Waiʻānapanapa Campground

Camping here was an amazing experience! We stayed in a roof top tent in the campervan spots. Admission was included in the price of camping. There are flush toilets and cold water outdoor showers. You get first access to the black sand beach in the mornings before the crowds. And you can king more of the kings path. No camp store and minimal Verizon cell service.

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing the magic of Maui's beaches during a camping trip and it was truly an unforgettable experience. From waking up at sunrise to going on a scenic hike, every moment of the trip was nothing short of incredible. *Please note that there is a small graveyard located basically right on the campsite so if you are someone who is afraid to spend a night thinking of that, you better not to experience that. It took me by surprise, I was somewhat freaked out, especially at night but obviously there is nothing to fear!

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. We rented a truck with a Roof Nest tent and broke the Road to Hana drive into two days. We stayed the night at the campground at the Black Sand Beach and we were able to be the first ones on the beach at 7am without having to race to get a parking spot. They have charcoal grills available but you need to bring your own charcoal. Showers are cold but a work great for a quick rinse. The bathrooms are adequate. Watch of for Little Fire Ants; all over the stairs beach and just about everywhere. Be careful where you are standing!

It is a difficult feat to book a campsite or cabin at Waiʻānapanapa Campground. Sites become available at midnight Hawaii local time 30 days in advance, and are gone in seconds. After a couple disappointing late night failures, we finally got a spot and camped out in our rental van for two nights as a part of our epic Road to Hana trip. It is definitely the best located campground you can find for the road trip - and you can't beat the easy access to its famous black sand beach. If you are doing this trip - I can't recommend enough doing the BACKROAD to Hana instead of doing all of your sightseeing on the way in. We chose to drive straight to the campground the first night - spent the next day exploring the black sand beach, driving south to Hana, hiking at Haleakala State Park, and taking a dip in the Venus Pool; and then the second day we spent driving back north in the direction of Paia, beating the rush to most of the sites along the way, and having them all to ourselves while we watched the traffic pile up on the opposite side. PROS: Unlimited access to the black sand beach during its open hours for the duration of your stay (NO NEED TO BOOK SEPARATE RESERVATION FOR ACCESS); unbeatable location for the Road to Hana camping road trip CONS: Below average bathrooms - stalls don't have trash cans (so women left their used feminine products on top of the toilet paper holder 🤢), there's no curtain or door for the changing area - quite a rundown beach bathroom for such a popular state park and campsite

Book in advance on website. Check in after 3pm and check out before 10am. With the camping pass, you don't need a separate day pass appointment, which is awesome because you get to enjoy the beach and the trails longer and without the crowds. Recommend going to the hiking trail early in the morning. The campsite has two vending machines for pops. Outdoor cold water shower only, washroom not very clean.