Best Waianapanapa State Park cabins + INSIDE PICS of Maui Hawaii state park cabins in Hana ⛰ Hawaii travel blog

ALOHA!

So you want to go to Waianapanapa State Park!

And you want to spend more time in Waianapanapa State Park, in Hana, along the Road to Hana, or in East Maui in general!

You can make it an overnight stay in Hana at Waianapanapa State Park!

There are cabins in Waianapanapa State Park!

Staying at a Waianapanapa cabin can be a GREAT way to spend some extra time not only in Waianapanapa State Park, but also on the Road to Hana!

There is a 2 night minimum stay at a Waianapanapa State Park cabin. (At the time of my booking, I think the exception to this was if you find a 1 night availability on the calendar, without an additional night on either side available.)

And having 2 nights in East Maui will allow you to slow down on the Road to Hana and get a greater appreciation for East Maui! (Instead of having a jam-packed 7am to 7pm 12-hour Road to Hana day!)

Waianapanapa State Park cabins are located pretty near the ocean.

There are some cabins that will give you access to the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail South with a one minute walk, or less! Some other cabins might be a few minutes. More below on which are the best cabins if you want to be near this trail with ocean views, along with a cabin map!

The Hawaii state park cabins in Waianapanapa State Park are pretty comfortable, but it does also require you to come prepared and bring your own sleeping gear. (This can be similar to packing for camping, so you can read about what to pack for camping in Hawaii for ideas.)

Overall, while there are many amenities for a comfortable stay, you can think of it as a simple place to sleep!

There is a campground for tent camping at Waianapanapa State Park, although as of early 2022, this is still closed. Check for current updates.

While the campground is closed, the Waianapanapa State Park cabins are open and able to be booked.

You can also get a campervan permit at Waianapanapa State Park. (You need to rent a car that has been designed for sleeping to get this permit.)

About the Waianapanapa State Park cabins

I stayed at a Waianapanapa State Park cabin in February 2020.

As you know, travel has changed since then.

But this can start to give you an idea of what the Waianapanapa State Park cabins can be like!

I stayed in Waianapanapa cabin #6.

1. You will be near access to Waianapanapa Coastal Trail.

The Waianapanapa Coastal Trail is the main trail through Waianapanapa State Park.

It is in fact a trail that runs almost entirely along the coast.

This means ocean views pretty much the entire way!

👆 Hiking the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail South.

And, by staying at a Waianapanapa State Park cabin, you will not be too far away from this trail access!

This means easy access to a hike with ocean views, whether you want that to be a morning hike, mid-day hike, or sunset hike!

If you are making it a sunset hike, then be sure to bring along a flashlight or headlamp just in case you end up out later than you expect! You don’t want to be caught in the dark along the rugged coastline!

👇 Trail from Waianapanapa cabin 6 to Waianapanapa Coastal Trail.

2. There are beds and mattresses inside the cabins.

The beds are set up bunk bed style.

All you get is a mattress.

So you’ll need to bring sleeping supplies on your own.

What you see is what you get!

As part of packing for camping on Maui, I had a lot of layers of clothing and a turkish towel.

I bought a pillow from Walmart when I arrived in Hawaii. It cost like $10.

🌴

3. There was a folding table inside the cabins along with folding chairs.

4. There is electricity inside the Waianapanapa cabins.

There are also several outlets to charge your electronics.

5. There is a bathroom inside Waianapanapa cabins.

The Waianapanapa State Park cabins also have showers… with hot water!

6. There is a mini-kitchen inside the cabins.

There is a fridge, microwave, and electric stove inside the Waianapanapa State Park cabins.

There’s a sink with running water as well.

There is minimal housekeeping. (aka don’t expect hotel-style service!)

You are asked to clean up after yourself!

7. The cabin has a porch so you can sit outside and look towards the ocean… and listen to the ocean waves!

👆 Do you see that it’s a cabin with an ocean view?! Okay so there may be a slight obstruction, but…! 😜

Best cabins in Waianapanapa State Park

I would think the best cabins in Waianapanapa State Park are the cabins that are closest to the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail. (aka the cabins that require the shortest walk to see the ocean!)

