Two of our nights on Maui were spent camping at Wai’anapanapa State Park..
Months before our trip, we reserved our spot online, which cost about $38. The form we printed out as confirmation says that one must check in by 4 p.m., but when we arrived the office was closed. A sign posted outside said to attach the form to our tent. (I’d guess that it probably is not imperative that one arrives by that time.)
You must set up your tent in the grassy area, which isn’t that large. Luckily only two other tents were set up when we were there, so we still had some space. Expect to see tourists who stop here on the road to Hana walking about the camp sites and to the nearby blow hole and black-sand beach. There were some grills we used to cook hot dogs and canned foods. There are also restrooms (I would recommend bringing some wipes or toilet paper, just in case).
We didn’t need to bring our camping gear from the mainland to Camp on Maui. We rented our gear from Camp Maui for $50 (plus a refundable $100 deposit) for 3 days. This included tent, sleep sacks, table, eating utensils, flashlight and an ice chest. The owner throws in a s’more kit, which we were grateful for after dinner. We also Liked his Facebook page and got an air mattress and pump to use for free.
During our stay some tourists from France asked what it was like to camp in the rain. I slept well, though it may have been thanks to exhaustion from our adventure-packed days. The rain woke me up frequently, but it was calming at times. It seemed to come in bursts rather than continuously. The wind made me more nervous than the rain, since at one point the tent felt like it might blow away (though it was secure). If you’re up for an adventure, I’d recommend camping at Wai’anapanapa State Park.
There’s much to explore at the park:
