Malaekahana Campground

Friends of Malaekahana, Oahu: Safe & Beautiful Oahu Camping: Yurts, Tent sites, Beach Houses

Near the Polynesian Cultural Center and the North Shore, on Oahu's incredibly scenic side Windward side, you can pitch your tent or rent a yurt at one of the most safe and beautiful of Hawaii's campgrounds: Malaekahana Campground, also called Malaekahana, Kahuku side. I've been camping in the islands for over 10 years with my children, and this is my favorite places to pitch a tent (Malaekahana also offers yurts and beach houses).

Take a minute to view the photos of Malaekahana from my 2004 Oahu camping trip.

Friends of Malaekahana, members of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and a community based non-profit organization, has been managing this campground for the Hawaii Department of Parks and the Department of Land and Natural Resources since 1994. We discovered it when I found discount Hawaii airfare on Hawaiian Air and Hotwire.com or less than $200 roundtrip to Oahu but didn't have money for hotels. With a larger budget, I still would include a few nights at Malaekahana Campground.

If you've been there before but not recently, know that since taking over management of this Hawaii State Recreaion Area's section, the group has made many improvements, including adding yurts and repairing and painting the beach houses and the outdoor showers. The Friends have earned the reputation of providing the "safest camping in the islands.”

Voted in 1999 by Honolulu Weekly readers as "Best Campground in the Islands,” Malaekahana Campground is even better today.

Located on the North Shore of the Windward site about 15 minutes from the famous surfing spots like Waimea Bay and the Pipeline (but with a far smaller and friendlier surf) and just a couple miles north of the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Kahuku (north side) and name of town) side of Malaekahana State Recreation Area offers one of the most secure places to pitch your tent in all of Hawaii on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in the islands.

The campground offers 40 tent sites with picnic tables and fire pits. Flush toilet facilities and unique hot outdoor showers are within easy walking distance from all the sites. The outdoor showers are painted with whimsical fish and turtles and are built around banyan trees. There is piped in water at double kitchen sinks in two locations. Five furnished yurts include electricity and sleep two to six. There are also rustic but clean fully furnished beach houses with stoves and refrigerators ranging in size from 600 to 5,000 square feet.

UPDATE December, 2008: Craig Chapman the manager for Malaekahana park (Kahuku section) for the last 14 years just sent me pictures of their newest accomodations - their eco cabins and a new "Hale Nui" grass shack (10'x12' with its own Lanai) on the beach. He's also added a new solar powered/heated 4-toilet bathroom and 4-stall shower that's lit at night. Plus more good eco news from Craig: He's added two new "wastewater treatment plants" that use microbs and aeriation to eat all the sewage and the water is then used as irrigation for campsite plants.

Maleakahana Place of Refuge - Part 2 of this article.

For the full scoop on Hawaii campgrounds and other alternative accomodations, as well as dining, activities and everything else that goes into a fun, ecotour, check out

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