This black sand beach was a nice stop at the end of Road to Hana, but I'd say it's more of a park experience than an actual beach. First, please know that you have to make a reservation for the state park ahead of time; you need to get a ticket for a specific time window in order to gain entry. Once on the premises, there's a spacious park and picnic area near the parking lot, before you get to the stairs that lead down to the beach itself. The beach is visually stunning, with the black sand contrasted against the clear blue Pacific Ocean. But the space isn't that big, and with the tourist volume they get, don't count on a peaceful day of lounging on the beach itself. Plus the currents here are not very friendly for swimming, so mist folks didn't go in the water. There are some other interesting sights, like a tiny cave just off the shore, and a trail on the far end of the beach that offers some more views. But again, don't plan a full beach day here, it's more of a sightseeing stop than anything else. read more

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This is cool beach to stop at while on the Road to Hana. You have to make reservations ahead of time to get a pass. The kiddos loved playing in the water. The area is nice and a good place to chill! read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

The drive here through the road to hana is no t for the faint of heart. The road is VERY windy with cliffs on the sides and multiple 1 lane stretches for 2-way traffic. There is no phone coverage to get here or while you are here. Make sure that you have made your park reservations before getting here and take into account the drive! There are tours or transportation if you don't feel comfortable with the drive. There is onsite parking, restrooms, open showers, camping area, and small walking trails. The beach itself is nice and secluded. You will have to go through quite a bit of steps to get down there. The trail leads to an overlook of lava on the ocean. read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

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Really quite incredible. While I expected to enjoy the red sand beach at Kaihalulu more (which is also awesome) - We really loved the black sands at Honokalani / Wai'anapanapa State Park. Take the stairs down to the gorgeous black sand beach. There's a sea cave just to the right of the stairs. Don't miss this. You can see the waves coming in on the far side. Very cool. We visited on a big surf day which amplified the magical notes of the black rocks moving with the surf - never experienced anything like this. The trail on the far left of the beach leads up and over the lava field to some really interesting formations and water wedges and tunnels that were quite dramatic and impressive on the heavy ocean day. Wear water / reef shoes for the hike and the pebbles on the beach - the black sand is quite soft. Fun to watch all the activity here as well - fishermen on the rocks and Instagram models on the shore. The state park / outdoor shower was great before jumping back in the car. Parking and entry reservations are available 30-days in advance. The entrance can be easily missed - Slow down when you reach Mile Marker #32 along the famous Road to Hana. Make your timed reservation early - both the beach and the parking lot are smallish with limited space. Great visit! read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

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Beautiful black sand beach with gorgeous blue waters. There is a hiking trail around the water, we weren't sure how far the loop was so we only went halfway and turned around. We ate our lunch here and watched everyone in the water. The water is a bit rough so definitely know how to swim and bring water shoes. We explored the little cave which was cute! Bathrooms available but there's no soap so bring hand sanitizer! Definitely a good stop on your road to Hana adventure! read more

An absolute must-stop while doing the Road to Hana. We had done a Black Sand Beach while on the Big Island, but that one doesn't even compare to the magnificence of this one at Wai'anapanapa State Park. It is absolutely beautiful, the water is so blue and clear, and the weather while we were here was cold and cloudy but still didn't detract from the experience. It's such a peaceful stop. They have a little cave you can explore nearby as well as a trail leading to a blow-hole. If you've never seen a blow-hole, it's such an incredible natural phenomenon that you must see. The hike to the blow-hole is gorgeous and allows you to look out over the ocean, the black sand beach, and the surrounding nature. Both are definitely worth the visit. Definitely bring sandals to walk on the beach and the little rocks can be rough on your feet. You have to make reservations in advance - and if you're coming during a high-volume season, definitely make this reservation as soon as possible (I believe they can be made 30 days in advance). We were here during a low-volume and were lucky enough to get reservations the day before. You have to pick a timeslot to show up at, so it's important to plan your Road to Hana trip to coincide with your reserved time because they will not let you in early nor will they let you in late. It's $10 per car in addition to $5/person. They will not let you in without a reservation. This is a wonderful stop that should be included on everyone's Road to Hana trip. read more

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It's a beautiful beach that many road to Hana tours take you. It's worth it to check out. The water was clean and the black sand was cool. Do not take the black sand home as a souvenir so you don't bring back any bad luck! Also check out the lava tube located on the right side of the beach, you can crawl through the tiny hole. read more

