Oahu Campgrounds

Did you used to love camping growing up as a child? Why not do it as an adult on your next vacation? There are many campground sites on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Camping on the island will make your stay quite memorable and you can get a “real” feel for the island simply by pitching your tent on its ground. State and county parks are the only places on the island that permit camping, since there are no national parks on the island. In some cases, campers must pay a small campsite fee and get a permit.

Some camping permits are available at the county or states Park Office. Although the weather is ideal to camp year round on the island, but keep in mind that most campsites are closed on Wednesday and Thursday nights. So if possible, you should plan ahead. Below are a few highly recommended campsites on Oahu that are worth staying at.

Malaekahana Beach Park – private campgrounds, no permit from the state required. contact the office.

This thirty-seven acre campground is located on the windward side of Oahu. There are approximately forty campsites on the grounds. There are barbeque facilities, fire pits, restrooms, showers, picnic tables, and even a covered area where campers can seek shelter in case of inclement weather.

There is an excellent beach on site and the Malaekahana Bay is makes for a perfect spot to surf and swim. On the southern end of the bay, you can see Mokuaia Island which is accessible during low tide or simply by swimming to it. Here you are able to see nesting seabirds. The beaches on the island are quite beautiful as well.

Waimanalo Bay Beach Park and Waimanalo Beach Park – Also located on the windward side of Oahu, both beach parks are ideal camping sites for families. Some say that the Waimanalo Bay area is home to one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

The location of these twenty-three campsites is some the best beachfront campgrounds on the island. Facilities include: showers, restrooms, and picnic areas. Many enjoy water activities, such as swimming and surfing just to name a few. Fishing grounds are also in the area.

Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area – This 385 acre park is located at the southern end of central Oahu, which offers a different and unique kind of island camping experience. Since it is located at the foothills of the Koolaus, the climate is slightly cooler than at other camping sites. Also there are a many species of plants and trees to be enjoyed while hiking on the five mile trail, otherwise known as the Aiea Loop.

Make sure to bring your camera with you on the hike as you are offered beautiful mountainous views. Facilities are similar as to those previously mentioned: restrooms, showers, grilling facilities, picnic tables and a covered pavilion.
Some other camping sites worth mentioning are:

Bellows Field Beach Park – Bellows offers camper a beautiful beach to sit back and relax on. The area has over fifty campsites and offers amazing views of the coast.

Keaau Beach Park – On the western part of the island lies this amazing site, a must for hikers. Here, there is a trail, where in one direction there are beautiful rocks and tide pools on for display and in the other direction beautiful sand dunes. There are over fifty campsites at this park.

Kokololio Beach Park – Over sixteen acres in size, this park is located on the northeast coast of Oahu. It has similar camping facilities as other sites, but offers something quite special to campers. The waters are ideal for snorkeling – clear and calm waters allow campers to take in the gorgeous underwater sea life.

Learn more about the Division and take a tour thorugh Hawaii's parks by island. Hawaii State Parks

Camping permits are required and free and are issued at the Parks Permits Section on the ground floor of the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building, 650 South King Street, or at any Satellite City Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The Parks Permits Section office is closed on weekends and holidays. Hours of operation at Satellite City Halls vary by location. City and County Camping, Oahu

Swimming with Dolphins, Hawaii

We are coming to Hawaii this summer with another family. There are six kids ranging in ages 11-16 and all would like the experience of swimming with the dolphins. This has always been a dream for my son who is 15. We are visiting Kaui, Oahu and the Big Island. I would like to do it where it is more personal and not touristy. Can you recommend a sight?

On Oahu, you can try the Wild Side specialty tours on Oahu for a wild dolphin swim. They are highly recommended, not only for the swim but also for how they protect and respect the dolphins.

You can also hit either Sea Life Park or Dolphin Quest at the Kahala Mandarin for a program.

On the Big Island, there is a dolphin quest at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

Sea Life Park and Dolphin quest are both touristy, although they try to be personal. The wild dolphin swims are amazing, but you are not guaranteed to actually see dolphins or that they will stick around, although generally they do.

You could also just spend a lot of time in the water on the Big Island and you might get lucky :)


I wish you the very best of luck - I've done the dolphin quest and it was perfectly awesome and amazing. I've come across a pod accidentally a couple of times too, and that was also awesome. Lisa

Can You Visit Hawaii Without Driving?

Yes you can! My recommended way is to visit Oahu. Oahu has an awesome bus system that you can take just about anywhere you'd want to see, like the Dole plantation, around the island, to the North Shore, to Pearl Harbor. It's quite easy to get around on Thebus.

Also, Oahu has many shuttle systems that would love to help you get where you are going for not too much - like $12 for a shuttle from the airport to your Waikiki hotel.

If you are going to stay on Oahu without a car, it's recommended that you stay in Waikiki. This will make it easiest on you, plus, one of the best beaches in all of Hawaii is right there, no more than a few blocks from any hotel you pick.

Another way to vacation Hawaii without driving is, if you want to visit an island other than Oahu, just make sure you are staying right in a town (although none of the other islands have the public transportation or massive activities of Waikiki), or pick one of the massive resorts that are full of everything you want anyway, like the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island.

Hawaii Weather Changes in Summer and Winter

When planning a vacation in Hawaii, you'll need to consider the season in which you plan to come, the island you plan to stay on, and the area you plan to stay in. The reason is because each island is shaped differently, responds to the trade winds differently, and has different wave action in both the summer and the winter. For example, on Oahu, waves are big on the South Shore in the summer and on the North Shore in the winner. The waves on the South Shore usually still allow ocean entry and swimming but when the waves get big on the North Shore the only people entering the water are the surfers. You wouldn't want to rent a beautiful cottage right on the beach only to show up and find out that you can't get anywhere near the water because the waves are 20 feet high. If you have any questions, leave me a comment or e-mail me at Lisa at Hawaii-Lisa.com. I'll tell you what the weather typically is like in the area you're planning to stay.

Rent by owner

If you are considering a condo in Hawaii, always examine who is doing the renting. Several condos on all the islands are rented out by both a management company and by the individual owners of each condo. In a typical situation, people who rent from the management company are not always happy with their rooms, but people who rented directly from the owners are usually thrilled. I believe that owners who rent out their own, condos are a little more invested in them. These condos tend to have many more pictures available on the Internet about them, and once you get there the furniture is nicer and the decor more appealing. Plus, many have a closet full of water and Beach toys for your use.

If you have decided on a condominium, this type the full name in to a search engine and see what kind of rent by owner sites come up. These people probably spend at least one vacation a year in their condo, so they keep it nice.

be aware of holidays

When traveling in Hawaii, be aware of any holidays or special events that may fall on your travel dates or during your stay. Things like the Ironman Triathlon or the Honolulu Marathon can completely shut down entire routes to the airport - you don't want to miss your plane because of this! Also remember, if you are here over, say, the thanksgiving holiday, the day after will be the busiest shopping day of the year just like anywhere else in the country - so you probably would want to stay off the roads and maybe just hang out at the hotel pool or beach on that day.
Hawaii Events Calendar

Hawaii Vacation Specials, All in one place

Great Hawaii Vacation specials - here's a few summer of 2005 vacation specials all neatly on one page for you.