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Wai'anapanapa State Park
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
38 reviews for Wai'anapanapa State Park
38 reviews in English
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Review from Trang H.
12/3/2011 2 photos
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to walk on crushed Oreo cookies? If you did, you have to check out the black sand beach at wai'anapanapa state park. The sand is so black, it's almost hard to believe that this beach is real. Although we saw the beach during high surf, it was still a beauty. Make sure you check out the lave tube to the right of the beach is a site to see all on its own. Once you adventure into the tube, you'll be walking on pure black smooth rocks. It's a great experience. You have to see this beach with your own eyes.
Listed in: maui
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Review from Rach K.
1/9/2012 7 photos
Yay!
We stopped by here on our Road to Hana day because we were all curious about the black sand. For the most part, it was just black rocks/pebbles/gravel but closer to the water it was actually black sand. There's a lava tube (cave) you can walk into which was pretty awesome. It's a really pretty view from the parking lot as well. -
Review from Delicia S.
Newark, CA
12/6/2011
This was the place that made our road to Hana trip didn't seem like a waste of day. The cave, the lava tube, the blow hole, the black sand beach, and the beautiful black rocks, there are many highlights to see. The beauty is everything is so close together that you don't have to hike or walk forever to see everything. The park is easy and doesn't require lots of time to explore.
There are picnic tables and public bathroom (not porter potty) which makes this a perfect spot to stop for lunch and rest a bit after a few hours of nauseous Hana road drive. -
Review from Anita L.
This is definitely one of the best spots to stop during your ROAD TO HANA trip. Most people come here for the "black sand beach", but there are also other spots to walk around for pictures.
LOCATION: Just past mile marker 32
PARKING: Follow the signs. There are parking for different areas of the park. (The parking closest to the beach is located after you turn left at the end of the road).
WHAT'S THERE TO SEE:
- Black Sand Beach
- Lava Tubes
- Caves
Like most other tourists, I stopped here because I wanted to go to the "black sand beach". I was expecting the fine black sand I have seen on Macau's black sand beach, and was a little disappointed when I saw only hot-feet-burning-black pebbles. Nevertheless, it was still beautiful.
Definitely a great spot to stop and take a break from your drive on ROAD TO HANA -
Review from Grace H.
Must stop on the road to Hana. The drive here sucks but you have the yummy banana bread stands off on the side of the road to keep you goin. The black sand beach is pretty amazing but its a very small area.. not like you'd imagine a beach would be. Walking on black sand is like walking on finely crushed oreo cookies and stick to you like black sesame seeds. Theres plenty to do here at this state park. You have the black sand beach, Lava tube, blow hole (please be careful!) and hiking trails. Bring shoes in case you want to hike, and water shoes for the lava tubes/caves. I wish I could bring some of the beautiful black sand back with me.. but I hear its taboo!
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Review from Jyoti C.
Sunnyvale, CA
11/26/2011 1 photo
Loved this place...the Black Sand Beach..the lava tubes...gorgeous place..easy access..loved the picnic area..Oh and btw the sand is black..it's not just pebbles!!
Beautiful stop on Road to Hana and a must-visit! -
Review from Julia D.
12/28/2011
Bamboo forest 4 mile round trip hike to the waterfall. AMAZING. Super muddy, but the 400 ft waterfall is amazing. I felt like Indiana Jones, if he were short, womanly, and Jewish.
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Review from Mira S.
11/1/2011
There were a lot of people, but it was a cool stop. Small black sand beach with nice soft sand--in the afternoon the water comes up pretty high, so people aren't exactly laying out. A nice little loop trail to some cool caves, a lava tube on the beach, and a walk along the rocks for some great pics of black lava formations, bright green plants, and bright blue waves crashing up. Some picnic tables, outdoor showers, and minimalist bathrooms with tp but no soap. Overall, a fun stop, and you can spend an hour or several, or a whole night.
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Review from Uncle Fishbits Aeneas X.
