Camping Hawaii: A Complete Guide

Hawaii has many beautiful campgrounds, both on the ocean and in forested areas. They provide a wonderful, hassle-free outdoor experience for thousands of people every year. It would be a shame to avoid using them based on one inaccurate report. And Camping Hawaii is the perfect reference to insure a great camping vacation anywhere in the islands.

Meg Munro >


Homeless persons have little effect on camping in Hawaii   March 3, 2001
Richard McMahon (Kahuku, HI USA)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

A previous review gives the impression that campgrounds in Hawaii are overrun with homeless people, and therefore are an unattractive place to camp. I consider this review false and misleading. Although there are some homeless people in Hawaii, as in many places, and they do sometimes camp on the state's beaches, they rarely choose to use state or city campgrounds. The reasons for this are that written permits are required at all such campgrounds, all stays are limited to a maximum of 5 days, and state parks charge a fee of $5 per day - something homeless folks cannot afford. There are a few campgrounds where demonstrators (not necessarily homeless) have staged "sit ins," protesting such things as loss of Hawaiian sovereignty, lack of affordable housing, and other social issues. However, if such a situation occurs, a prospective camper will be made aware of it when he applies for a permit, and can choose to go elsewhere

Hawaii has many beautiful campgrounds, both on the ocean and in forested areas. They provide a wonderful, hassle-free outdoor experience for thousands of people every year. It would be a shame to avoid using them based on one inaccurate report. And Camping Hawaii is the perfect reference to insure a great camping vacation anywhere in the islands.

Meg Munro >


0 stars is actually how i would rate   January 8, 2000
D Dodge (shoreline, wa United States)
20 out of 36 found this review helpful

the author writes about how most camping in hawaii is beautiful pleasant and only at certain beaches has an unpleasant atmosphere

when in reality the truth about camping in Hawaii most campsites are loaded with homeless people who are bringing tons of junk to the campsites to live there after all it is easy to live for free in a place where it never gets cold

on Oahu camping is prohibited on wed and thurs to discourage this but its still a scary proposition to camp there.

Hawaii really needs to charge people on a per night use fee before camping in paradise will ever work.

overall this book is a SCAM on the unsuspecting camping tourist.

get a hotel package instead


Best camping guide to one of the best places to camp.   August 24, 1998
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This guide, newly revised in 1997, is the most complete guide to camping on the islands. It includes sites not listed in other books and the author knows what campers want to know, like where the most level spot is to pitch your tent, something most guidebook authors would miss on their way to rate the next hotel.