea turtles, which stop here to rest during their ocean journeys. You can see dozens of them resting on the beach at once, and if you have a snorkel, head into the water. Just be careful — this beach is also a surfers’ paradise, so the waves are huge and in the afternoon it can be too rough for snorkelling.

3) Kahekili Beach Park

Our favourite beach near Lahaina. While everyone heads to Ka’anapali Beach, here you can enjoy a sandy beach with turquoise ocean alongside just a handful of other tourists. If you come in the morning, the snorkelling is fantastic too — the moment you dip your head underwater, you see fish straight out of Finding Nemo.

Video Report

Tips and Tricks for Travelling in Hawaii