Belvedere Tiburon, CA
12/10/2010
Camp sites, black sand beach, lava tube, blow hole, endless beautiful hiking...
seriously - if this isn't 5 stars you are a crazy person. This is heaven.... it's everything you want and more. Don't whisk through... no one is rushing in Hana. Pack a picnic, hang out, explore... and look at the cool palm frond that everyone graffiti's on. Local scourges and scofflaws run amok the world over!Listed in: Kapalua to Hana and back…
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Review from Stephen S.
Kailua, HI
4/14/2011
If you drive all the way to Hana and don't stop here, you're a fool!
Hike to the caves, hit the black sand beach, check out the mini lava-tube on the beach, scramble on the rocks surrounding the beach, and just chill.
And don't forget to take plenty of pictures - this place is sweet! -
Review from Katelyn R.
Tilton, NH
10/27/2011
This place just about puts the Grand Canyon to shame. There is so much to see, explore, photograph - absolutely worth the stop. You have got to be on your toes here- this park is sort of a death trap. I'll elaborate. First, loose gravel everywhere... A weak ankled persons nightmare, you know what I'm talking about. Next comes the lava rock. It's like razor blades. Beautiful majestic black razor blades that will slice your flip flop right off. The lava rock juts out of the earth in such ways you can just tell it was liquid at one point. And the last real threat... The blowholes. You can hear them, and the sign said they were here... But black rock on black rock is great camouflage ... Then BAM gigantic hole with raging ocean at the bottom. We went when the holes weren't actually blowing... They must have been tired. We never found the lava tube that was suppose to be here, but the striking black sand beach made up for that. Who need a tube anyways? This park is so lush and beautiful, so much raw beauty. An absolute must stop!!!
Listed in: Hawaii
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Review from Ted R.
12/5/2010
Rainy season in San Francisco and I'm dreaming of toasty summer days all hot-foot running across pebbly, black sand.
Waianapanapa is a nice state park, extremely fun beach. Watch the kids cliff dive. Sweet place to swim, maybe body surf a little. Mini-trails provide nice, short walks or just chill and eat at the picnic tables on the cliff above the beach. Great for kids. Watch out for a few tourist vans and busses, but don't hate. Shxt, put me on one of them... Take my azz back to Hana... -
Review from Mike V.
7/9/2010
The other reviews speak for themselves. this place is gorgeous. The colors are unreal and the opportunities to explore one of the most unique geological occurrences on Maui are limitless.
PS: not the best spot for swimming though. Apart from the powerful wave action, Hana is known for its abundance of sharks.Listed in: Maui = Heaven
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Review from Cindy W.
San Diego, CA
5/2/2010 2 photos
This place is so beautiful, that my modeling agent has booked for us to shoot here on 3 different occasions for a calendar called "Island Eyes" years ago. Then again, this was when I was modeling. This year, I went with my husband and he was so excited to see the black sand beach, he was expecting it to be bigger, but was happy to see black sand nonetheless.
The black sand attracts light from the sun so it's a lot hotter than your usual sand on the beach. Parts of it is rocky but the other parts of it is very soft, it's great to see such beauty against the blue water. This place was breath taking and it was nice to finally see it in the afternoon and not at 5am during an annoyingly cold bikini photo shoot.
We drove through the weird road of Hana to see this and it was well worth the trip! The blow hole is also very cool to see! A must see if you're ever in Maui. -
Review from cherie T.
4/14/2010 1 photo
Black Sand Beach.. .was indeed black sand beach. such beautiful sand! i thought the sand would be pebble-ly and rough.. but noooo it was soooo soft!
If you're on the Road to Hana.. this is a must stop place! enjoy the view, enjoy the black sand...take some pictures! i mean how often do u see black sand beach in Los Angeles? actually... yes.. but it's due to dirtiness.Listed in: Hawaii - Maui
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Review from Cord N.
