Holua Primitive Wilderness Campsite — Haleakalā National Park

Unreal! It’s like your on the moon. O! Watch for a NeNe, this bird is very rare and lives on at the top of this mountain . Beware the road it going up is all twists and turns. Be careful if you get carsick or are severely hungover 🤢

We hiked through here on a day hike through the crater, and stopped here to rest and chat with some campers. The campground has one cabin available to reserve online (but reservations fill up fast) and then a grassy area to camp with a tent in. The guys we talked to said it was constantly raining the night before, so they camped in a small lava cave near the campground. It was a beautiful area of the crater to be in - truly 'in the clouds' - but it was misting the whole time we were there and I'm not sure I'd want to spend a night there if it was in a tent. The cabin seemed well maintained. There's an outhouse/toilet there, as well as water that must be treated/filtered. It was about 6-7 miles in, starting from the Sliding Sands Trail, or about 4 miles from Halemau'u Trailhead.

Holua is one of two dispersed backcountry camping sites within the crater district of Haleakala National Park. A backcountry camping permit must be obtained from the visitor center to stay at Holua. Depending on where you start, it is a 4-6 mile hike into the site. Dispersed campsites are a 3 minute hike up the trail to the left as you arrive to the Holua cabin and located throughout the flat land next to the horse stables. The scenery here is absolutely stunning! Abutted next to the west-facing side of the crater wall, the magnificent color contrasts in the crater are on display at this campsite. We were lucky to be the only ones camping here. It was amazing to experience the ruggedness and purity of this beautiful part of Maui, untouched by society.

Things to note: as with all of the backcountry campsites and cabins of Haleakala, a water filter is necessary to filter the non-potable water. Bring layers and warm rated sleeping bags as it will easily get down to sub 40’s at night. And of course sun protection during the day.

A beautiful, colorful hike above the clouds leads to an open camping area. It is about 4 miles of hiking, and just past a cabin that is sometimes available for use. Fortunately, I had brought layers. It was August and I don't know what the temperature was, but I know I could see my breath when I exhaled! I was solo, there were a total of 4 other people camping - a family of 2 that appeared to be there for some period of time (although the limit is 3 nights) and another group of 2. Our sites were so far apart though that we didn't really interact at all.

Permit info, copied from the park service website: Camping permits can be obtained at the Headquarters Visitor Center between 8:00am and 3:00pm up to one day in advance. Permits are free and require photo identification and a 10-minute orientation.

Dispersed camping means you find your own site within a certain allowed reason. This usually means you need to pick up a permit, you backpack in, the facilities are limited. The hike to the crater is 3.8 miles at the shortest, sot this is a backpacking trip. This means there are fewer people and you get a beautiful, isolated experience. Camping on lava flows is like nothing else. Gets chilly all times of the year due to the elevation. If you're in a large group these are great options, but I didn't see anyone else anywhere out here. My phone didn't work (which is how I like it!), but it was a few years ago. A true Hawaiian backcountry experience without too much effort.

Had an amazing time hiking into the crater! When we got to the camp sites we were the only people camping. The camp sites offer tons of privacy and it really feels like your group is the only people in the crater. The views are magnificent and the temperatures are perfect for a good night of snuggles under the stars. Another plus is you don't need to worry about very many poisonous or dangerous animals just some friendly nene (people must feed them despite the signs saying not to). There is also a water source and an outhouse neer the campsites. The water does need to be filtered though. Best part about it is if you are exploring Maui you are guaranteed to escape the huge crowds of tourists ruining the peaceful views with selfie sticks and kids screaming .