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I love coming here,such great views to take in and capture. Make reservations ahead of time so you can plan your trip. read more

Black Sand Beach - Beach - Beaches Near Me

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This is the coolest beach on earth! The black sand is actual volcanic rock. Be sure not to take any of the sand or rocks home! We must protect this beautiful place. It's a national park so make sure you get there early and stay late! read more

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This is a super unique, intimate beach that I haven't experienced anywhere else before. Like everyone mentioned, make a reservation but have a plan whether you're going to swim, picnic, chill, explore, etc so you can bring the appropriate stuff. I was just stopping by on my road to Hana tour so I for some reason didn't pack a swim suit but dipped my feet in the water anyway (and got totally splashed). If you haven't checked out a black sand beach before, i'd say to put it on your list! The contrast of the black sand with the turquoise waters was such a great contrast! The water also wasn't horribly cold like it is in California. It is pretty small and gets really crowded so plan accordingly. There also isn't any shade so bring a hat. I didn't notice any umbrellas when I went so I'm sure if it's not allowed... read more

A stunning black beach. A wealth of gorgeous views. A glorious paradise where the stress flees. The beauty is so astounding, it feels like a movie. We came for a couple hours and enjoyed the large waves crashing, there's no lifeguard so proceed with caution. We also spotted a tiny opening which led to a small cave opening and to the beach. I'd recommend this beach to all! read more

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Paiola Bay at Waianapanapa State Park [Hana Highway Maui HI] Due to increased crowding and a mass of commercial tours the park now required reservation to be made online. This came to effect on March 1, 2021. We paid for the fee for entry and parking all online and we were given a QR code to present when we arrived. It wasn't like this prior to Covid and it was a good thing we checked prior to coming to Maui because we didn't want to miss this popular Paiola Bay aka the "Black Sand Beach." The beach area itself is small and even with establishing limits on the number of daily visitors daily it was still crowded. I can only imagine how it was prior to the pandemic. Our 2-hour time slot was from 10:00a to noon but the parking attendant said we could stay until 12:30p. We did not swim. The black sand beach is the biggest draw to Waiānapana State Park and I can understand this. We saw a variety of rounded, smoothed pebbles as well as the coarser (and in some areas) fine black sand. It is beautiful with the black pebble lava field that contrast the deep blue glistening water. Before heading down the steps to the beach we saw some warning signs posted-- "strong current" and "dangerous shorebreak." You could be swept away from shore, waves break in shallow waters and serious injuries may happen even in small surf. There is no lifeguard on duty. Guess what... no one cared... everyone, young and old, were out there in the water enjoying themselves. LoL! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Just don't take anything illegally or bad juju may happen to you. (See photo). Hawaiians have a belief and kinship with their land. People decide to take parts of their Hawaii home in the form of rocks, sand, even coral, and that is not OK. Respect. Review #2710 read more

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The beach is beautiful, but small. You do need a reservation before coming and if you wait until last minute its likely to be fully booked. We ended up being able to snag the 3-6pm time slot. Even with the reservation system the beach does get pretty crowded. There are some trails and walking areas to explore as well as some small caves. This is a must see stop on the Road to Hana! read more

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The Black Sand beach at Waiʻānapanapa State Park was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. One thing you need to know before going is you need to make a reservation. Once you check in then you will find the parking lot and plenty of spots to park. Once you take in all the landscape views then you can make your way down to the beach and enjoy more scenery but most importantly, the beach. The water is cool but you get used to it soon after. On the right side of the beach is a hidden cave that can only be reached when the tide is low. The beach does indeed have black sand which is a marvel to look at and out of respect for the park, there is a sign that states not to remove plants, rocks or sand. Our reservation was for two hours and the time went by quickly but it was an extraordinary experience. I definitely recommend going! read more

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Although it was a beautiful beach, the name was misleading since the edge was covered in black pebbles as opposed to sand. Reservations had to be made in advance for specific time slots and they sold out fast. We ended up paying $10 for parking and $5 admission per person for a 7-10AM slot. Parking was organized and spacious. The whole beach was serene and well kept as it never got overcrowded. The "sand" was quite crowded and tough on the feet so I recommend sandals. There was a small hill that could be traversed to reach another coastline but the overall experience was similar. In the main area, there was a small lava tube that led into an opening into the water. The waves were a bit more wild than other beaches but it felt clean and refreshing regardless. Wouldn't say that this was a must stop, but it a pleasant destination for a chiller day. Beautiful, peaceful but not extraordinary. read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