Redwood City, CA
10/14/2010 2 photos
If you are going to drive all this way exploring the jungley terrain, you better stop here! Have your picnic lunch at this spot. There are some really cool caves to check out & one is ideal for swimming. The black rock beach is awesome to checkout and is a great swim spot. There are some cliffs to jump off of into the amazingly blue water! Lot of Blues, Greens and those black rocks!
On the Road to Hana are you???? Don't be a nincompoop and drive by this Gem, stop in even if it is only for a few minutes. -
Review from Lori N.
5/16/2010 2 photos
GO HERE.
It's incredible here. The water looks amazingly blue contrasted with the black sand and green trees. There's hiking trails and picnic tables, so it makes for a nice place to have lunch & explore if you're driving down the Hana Highway. The sign for the park entrance is easy to spot (mile 32) and it leads you down a dirt path into a parking lot, and best part is that there's no parking fee!
This park is so beautiful, the pictures really don't do it justice. You really have to see it to believe it. Trust me, its worth it! -
Review from Michael K.
Scotch Plains, NJ
12/24/2008 1 photo
While it's become something of a tourist mecca, there's no denying the magic of this place. Honokalani Beach, the black beach at Waianapanapa Park is, for me, the quintessential Hawaiian beach. Composed of jet-black volcanic obsidian sand, this place is otherworldly. You can't drive the road to Hana and not stop here to see it.
There's lots of other interesting things to do in this 122 acre park. You can explore the lava tubes and legendary caves, anchialine pools, natural stone arches, sea stacks, and blowholes. You can picnic and camp (permit required) in the native hala forest, and hike the ancient "King's trail" approx. 3km to Hana town.Listed in: Everything MAUI
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Review from Emily W.
Sacramento, CA
5/19/2009 4 photos
This park is beautiful - and it is a great stop to make after an extremely long drive! Well worth a stop for pictures.
The black sand beach is gorgeous. There is also a picnic area, restrooms and a little hike where you can see cool caves.
We also saw a mongoose in the parking lot. -
Review from kelly c.
4/8/2011
2 hour drive on hana highway was worth the trip to Wai'anapanapa State Park. Once you're there, you cant help but hike the first trail your eyes land on. Any trail around the park is a scenic route to explore. Just sitting on a rock looking out to the ocean is worth a trip. Shh...I took home a black rock as a souvenir along with picturesque photos. Bonus: exploring the creepy caves along the trail a must do!
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Review from Christine R.
Kula, HI
12/1/2007
If you drive to Hana you will probably stop here to see the black sand beach. I highly recommend this stop, but if you're adventurous at all please check out more of the park than just that silly little beach.
I'll leave it up to you to explore and see what Wai'anapanapa has to offer - but there's a lot more than just that little beach!
Cabins are also available for camping and may be reserved through the parks department. -
Review from Bert K.
5/30/2008
Another good choice to stop and view paradise from a Black Sandy Beach. Paradise scenes.
Don't forget your picnic basket and picnic blanket. I'll load some pix soon. -
Review from Christine P.
Daly City, CA
3/19/2011
What an amazing view - black sand, bright blue skies, and a little bit of greenery sprinkled in! Some do the drive to Hana and say, "That's it?" I say, yes, and I did it! =)
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Review from Willis Z.
Alhambra, CA
8/28/2010
One of the few black beaches in Maui. the beach is pretty small however, there will always be room to stay in it. The black sand is very cool to see because it is only created when lava flows into the ocean or from an eroding black cliff. These beaches don't last very long because over time they get dragged off into the ocean. What's also great about this place is that there is a blowhole here that blows only during certain times. You can get closer to it when its not blowing but be careful because you don't want to fall into that deep hole.
The amount of people here isn't very extreme. The beach isn't as big as a regular beach so you are going to have to kind of squeeze in with other people. There are picnic benches and really nice restrooms so stay here for a while. -
Review from Nicole S.
Kihei, HI
2/8/2011
This place is beautiful! We love packing a big lunch, driving the road to Hana and stopping here to relax, picnic and just take in the beauty. I love the black sand which is more like tiny smooth black pebbles, the grounds are just beautiful, it's just a breathtaking must-visit place!
