Kīpahulu Campground sits inside Haleakalā National Park’s Kīpahulu District, right where the Road to Hana finally opens up onto ocean cliffs. It’s one of only two campgrounds in the park where vehicles can access individual sites, alongside Hosmer Grove up at the summit. Camping trailers and pop-up campers need a campsite reservation and are only allowed in the matching parking space for that site.
The campground sits in a flat, grassy field overlooking the ocean cliffs, a short walk from ʻOheʻo Gulch. The trail to Kūloa Point leads from the Kīpahulu Visitor Center to the mouth of ʻOheʻo Gulch, where you can safely view the Pools of ʻOheʻo. There’s no beach access at the campground, and the pools themselves aren’t accessible for swimming. Entry into the stream is prohibited anywhere in the park, and swimming in ʻOheʻo Gulch generally isn’t recommended because of flash floods and rock slides, so plan your water time elsewhere on the island.
Kīpahulu has 21 numbered campsites: 15 drive-in sites (1–15), 5 walk-in sites (16–20), and 1 group drive-in site (21). It matters which one you book.
Main Campground (Sites 1–15): Located in the main loop and accessible by vehicle. Each site allows a maximum of 2 vehicles, 6 people, and 2 tents. Hammocks aren’t allowed. Each site has one picnic table and a charcoal grill. Bring your own charcoal; wood collecting isn’t permitted, and groundfires are prohibited. This is where campervans and cars park.
Walk-in Sites (Sites 16–20): These sit along the coastline and aren’t accessible by vehicle. Sites 16 and 17 are about 100 feet from the parking area, while sites 18 through 20 are roughly 300 feet away. Each reservation allows 1 vehicle, which must be parked separately in the designated parking area, plus up to 6 people and 2 tents. Hammocks are allowed but limited to the footprint of the campsite. No charcoal grills are provided at these sites; propane stoves only. Groundfires are prohibited here too.
Group Site (Site 21): Located in the main campground loop and accessible by vehicle. It allows a maximum of 6 vehicles, a minimum of 7 people, a maximum of 24 people, and 6 tents. Hammocks aren’t allowed. The site has two picnic tables and two charcoal grills. Groundfires are prohibited.
Camping costs $20 per night per site (Standard Nonelectric rate). That’s separate from the park entrance fee: $30 per vehicle, valid for 3 days. A valid National Park pass can be shown at the entrance in place of the standard vehicle entrance fee. Displayed camping rates don’t include taxes or incremental charges.
Kīpahulu requires a reservation through recreation.gov before you go. It’s no longer first-come, first-served.
Stay limits:
- Maximum consecutive stay: 3 nights per visit.
- Maximum stay: 3 nights total per campsite within any 30-day period.
Booking window: Individual sites operate on a 30-day rolling basis. As of this guide’s publication, dates were bookable through mid-September, with new availability releasing daily in the early morning, Hawaii Standard Time, as the rolling window advances. Because the window rolls daily, don’t expect to lock in a date more than a month out. Check recreation.gov close to your actual travel dates rather than months in advance.
Changing your reservation: No fee to add or remove nights, or to switch to a different campsite; your balance adjusts to the new stay’s nightly rate. If your new dates are completely different from your original dates, that’s a $10 change fee per reserved site. Any modifications made through recreation.gov may include additional charges beyond that fee, so check the total before confirming.
Canceling: Cancel any time before your scheduled arrival date for a refund, minus a $10 cancellation fee, any reservation fees paid at booking, and any previous change fees. A cancellation counts as “late” starting at midnight one calendar day before your scheduled check-in (for individual sites; group sites and cabins use a 14-day cutoff instead). Late cancellations also forfeit your first night’s fee on top of the other fees. Once your check-in day arrives, you can’t cancel or change your reservation through the online system, and on-site staff may not be able to help either. No-show fees and additional charges may apply if you don’t cancel and don’t check in with entrance station staff.
Arriving late: If you’re checking in after hours, follow the instructions posted on the white sign at the entrance station.
Leaving before the entrance station opens: Drop your vehicle tag in the check-out drop box at the campground. Staff will complete your check-out once they retrieve it.
Keep a printed copy of your reservation confirmation email with you. It’s required at check-in.
Quiet hours run 10 PM to 8 AM. Check-in is after 2 PM. Check-out is 11 AM. Camping is capped at 3 nights in any 30-day period park-wide, not just at this campground, so nights already spent at Hosmer Grove count against your Kīpahulu limit too.
Pets are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet, but only on roads and within the designated campground boundary, not out on the hiking trails.
No water, no showers, and no electrical outlets at the campsites. Two comfort stations serve the main campground, with 2 vault toilets each (4 total), and neither has running water. Potable water is only available near the Visitor Center, at a separate comfort station with a water station and flush toilets, though there are no water spigots there for foot washing.
Historic rock walls and archaeological sites surround the campground, remnants of the area’s ahupuaʻa (traditional land division) history. Don’t touch, dry clothes on, or climb on the walls, and stay off the tall grass around them so the sites can rest undisturbed. Local fishers use the coastline here too, so be mindful of their gear if you’re out walking near the water.
Accessibility
The Kīpahulu Visitor Center has accessible restrooms and water fountains. Campsites sit on a flat grassy field that can be muddy and rocky in places; they aren’t paved, but vehicles can access each individual site in the main loop without trouble. The 5 coastal sites aren’t reachable by vehicle, though parking for them is available back at the main campground loop.
What to Do Nearby
The campground is a short walk from ʻOheʻo Gulch. The trail to Kūloa Point runs from the Visitor Center toward the mouth of ʻOheʻo Gulch, with ocean views and archaeological sites along the way. The Pīpīwai Trail is a separate hike that crosses the road and runs through a dense bamboo forest on a boardwalk, with views of Makahiku and Waimoku Falls. It’s a 4-mile round trip (2 miles each way), roughly 2.5 hours if you’re taking your time. Pack plenty of water and be ready for rain at any point. Stay on the trail; off-trail travel is dangerous and illegal.
The Kīpahulu Visitor Center, about an eighth of a mile from the campground, is open daily with historical displays and a small gift store. Junior Ranger programs are available for kids; ask a ranger at the Visitor Center.
For supplies, Hāna town is about 10 miles back the way you came, with two general stores and food trucks if you’d rather not cook. Come prepared for rain, harsh sun, and mosquitoes.
Location
Kīpahulu is 64 miles from Kahului along the historic Road to Hana. The route past Hāna town is long, narrow, and winding, so plan for changing weather and a slow drive. Plan your day early if you want to arrive and set up before evening, and be ready for rain at any point on the drive. There are few places to eat along the way, so pack a lunch, snacks, and water.
Maui Campervans
Kīpahulu is one of only two campgrounds in Haleakalā National Park where you can drive right up to your site, which makes it a real option for a Road to Hana campervan trip. Book a Main Campground site (1–15) since those are the vehicle-accessible ones, with room for up to 2 vehicles per site. If your rental is a trailer or pop-up rather than a standard van, note that it needs its own reservation and has to stay in the matching parking spot for your site.
If you’re renting a campervan for your Maui trip, book with us and grab 10% discount code from this page lemondropcampers.com/outdoorsy-discount and enter it at checkout.
Mahalo!
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