Sand Island State Recreation Area -- Believe it or not, there is a campground in Honolulu. It's just south of Honolulu Harbor at a waterfront park. Don't be put off by the heavy industrial area you have to drive through to reach this 102-acre park with grassy lawns, ironwood trees, and sandy beaches. Campers have great views, better than those of some of the guests in the $400-a-night rooms in Waikiki, of the entire Honolulu coastline all the way to Waikiki. In addition to the scenery, the most popular activity here is shoreline fishing, especially along the western shore of Sand Island. Swimming is an option, but watch out for the rocks along the shoreline bottom; the water quality is occasionally questionable too. The park is also a good base camp for visiting Honolulu attractions; it's just 15 minutes from Waikiki or Pearl Harbor.

Only tent camping is allowed in this park, and only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. You'll find picnic tables (some under small covered shelters), restrooms with cold showers only, and potable water. You'll need a permit; the fee is $5 per campsite per night. Applications are accepted no earlier than 30 days in advance. Write to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, State Parks Division, P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809 (tel. 808/587-0300; www.state.hi.us/dlnr). Permits are given for a maximum of 5 days in every 30-day period (and because you can only stay on weekends, 5 consecutive days aren't possible). The gates close at 6:45pm in the fall and winter (from the weekend after Labor Day until Mar 31) and 7:45pm in the spring and summer (Apr 1 until the Fri after Labor Day). The gates do not open until 7am the next morning; cars cannot enter or leave during that period. TheBus 19 stops at Nimitz Highway and Puuhale Road; it's just over a mile to walk to the park entrance.

To get here from the Honolulu International Airport, take Nimitz Highway toward Honolulu and Waikiki. Turn right at the Sand Island Access Road (Hwy. 64) and follow it to the end of the road and the park entrance.