An Insiders Guide to Camping on Oahu

A few things to know so you can be well-prepared for your Oahu campout

The avid outdoorsman loves to explore the beauty of Hawaii year-round, spending weekends camping in the outdoors near their favorite beaches. Yet, camping on Oahu is a different experience than the woodsy locations we frequented in the remote forests of my childhood in Michigan. This article is meant to give you a real picture of what camping on Oahu is like and offer up a few experience-based suggestions as well.

On Oahu you’ll have your pick between beautiful beaches to pitch a tent but you’ll have to forget about one thing in particular – privacy. Many of the campgrounds are located right off of the highway so although they’re convenient to get to you won’t have the feeling of that you’re far from civilization. Also, most areas designated for camping on Oahu are sectioned off spaces of larger public recreation parks. In fact, there’s often not much, if anything, to designate one area from the other. You can get camping permits online to secure an official campsite for your group or go commando style before the gates close and just pitch a tent anywhere you like since there’s very little oversight at these parks. Just be aware that all the campgrounds have open/closing hours with locked gates preventing anyone from driving in & out during the night. Most close between 7pm – 7am.

Because almost all available campgrounds on Oahu border a beach you’ll want to be prepared for the occasional squall blowing in off the ocean. So no matter what the weather report always come prepared for wind and rain! On the windward side of the island it can be sunny all day but once the evening falls you can have off & on rain throughout the night. Plastic tarps, rope, and bungees will be your best friends for extra rain covers or wind blocks. Shade is limited so bring your own pop-up shade tents. They also make good covers for rain.

If you want to have a campfire at night bring your own wood to burn and fire ring. There’s usually not enough forested areas for collecting dead wood and there’s not much driftwood washing up on the beaches this far out in the middle of the Pacific. None of the campgrounds provide fire rings so you’ll have to dig a hole for your campfire or bring your own. Most local hardware stores have fire pits you can buy or a small charcoal grill can work in a pinch too.

On Oahu there’s 2 types of campgrounds: those run by the City & County and private campgrounds not run by the C&C including Airbnb style accommodations where private citizens setup all the gear for you on their property and you just show up. Here’s some detailed information on the different camping options you’ll find on Oahu:

Private Campgrounds

There are 2 private campgrounds on Oahu’s north shore Malaekahana Beach Campground and Camp Mokuleia. Both offer nicer bathroom accomodations than the C&C campgrounds and are located on beautiful stretches of beach. (However, don’t expect hot showers at either option. Cold showers are the norm in Hawaii campgrounds). They both offer tent sites or upgrade options for small rustic cabins or “tentalos” (large semi-permanent tents built onto raised platforms). Both have more secure properties for campers and their vehicles than what you’ll find at the C&C run campgrounds and Malaekahana allows you to drive to your campsite.

Semi-Private Campgrounds

These camping facilities are booked through the Honolulu City & County camping permit website but have more oversight than the campgrounds inside existing city beach parks and are both on the Windward side of Oahu. The first is located against the backdrop of the lush Ko’olau Mountains inside the 400 acreage of Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens in Kaneohe. There are 3 areas designated for camping, with 30 campsites total, inside the park. Each camping area is located within a different section of the botanical gardens which include thousands of tropical plants from around the world. Unlike most camping on Oahu this site isn’t located on the beach. Normally, the constant ocean breeze keeps mosquitos away but you’ll definitely need some bug repellant at this campground as it’s a tropical garden location.

The other Windward location is the Bellows Field Beach Park. The campground isn’t run by a private entity but the grounds are shared with the military and only allows camping on the weekends. The rest of the week it functions as a site for military training operations. Because of this the park is kept in decent condition and doesn’t house a homeless population around the peripherals like you find in the regular C&C parks. Besides being located on the best beach on Oahu the amenities are the same as other campgrounds – flushing toilets, cold showers, & outdoor sinks to wash dishes. This is one of the few campgrounds that will allow you to drive your vehicle up to your campsite and keep it there.

C&C of Honolulu Camping Facilities

There are several more camping facilities covering the rest of Oahu and all run by the C&C of Honolulu. They sit on the beach without much shade so be sure to bring your own. These are beautiful locations but they’re not run like state or national parks and you may find a few things that surprise you. Stray cats, stray chickens, and stray people. Unfortunately, Oahu has large homeless populations and they too enjoy the natural beauty and amenities of Hawai’i’s parks. These populations live on the fringe of our public parks and recreation areas utilizing the bathrooms and water facilities. On a recent campout in Waimanalo there were loud mopeds driving through the campground and multiple outbursts of yelling & fighting all hours of the night & day. Some of these folks are mentally ill and unpredictable. Our advice, don’t set-up camp on the peripherals, lock-up your car at all times, and treat those who make these parks their home with respect and a safe distance.

These parks are also utilized by daytime beach goers so they can get super busy during the day until sunset time. If you book a site online be prepared that the sites aren’t well marked and in some cases differ completely from the online maps. You may find a group of daytime beach goers set-up in your campsite so arrive early to setup if possible. They also don’t allow you to drive up to the campsites so bring some wagons to schlep your gear to & from your car to your site. You’d also be smart to bring some strong trash bags, toilet paper, and soap. Facilities are only cleaned out once a day and often run out.

Glamping

Finally, there are some individuals who rent out a portion of their personal property for a more luxurious rustic camping experience. On Hipcamp.com you can find a small variety of clamping sites on Oahu to choose from. It’s like Airbnb for camping. More expensive than regular camping but cheaper and less crowded than a hotel and way less work – no need to haul so much stuff! They provide all the heavy equipment like tents, shade, tables, chairs, grills, etc. Just bring bedding, food, & drinks and relax.

by Erica McMillan