With its landscapes ranging from high mountain peaks to sea-level beaches, nature camping in Hawaii is incredible. Factor in year-round warmer weather and you can camp during any season in Hawaii. The winter though here is the peak, because of the reduced rainfall, so plan accordingly. There is a slew of scenic national and state parks, which all offer campgrounds and even some city-run beach camping can be found.
Where To Go Camping In Hawaii
Hawaii offers a camping experience unlike anywhere else in the United States. While campsites in the national parks here can be tough to snag, the experience is well worth the work.
For those looking to rent equipment on one of its islands, tents, RV, travel trailer, and van rentals are fairly easy to come by in the more populated destinations. Like your campsite, you’ll want to reserve your tent or RV well in advance.
Best Times to Go Camping in Hawaii
The real question here is, “is there a bad time to camp in Hawaii?” As you might expect, the answer is, “nope, not really.” Hawaii is a good year-round destination; it just depends on your preferences. Winter is the best time to be here, but it’s also the busiest season in the national parks.
Technically, Hawaii really only has two seasons: summer and winter. May to October is “summer,” and October to April is “winter.” Winter in Hawaii tends to be the wettest time of year but also the busiest. Peak tourism season in Hawaii is roughly mid-December to early April, so visitors arriving during the off-season can take advantage of drier weather and fewer crowds.
Don’t let that change any winter travel plans you have set up, though. Because of Hawaii’s micro-climates, all weather is incredibly localized, so you can easily find sunny spots elsewhere on the island.
The spring and fall off-seasons are also good times to visit, though expect plenty of rainfall. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, for example, sees 20 days of rainfall each month (on average) during the spring season. Still, that may be a favorable trade-off for fewer crowds.
Summer, while the off-season here, has its advantages. Getting to Hawaii is often an expensive task, but flights in the summer tend to be the cheapest. Accommodations, like hotels and glamping, are likely to drop prices during the off-season as well, so budget-savvy travelers should consider summer in Hawaii over winter.
Really, all seasons are fair game for camping here, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
National Park Service Sites in Hawaii
There are nine National Park Service (NPS) sites in Hawaii, and two of them offer camping. While most of the NPS sites here are historical sites, the pair of national parks offer some of the best camping in the Aloha State.
For those planning to hike the available summits in either national park, bring layers. While Hawaii tends to be temperate and comfortable at the beach level, the summits of these national parks can be deceptively cold.
Don’t leave the layers behind just because you’re in Hawaii; it’s possible to get up in elevation and find surprisingly cool weather. Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, for example, holds Mauna Loa, which has a peak of 13,678 feet.
Also noteworthy is the fact that much of these parklands are considered sacred. While visitors should always be cognizant of noise and possible distractions when visiting national parks, these two warrant some extra consideration.
- Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
- Haleakalā National Park
National Forests in Hawaii
There are no national forests in Hawaii. However, Hawaii does have 20 state-run forest reserves. Of those 20, four of them are available for camping.
- Pu’u Ka Pele Forest Reserve
- Nā Pali-Kona Forest Reserve
- Mokuleia Forest Reserve
- Puu Ka Pele Forest Reserve
Best Free Camping in Hawaii
20% of Hawaii is federal land, with nearly half of it managed by the National Park Service. Just over a third of it is managed by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and the United States Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for the rest. However, this breakdown of federal land means there’s really little to no free camping in Hawaii.
While you can’t camp for free, there are a handful of inexpensive hike-in backcountry sites to take advantage of. You’ll need to acquire a permit for backcountry sites, though the fee is nominal.
These include the Hosmer Grove Campground in Haleakalā National Park, the Napau Crater Backcountry Campsite in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, and the Paliku Backcountry Campsite in Haleakalā National Park.
Hawaii State and Public Parks
While federal options are slim in Hawaii, there are plenty of state options to enjoy. Hawaii has 50 state parks, and 12 of them offer camping. The city of Honolulu also offers a network of 17 city beaches available for camping. To make up for a shortage of federal options, we’ve compiled a list of 20 of the best state parks and beaches to camp at.
- Kalopa State Recreation Area
- Kiholo State Park Reserve
- Kokee State Park
- Napali Coast State Wilderness Park
- Polihale State Park
- Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area
- Wai’anapanapa State Park
- Pala’au State Park
- Ahupua’o Kahana State Park
- Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area
- Malaekahana State Recreation Area
- Maili Beach Park
- Kea’au Beach Park
- Bellows Field Beach Park
- Kaiaka Bay Beach Park
- Kualoa Regional Park
- Lualualei Beach Park
- Kalaeloa Beach Park
- Swanzy Beach Park
- Kokololio Beach Park
RV Resorts and Unique Stays
Hawaii isn’t exactly filled with RV resorts for obvious reasons. However, just because you can’t bring your rig doesn’t mean you’re out of luck when it comes to comfort camping. There are definitely some solid glamping options here, however, most of them are privately owned.
Though there are a handful of glamping businesses here, most of the options are privately owned vacation rentals and posted on Glamping Hub, Vrbo, or Airbnb. While you can search through aggregated listing sites, these five glamping spots are a great starting point.
- Camp Olowalu
- Kumu Camp
- Glamping Hawaii
- Stunning Bamboo Villa Encircled by Tropical Fauna – Maui (GlampingHub)
- Eco-Pods on Sustainable Farm and Wellness Retreat – Pahoa (GlampingHub)
The Aloha State offers beautiful weather, perfect for camping on the beach. While you’ll have to do extra prep work to get here, the parks and beaches here are an experience unlike any other.