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Just Wow! Beautiful hidden beach located on the "Road to Hana". The lava rock "sand" makes for one of the most beautiful beaches you will ever see. The black sand does get very hot however... so bring your sandals. The sandals will be helpful if you decide to venture into the water too. It's a little rockier in there. Waves and currents are also a little strong, but not too bad (at least on the day I was there). When you are under water you can hear all the rocks and pebbles rolling around with the waves. It sounds a bit like crackling wood in a fire. It's really cool! read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

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Had to pay $10 for parking, $5 pax, and make a reservation online to come here. We got here 30 minutes or so before the end of our reservation time. We were forced to get the earliest time slot because nothing else was available so we made do with just 30 minutes. The beach is small anyway and people were mostly on the sand instead of the water. I enjoyed my breakfast on the black sand - my first time seeing that in person! And then I went to go find the secret cave. It was much harder to find than I thought, but some other tourists located it and showed me the way. It was roomier than I imagined inside the cave, and it was pretty cool but too many people in the cave at once. There are public bathrooms! read more

Very beautiful beach. Yes, you need to make reservations now- a lot of tours come through the area and bring cruise ship folks, or visitors to the island, so you probably won't have the beach to yourself. The overlook to the beach is gorgeous- and then if you want to walk down to the beach make sure you can walk back up. It's pretty steep down to the beach. You can even walk out along the rocks to the water at the edge of the point, and we saw one person dive off the rock tower in the bay! There are bathrooms here (bring your own tp just in case). read more

This was definitely interesting to see. The sand is truly black. You need a reservation in order to take advantage of this experience and the time slot was for 3 hours. On the one hand, it keeps the congestion down which is nice but on the other, if you're doing the Road to Hana and ending with the black sand beach, you can either be rushed or waiting for your reservation. It's not very big but it is beautiful. read more

Black Sand Beach - Black sand - Beaches Near Me

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Beautiful beach to check out when you're on the road to Hana. They have restrooms and rest areas to sit/eat. There are stairs to get to the beach, but might be strenuous to get up if you have leg/back problems. We didn't stay too long because my mom's back was hurting and the water was cold. Overall, I think this is a nice beach to check out. The lava tube is cool, but you just have to be careful with your head and the waves when the tide is higher. read more

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Go early for good pictures & make sure you have a reservation to get in. We booked the 7:30-10am slot on a Friday in March - We had the entire beach to ourselves shortly after sunrise. read more

Black Sand Beach - View on beach - Beaches Near Me

Unfortunately reservations are the only way to see it but the views were spectacular! Black sands and rocks, the water was so warm, and there were some nice trails leading you up to the rock cliffs. Zero cell service giving you a chance to enjoy the surrounding areas. read more

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One of a kind beach unlike anything I have ever seen. Parking is a bit crazy and they had one bathroom for a ton of people which caused a huge line, so go before you get there. There are also people camping on the upper area of the park before you go down to the beach. You do have to go down a good amount of stairs to get down to the beach, so be prepared. Once going down the stairs there is a cave to the right that is pretty cool to explore. Very small and gets crowded. Fun spot to take a couple photos and then dip out so others can enjoy. The rocks are like small black marbles. Super smooth in your hand and almost like you are on another planet. It is an amazing contrast with the super blue ocean and the very green planet. Lots of people swimming in the water and laying on the rocks. (Which looked very uncomfortable.) This is not soft sand. If you walk across the beach to the left, there is an area you can go up and hike. It takes you to another small beach and an overlook area that will show you a blowhole. There is also a ton of rocks there and you can see fish if you look close in the water down below. Don't take the rocks though, it is BAD LUCK! As you leave, there Is a beautiful cemetery that I took a little time to enjoy and pay my respects. What a place to be laid to rest. A magical place indeed and not to be missed on your adventure down Hana Highway. read more