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Review from liz d.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2010
This is was the highlight of my trip to Hana. It's about a mile or more from Hana State HWY, a veer off to the left. Stunning black sand beach with the some of the softest sand you will fell. Freshwater and salt water caves dot all around around the beach, bring you suit for a refreshing cool off.
They have picnic benches under cool shade trees for a rest of a stop for a snack. -
Review from Rita H.
Tempe, AZ
4/8/2011
It's hard to rate anything in Hawaii low but this place is beautiful! Hiking and exploring down little trails, digging your toes in a beautiful black sand beach, getting splashed on by waves bursting through the blow hole all by a beautiful view of deep blue ocean. Fun tourist spot.
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Review from Melissa M.
Sugar Land, TX
11/8/2009 2 photos
Beautiful scenery! Gorgeous black sand beaches - make sure to wear your shoes down to the beach because it has some larger rocks and pebbles. When we got there, we walked out and looked at the amazing huge rock formations where water was crashing. We also saw some really cool water geysers coming up in between the rocky beach formations.
We then walked down to the left and onto the black sand beach. Just beautiful. We spent some time walking the beach while other family members got into the water. Don't go too far because it's quite a strong current. We mostly just played in the crashing waves.
There is a cave you can walk into. It's pretty cool. I think it was a lava tube.
Afterward we used the showers to wash off our feet and there are bathrooms. Always nice to have facilities next to a beautiful area.
Definitely a place to stop on the road to Hana! -
Review from Michelle G.
Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2010
If you're on the Road to Hana, this place is an absolute MUST. The sand, the surf, the colors, the caves...Wai'anapanapa is fantastic.
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Review from qirk z.
Los Gatos, CA
9/2/2009 2 photos
Scenic park.
Black sand beach.
Caves.
Restrooms.
2nd hand weed smoke.
(see pics) -
Review from Paras B.
San Jose, CA
1/20/2010
A MUST SEE. It is so beautiful here. There is usually a lot of cars in the parking lot but trust me and go hang out. We ended up walking the park and taking so many beautiful photos. The colors or green, blue and black are stunning. Take a lunch break here if you can. You will not be disappointed.
The beach part can be a little crowded but it's still worth it. -
Review from Kirs K.
Beverly Hills, CA
11/5/2010
Kris and Kim was here!
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Review from Dianne S.
5/4/2009
Breathtaking. This black sanded beach boasts of the bluest of blue waters in Hawaii (Wai'anapanapa translated means "glistening waters"). There's a small cave right by the water that offers a more intimate viewing of the ocean. This beach is complete with restrooms and picnic areas too, so you can make a stop out of it.
Listed in: Just Mauied!!
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Review from Virgo M.
Bay Area, CA
1/18/2009
XOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXO to Adam....just some PDA for the great pics that stimulated great memories.. I wish we had more time here... The black beach, water, caves and marsupial sightings were amazing opps. Next time, we will come here and make a day of it!!!
Listed in: Maui Zaui
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Review from Earl R.
7/23/2010 1 photo
The most amazing site on Maui.
(Although I hear the top of the mountain is pretty cool).
If you can do the drive to Hana and not subject to motion sickness, then this is your reward. A beautiful landscape and witness to the fierce power of mother nature.
Simply not to be missed. -
Review from Saul A.
Bellflower, CA
12/21/2009 1 photo
Awe inspiring black sand beach. One of many stops you should make on the road to Hana. My only regret was that of the many pictures we took here for some reason we didn't capture the black sand on any *Doh!*
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Review from Ron S.
Hickory, NC
11/2/2010
Rain, high winds, high surf. STILL BEAUTIFUL! Black sand beach, caves, blowhole, lava tubes, pounding surf. There's a lot to see here. Definitely worth the stop.
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Review from kim y.
Palmdale, CA
7/21/2009
amazing black sand beach and MORE! they also have small caves! Its a long drive and some crazy one lane road. So make sure you watch how you drive here.