This means that the best cabins in Waianapanapa State Park are cabin number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. These are the cabins that have closest access to Waianapanapa Coastal Trail South, and there is likely a short trail access directly behind (in front of? oceanside of!) your cabin.

I stayed in cabin 6, and it was less than a minute from my cabin. (I actually think it was less than 30 seconds!)

Waianapanapa State Park cabin map

Here is the visual of the how the Waianapanapa cabins are arranged.

👆 Map of Waianapanapa State Park cabins. The “vacation cabins” are the Waianapanapa State Park cabins, and they are numbered, 1 through 12. The dotted line represents the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail. You can see that cabins 1 through 6 have the closest access to this trail. On this map, the south is to the right, and the north is to the left. The Waianapanapa State Park cabins are on the south side of the park. The main area of the park is to the north. You can see Pailoa Bay on the map, and this is where you will find the black sand beach. You can hike the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail North to get to Keawaiki Bay, also shown on the map.

How to make cabin reservations for Waianapanapa State Park

You will make your camping reservation for Waianapanapa State Park cabins through the Hawaii state park camping reservation website.

As of early 2022, Waianapanapa State Park cabins are open and cabin bookings open up 30 days in advance.

Waianapanapa State Park cabins DO book up, so the sooner you book, the better!

Chances are if you look at availability right now, the next few weeks will be booked up, but those last days of the 4 weeks out might still be available. (You can look at the cabin availability now to get an idea.)

You don’t need an additional reservation for Waianapanapa State Park if you are staying in a cabin.

Reservations are required for a day visit to Waianapanapa State Park.

Your cabin booking will count as your Waianapanapa State Park reservation.

You don’t need an additional reservation.

So if you are staying at a Waianapanapa State Park cabin, you can come and go as you please, and you don’t need to worry (as much) about planning your time at Waianapanapa State Park!

According to Hawaii state parks:

Your cabin reservation includes parking for your vehicle and entry for all members listed on the cabin reservation for the duration of your stay.

Therefore, separate parking and entry reservations are not needed.

Confirm the details.

Cost of cabins in Waianapanapa State Park

As of early 2022, the cost for Waianapanapa State Park cabins is $100 a night for non-residents. It’s $70 a night for Hawaii residents.

Can you get to the Waianapanapa cabins by public transportation?

There is no public transportation to the Waianapanapa cabins.

While there is a public bus on Maui, it does not go to Hana.

This means that in order to do your Waianapanapa State Park cabin trip, you need to rent a car on Maui.

You will find lots to do outside of Waianapanapa State Park!

When you have done everything you want to do IN Waianapanapa State Park, you can find plenty to do outside of it!

For more ways to spend your time when you are staying at a Waianapanapa State Park cabin, you can look to things to do in East Maui on the Road to Hana!

• Things to do in Hana
• East Maui hikes
• East Maui waterfalls
• East Maui beaches
• Things to do in Kipahulu district of Haleakala National Park
• Things to do on the back road to Hana
• The big list of things to do on the Road to Hana

The extra days will also give you a chance to walk the back Road to Hana if you don’t want to drive it! (Save your Haleakala National Park pass, park at the national park parking lot, and then start your walk to the back road to Hana! Use caution! You will be walking the same road the cars are driving.)

And that’s a bit about staying at a cabin in Waianapanapa State Park!

If you are interested in Waianapanapa State Park, then you may also be interested in these Maui activities:

• Kaihalulu Beach
• Road to Hana beaches
• The Pools at Oheo
• Road to Hana waterfalls
• Pipiwai Trail
• Driving to the Haleakala volcano summit
• Haleakala National Park crater hike
• Iao Valley State Park
• How to spend one day in the West Maui mountains

HAPPY STAYING AT A WAIANAPANAPA STATE PARK CABIN!

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👇 Explore the Road to Hana map on google maps!


See the list:

• Road to Hana stops (for views!)
• Things to do on Maui (for views!)
• Things to do in Haleakala National Park
• Things to do on Lanai

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ALOHA!