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Located off the Road to Hana. It is worth the drive to get here. We drove almost four hours from our hotel in Kanaapali to get here, but so worth it! This is my second trip to Maui, and I know the road quite well. If you are on vacay and you have a line of cars behind you, pull over and let them through! We got stuck behind a car that stopped at every single yield sign even though there was no one coming from the opposite direction! That's quite frustrating, I know safety is key but it was totally unnecessary and it can piss off some of the locals who live along this road. If you want to to do that and have all the time in the world since you're on vacay, pull over and let people through who have to get to their destination. FYI, there are locals who've made videos informing tourists on driving this road. We finally got to Black Sand Beach before sunset. The beach is exquisite! I only took a dip but my daughter swam and she actually swam underwater without a mask. She said that the salt water wasn't as harsh as saltwater. I'll make sure to swim next time! If you have time during your trip, do try and visit this beautiful beach, how often can you walk along a black sand beach anyway? read more

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Black Sand Beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park is not for swimming. What makes this a beautiful stop on the Road to Hana is its glistening black rock, and the sight and sound of the strong currents that cause waves to rush far out onto the shore. The best way to enjoy Black Sand Beach is early in the morning when few people have yet to arrive to that section of Hana. Watch the waves from the beach and let your feet get wet in the cold water of each crashing wave. If you are physically able, duck down into the small cave to the right side of the beach. There you will find larger pieces of lava rock and an opening on the other end of the cave that will give you a more private viewing of the ocean's waves. Plenty of photos opportunities are available, starting at several lookout points by the parking area and by the staircase that will lead you down to the shore. read more

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Located at mile marker 32 in Wai'anapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana, this rare Black Sand Beach is a must stop. As the gates close at 6pm I recommend coming early as you'll probably need a good couple hours to enjoy and appreciate the area. This will also help avoid a lot of traffic. There are many things to do here other than the beach as you can hike up top a cliff for an amazing view, see blow holes, venture in a small cove and more. The tide can be pretty rough so it's best to not venture too far. Great to dip your feet and sun tan. One small warning, don't leave your food unattended as the Mongoose in the area won't be shy. They look super cute but don't let that cuteness fool you. Overall, I've been blessed to see 2 Black Sand Beaches this year (Maui and Iceland) and it hopefully won't be my last! read more

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The black sand beach is amazing. I was mesmerized. Just stood there taking tons of photos. It was like something I have never seen. I could have spent the majority of my day there. The beach, at least the closer one, can however get packed. There is a more exclusive black sand beach a short hike away, but you will have to make it down a steep cliff to get there. The current is also pretty strong there. There is a parking lot just a short distance from the closer black sand beach, but you have to be out of there by 6 PM or you may be locked in or towed. There is also another parking lot that is to the right as you enter the park. I do not think there are any time restrictions parking there and is still in reasonable walking distance to the black snd beach, just not as close as the one that leads to the left. I know it is tempting, but you cannot take any of the black sand or rocks with you. it is illegal. On your way to the secluded black sand beach there is a blow hole. It is an easy hike to get to. My only negative about the park is that the trash seems to be neglected. The trash cans are over flowing and attracting bugs. I highly recommend paying this place a visit. It is awesome. read more

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This place is sweet! It is in the national park so does get busy. The water is cooler but you can walk around the beach area to get some cool views. read more

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We enjoyed our little hike near the black sand beach off the road to Hana. It can be done in sandals, but shoes are definitely preferred. read more

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More like black pebble beach, but still cool. Only a small patch of the beach had the sand consistency; other than that, it was mostly just tiny pebbles which really hurt your feet. Closed toe/heel shoes such as swim shoes would be good here. The beach is small so you barely have 6 feet between you and another group. When I went a couple weeks ago, parking needed to be reserved ahead of time. It was fun to relax in the water there because the water is very clear. Waves are strong closer to the shore which might push you down into the bumpy pebbles/rocks which did not feel pleasant. There was also a patch of rock that wasn't covered with pebbles so I was just tossing around on what felt like concrete. I also did some snorkeling which was OK, but it is a bit further away from the shore and the waters becomes quite shallow near the reefs which can be scary. Definitely wear swim shoes and hang onto a floatie for a slightly more comfortable snorkeling experience here. read more

