State Park / State Forest · Hawaii campground guide
The numbers
Fee range
$18–$25/night
Season open
Year-round
RV size limit
Tent-only
Reservation window
30 days ahead via HI State Parks portal
The insider read
End of the road on Kauai's west side. 17-mile beach below the Nā Pali cliffs. Access road is 5 miles of unpaved cane-haul — high-clearance 4WD recommended. Rental car contracts forbid this road, technically.
Original analysis from PickRV — synthesised from public sources you can verify, pulling the operational details competitor guides typically skip.
Verify at dlnr.hawaii.govOn site
Book it right
PickRV doesn't handle campground bookings — reserve direct through the official channel so policies and cancellations flow through one record.
Opens camping.ehawaii.gov
Every fact above is sourced from the managing agency's canonical page. Cross-check fee, season, and size limit before you depend on them.
Match the campground's size limit and hookup level to a vehicle category, then plan the rest of the trip.
Keep exploring
Near Hāna
StateInsider tip · Famous black-sand beach at the trailhead. Day-entry permit now required for all non-Hawaii-residents (Mar 2021) — camping reservation covers both. Cabins ($110+) book 6 months ahead despite the official 30-day window.
Near Waimea
PrivateInsider tip · Calmest swim beach on the Kohala coast — protected reef means kid-friendly water. Limited to 5 nights. Best-value Big Island camp; bring shade — limited trees.
Near Hā'ena
StateInsider tip · 11-mile hike (one-way) along the Nā Pali cliffs to Kalalau Beach. Permits regulate the volume; flash-flood deaths regular at stream crossings — turn back if flowing brown. Hanakāpīʻai is the day-hike turnaround if you don't have a permit.
Near Volcano (trailhead)
NPSInsider tip · 13,679 ft volcano summit cabin + tent area. Multi-day trek; altitude sickness real — acclimate at the 10,000-ft Red Hill cabin first night. Check NPS for active flow / closures before planning.
Your next step
Polihale State Park Campground (Kauai) is tent-only, so the rig question here is what you sleep in on the nights either side of it — most Hawaii loops that include this stop are driven in a rented motorhome.
Nothing in Hawaii is bookable today. Dated requests are what we take to owners, so give us the window you actually want — you get one email the day a rig covers it, and nothing else.
Nearby & related
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of Hawaii trip planning.
Before you go
Hawaii rules
Verified 2026-05-10
