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 Camping
– an Exciting Adventure for Young and Old
Imagine it’s early in the evening and you and a small group
of friends are trying to make a campfire. You collect dry
woods, put everything on a pile and then hope that the wind
isn’t too strong to blow it out immediately. You are successful
and now gather around the fire. Everyone packs out their
food and soon, the typical smell of barbecue hangs in the
air.
For dessert, you all brought marshmallows, crackers and
chocolate. You hear the surf break on the cliffs, the wind
in the trees, birds sing, taste the salt in the breezy air
and see the sun setting over the ocean. It’s a perfect day
out in nature, at a campground on the northeastern coast
of Oahu.
After the barbecue, you can go for a night swim, walk around,
or play card games on the beach. At night, millions of stars
appear in the sky. It’s very different than the sky in town
with all the city lights shining brightly.
There are more than a dozen beach parks on Oahu that allow
camping. One of the best campgrounds on the windward coast
is the Malaekahana State Recreation Area (Kahuku Section),
between
Kahuku and
Laie, about 55 yards (50m) off Kamehameha Highway, directly
on the beach. There are three campgrounds at
Malaekahana Bay. This one is the northernmost of the
three.
 The
37-acre campground is surrounded by pine trees and has picnic
tables, restrooms, security, warm showers and a comfort
zone, a little hut where people can go in case it is raining.
Every campsite also has a fireplace.
The campground has 40 campsites, 5 furnished camping yurts
with electricity that sleep from two to six people, 6
rustic beach houses that are fully furnished and feature
refrigerators and stoves and that can accommodates from
four to twenty people, and 10 small grass shacks that
are equipped with a bench where one can put one's own
mattress (these sleep two adults comfortably).
Malaekahana campground is a great spot to have some peace
and quiet and a break from the noisy, fast-paced city life
of Honolulu. What is nice about this campground is that
one can’t hear the traffic noise from the highway.
The campground is easy to reach by bus number 55, which
stops right in front of the entrance of the beach park.
If you don’t want to bring food, groceries are available
in Kahuku and Laie. It’s about a mile to Kahuku and two
miles to Laie. You can take the bus there or just walk along
the highway and enjoy the view of the Koolau mountain range.
 Malaekahana
Bay is a great spot to go swimming and bodysurfing. The
waves aren’t as big as on the North Shore, but it can still
be a lot of fun. The beach is never crowded and wide enough
to play ball games. If you enjoy going for a walk, go toward
the north and you will most likely be completely alone on
the beach there.
Another fun thing to do there is to visit
Mokuauia Island (Goat Island). There are no goats on
this tiny island, only nesting seabirds. This seabird sanctuary
is situated at the southern end of Malaekahana Bay. During
low tide, it is possible to walk there. But if you don’t
have shoes to wear in the water, it’s better to swim, because
there is reef and this can be quite sharp. Also, the current
can become strong when the tide changes or the surf is high.
Most people, who paddle out there, have their bodyboards,
surfboards, or small boats with them.
 There
are three beaches on Mokuauia Island; however, the best
one for swimming and the easiest to access is located toward
the left. It is already visible when paddling out there.
This beach is protected from the surf by cliffs and one
can just float in the calm water and enjoy the awesome view
of Oahu, the mountains and the beaches.
Whether you go camping with a group of people or just one
other person or alone, it can be a great and fun adventure
in Hawaii because the weather is perfect to do things in
the outdoors year-round.
Most campgrounds on Oahu require permits, which have to
be obtained at the State Park Office in advance. But Malaekahana
State Recreation Area (Kahuku Section) is a walk-in campground,
which means that you can plan your stay spontaneously because
you can get the camping permit upon arrival.
 However,
during peak seasons in July and December and around holidays,
it’s better to make a reservation. Currently, the fee for
a tent campsite is $8.34 per person per night. Call 293-1736
for more information.
Malaekahana Campground Facilities:
- 40 primitive campsites with picnic tables
- 5 furnished camping yurts with electricity (sleep
from 2 to 6 people)
- 6 rustic, fully-furnished beach houses (sleep from
4 to 20 people)
- Fire pits
- BBQ facilities
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Hot outdoor showers
- Comfort zone
- 24-hour on-site security
Location:
56-335 Kamehameha Highway
Laie, HI 96762
Phone: (808)293-1736
Driving Directions:
Malaekahana Campground is situated in Laie on Oahu’s
northeastern coast. It’s a 35-mile drive from Waikiki. From
Waikiki, take the H1 freeway west until you reach the Likelike
Highway (63). Exit H1 onto the Likelike Highway (toward
the mountains) and stay on it until you pass through the
tunnel and emerge on the windward side of the island. Exit
Likelike and drive onto Kahekili Highway (83) north. After
you pass the Polynesian Cultural Center and the town of
Laie, it’s about two more minutes. Look for the telephone
pole #33 or a white/blue sign that says “enter.” Follow
the driveway to the first building. This is the main office.
(Note: Kahekili Highway becomes Kamehameha Highway after
Kaneohe)
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