Our Maui Christmas trip and our first stop after a windy road to Hana adventure was here at Black Sand Beach! The activity in the waters were lively and the blowholes were amazing here!! The black sandy Beach was interesting and a memorable place to be! We enjoyed listening to the ocean here and basking in the wind and sun. There's a cave above the waterfall and many trails around the beach itself. This place is definitely a must see while in Maui! Lots of tourists but lots of room to move! Be careful getting into the waters though, if you're not a strong swimmer, do not take your chances in the water. The current can take you out in a short time. Be careful not to turn your back on the ocean as it's waves are very unpredictable and can sweep you into the ocean when you least expect it. Respect the land you travel and enjoy what Maui has to offer!! We would love to visit again!! read more

A breathtaking beach! The blues of the ocean against the black sand are a sight I hope everyone has the chance to see in their lifetime. I enjoyed the short trails around here (enjoyed walking to the right of the beach more than I did to the left though) and the clean bathroom. I saw a few people cliff jumping off the rock in the center of the beach, but don't know how they knew where to jump from. Looked fun, but be careful! The water can get rough out there. The lava tube was pretty cool, and has some interesting mythology behind it. This stop is not to be missed on the Road to Hana! read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

This was a very cool beach to look at rocks, it really isn't black sand it is just rocks. So that is something to keep in mind if you are looking for the sand. read more

It was a 2.5 hour drive to The black sand beach., recommend stopping for the waterfalls on the way back. Should be called black rock beach, since there is not actual sand. Definitely, and all day adventure. read more

Black Sand Beach - Black sand beach - Beaches Near Me

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This is one of favorite stops on the road to Hana. And for good reason! This beach is amazing! The entry into the park is very easy to miss-- it's probably about 5-10 minutes right before Hana. I REALLY suggest getting here early as well-- the parking can get tight and you REALLY want to see the beach before all the tourists get here. The earlier the better. The other reason to get in early is because there is a little cave that is open while the tide is low. As the tide gets higher and the beach gets more crowded, it gets harder and harder to get a good picture from inside the cave. Be careful! The currents here are very strong and swimming Is not recommended. If you hike along the rocks you can get a great view of the blowhole up close. Not sure how the science works but essentially the waves crash on the rocks a way that will splash the water up in what almost looks like a geyser. Get ready to get soaked. Definitely worth at least a 30-45 minute visit, if not longer! read more

Black Sand Beach - Beaches Near Me

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Beautiful beach!!! Great place to visit in Maui if your not sure where to go! It can be very busy at times but it is worth it to see the natural beauty. read more

This location was beautiful, granted the waters here in Maui are cold, but once you get in you warm up. The scenery is beautiful it's a walk, but there's also a cave in there. So definitely go and enjoy. read more

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This place was probably my favorite part of Maui. It was a trek off of the road to Hana to wainapapa state park but it was so worth it. Make sure you have a reservation. We left Lahaina at around 7am and with stopping and everything got there about 12... you can get there quicker but we stopped a few times and didn't rush. I think the reservations are about 2 weeks in advance on https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/maui/waianapanapa-state-park/... you have to pay for parking and entrance which is about 10 dollars per person . It was so inexpensive for such an amazing experience. The girls at the entrance were so sweet and complimented my nephew on his nail polish. Once we arrived parking was easy and it wasn't much of trek to get to the beach. There are bathrooms there thankfully and trash bins and recycle bins , it's so important to keep the environment clean. Pointers for the beach. It is not really sandy, more like pebbles BRING WATER SHOES... You will thank me later... also waters were a little rough and there are no lifeguards there or staff to protect you so for inexperienced swimmers I would proceed with caution... we tried to snorkel and saw some cool stuff but the water was visibility wasn't too great at the time we went.. the water was amazing and clear and cool and it felt like being in a post card... this is a huge spot for Instagrammers unfortunately so you will see tons of people taking selfie's for the photo op and then leaving LOL... the lava tube is hidden... there's a small hole on the right side of the beach that you crawl through for a second to get to it and it is huge in there and so cool I felt like the little mermaid read more

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Love this beach. Too bad you need a reservation to go in now. The government is always trying to make a quick buck. We asked one of the rangers when they started charging and requiring a reservation and they said "last year" 2021. The road to Hana is a waste of time if you don't stop here. Too bad for us it was just that a waste of time. read more

I understand you need a reservation prior to coming, and we didn't have one (fair enough), but the workers were disgustingly rude even though we were totally willing to turn around and make proper reservations for another day. We heard them yell and call us names as we were driving away even though we cooperated and apologized for not knowing in advance! read more