Kīpahulu Campground

Kīpahulu Campground is a basic drive-up and walk-in campground in Haleakalā National Park’s Kīpahulu coastal district, about an eighth of a mile south of the visitor center. Its grassy sites look over ocean cliffs, with sunrise over the Alenuihāhā Channel. It’s a good choice if you want a quiet night near ʻOheʻo Gulch and Pipiwai Trail. This is not a beach campground: there’s no beach access, and entering streams is prohibited throughout the park.

Just past the Kīpahulu District Entrance Station, turn right and follow the road 0.3 mile to the campground loop. Reservations are required. This is a remote stop, and the nearest named general stores are in Hāna, about 10 miles away, so bring food and water; there’s no campground store or food service.

The district’s archaeological record dates settlement to A.D. 1161–1384, and coastal surveys have documented at least 300 features. Residents tended rain-fed gardens of kalo and ʻuala and fished from the shore. Historic rock walls around the campground reflect several eras, from pre-Contact communities through the Māhele, plantation and ranching years, and the park era. Walls served as terraces, enclosures, and boundaries; leave them untouched.