Malaekaha State Recreation Campgrounds

My friends and I were asked to speak at a Jaycee Retreat. We admired the commitment of the president, Board of Directors, and members for giving up the comforts of home and sleep in tents on the hard ground! We talked about the last time we went camping ourselves — probably when we were little kids! Maybe we like our televisions, refrigerators, and computers too much?!
This campsite is located in Laie, past the Polynesian Cultural Center, as you drive from town. It took about an hour to drive there from Kaneohe. If you’re coming from Honolulu, it’ll probably be an hour and a half drive. The GPS took me past this State-​run campgrounds, to the private campgrounds right next to it. To find this one, just look for the brown sign with the yellow wording as shown in my photo.
Enter the open gate and go down the potholed driveway. Drive slowly because the potholes are deep and there are a lot of them! Campsite A is first and Campsite B is at the end. The parking is free, but the stalls are not marked. The picnic tables are numbered clearly.
I didn’t use any of the facilities, but I heard the gals ask for bathroom tissue before they visited the restroom. We had our own charcoal and grill. Brink your own tent, tables and chairs, sleeping bags, and food! Enjoy the natural environment!

I never would have thought I would say I enjoy camping but somewhere along the way I began to enjoy the whole experience and I think Malaekahana is part of the reason. You can reserve a space online for about $ 10 a site which comes with a picnic table and trash cans. There are also a few sinks spread out amongst the site and a bathroom with showers at each end. We usually reserve two sites just to give ourselves extra personal space. There is also tons of beach access from each campsite! Someone comes around each morning (maybe every other, I could be wrong) to pick up the trash so were able to keep the site clean and avoid bugs. This is the perfect camp site for groups or families. Most recently we were there and there was actually a whole Boy Scout group there so definitely children friendly. We usually have awesome weather, only ran into rain once but def come prepared for weather changes! As a side note, I will say that if you prefer lots of privacy, bring a curtain for the bathrooms. Only one stall has a door and the showers are open. But come on, you’re camping — it’s meant to be a bit rugged! Malaekahana is truly a perfect campground for North Shore Hawaii and allows you to experience ‘country’ life.
**at night go the beach and look the stars — amazing view!**

It’s a very relaxing place compare to other camp site, meanly coz it’s more secluded! If you are close to the restroom then it’s even a plus! Only thing this place always rain so come prepared, the bathroom is somewhat clean, & the beach is mostly mote for the surfers & fishermen! Too strong the current, I gave it a 3 star coz of the cats, there’s more now that’s rooming around! But still not a bad place to have a relaxing weekend away from home!