Malaekahana State Recreation Area

Very beautiful and clean campground. We stayed there two nights. Gate close at 6:45pm so come early. Bathroom and shower clean and always with toilet paper. Shower is cold but refreshing!

Really like this campsite. Gate closes at 6:45pm beware or you will get locked out. A4 was our campsite and it was the best.

One of my favorite hidden gems. The beach is seldom busy and beautiful. You can actually walk to the bird sanctuary island across the bay. Quite a lot of parking, bathrooms are nice and clean very comparable to others up and down the east side. Great spot for a family camp or day picnic. I’ve brought visiting friends here and they love the quiet and wonderful beach.

Nice space, lots of camping spaces and nicely spaces. Camping is very close to the water. They do close the gate at night

So amazing. My wife planned this trip for us because we missed to 25 anniversary during Covid. It was worth the wait.

The view from the point was beautiful. Lots of shade on the beach and not as popular as other beaches, so it was less crowded.

Absolutely beautiful! Great place to take the family camping. Great campsites. State park guys come around each morning to empty the trash bins at each campsite. Nice calm water for the kids to swim and play in. Make sure to bring water shoes because there is a lot of reef. If you like "roughing it" camping, this is the place to do it. Hands down, my new favorite spot to camp!!!

Mālaekahana State Recreation Area is an excellent location with good facilities and great beaches. We spent 3 days there recently with a couple of young children. All beaches are fine, white sand. As to surf, the beaches range from the tame and sandy up to the breakers (La'ie Bay on the South side of Area B of the campground) to the rock and coral reef under water at the shore in front of Goat Island (just across from the North side of Area A of the campground). To the North of Goat Island there is a bay with a somewhat pebbly floor and a stone structure the children liked to call a "submerged castle".

When the children were not playing in the surf or exploring the rocky parts of the shore, they were "hunting" feral chickens roaming around the campground. Other reviewers point out that you can "walk" to Goat Island at low tide: that's correct, but plan on walking in water at times that is waist-to-chest-deep. Particularly with the cross-current, after the first third, this is a walk limited to adults with bathing suits and good reef shoes.

The two camping areas A & B are quite isolated, not overcrowded and well-maintained. In July 2022 people were friendly and quiet, and we had no problem at all with theft (as mentioned in another review). Although you feel like you are out in the wild, on the road used to get there (Route 83), there is a large shopping center in La'ie about one mile South of the Park entrance. Between the Foodland grocery and the Ace Hardware located there, we could find just about anything we might have forgotten or needed during a stay.

Bathrooms were fine for a campground. The toilets for Area A had doors on the stalls, but those in Area B did not. All toilets had paper. The indoor showers were OK, although their floors become very sandy from use as evening approached. Park staff clean the bathrooms daily around 7:00 am. A number of water stations, each with 4 sinks and faucets are located throughout both camping areas A and B.

Other reviewers have noted that park staff did not check their permits. That was true for us. However, park staff was present on and off during the day and could have checked permits at any time. Given the very reasonable price ($20/day) of a camping permit for up to 10 people, I see no reason for anyone to try to stay without paying. Everyone seemed to leave their site clean and on time.

We came back to Honolulu very relaxed and with the feeling we'd been far off the grid. We also met some new friends. The kids loved exploring this patch of wild Oahu.

Enjoyed this beach very much. Lots of space to spread out. Looks like a popular camp spot. Bathrooms were solid. For the busy weekend seemed low key and not too crowded. Reccomend for a nice place to spend some time.

Nice park. Gate closes at 6:45pm

So many docile petting horses by the road! My 7 and 5yo had the best surprise of the trip with this free and spontaneous activity. We saw the horses and the massive number of horses so we stopped to check it out. The boys manage to feed them with some of the local grass. Lovely!!

Beautiful state park. Great atmosphere. Breath taking landscaping. More room to play with the family. You have to see it to believe it.

Excellent camp grounds. Plenty of wash stations and bathrooms throughout the camp sites. It is also right off the beach with fields for activities. We come here once a year and love it every time. It is also a great experience to kayak, swim, snorkel, or paddle board out to the island.

Beautiful place to camp in their campground, great day use areas and wonderful beach to swim, clean bathrooms, indoor outdoor showers, a beautiful hidden gem for locals and tourists ☺

Beautiful, quiet beaches. Bathroom facilities. Only 4 other people there besides us.

A very nice recreation area along the Kamehameha Highway 83 on the North East side of the island. The park has plenty of parking and has modern bathroom facilities, you can also camp but only in designated areas with a permit. The beach is nice to walk along or also for swimming but be careful between the shore and Goat Island because of the cross currents.

Five stars.... yes... what can I say bad about the place????

Love this spot. Bathrooms are clean. Area is clean. Right next to the beach. Beautiful.

Love this park! If just going for the day be sure to leave before 6:30 pm because they lock the front gate. Definitely reccomend it for a camping getaway. We got to see a lovely moonrise.

Amazing beaches, very lovely mongeese and a beautiful birds. Waves are very strong so definitely do not swim!!

Amazing beach access! Excellent facilities and picnic area.