Wai'anapanapa State Park Reviews

This is "the" black sand beach in Maui. Consequently, it is very crowded with day visitors who drive the Hana Highway to find this highlight of the Hana coastline. Awesome sea cave and great snorkeling, but be wary of the rough surf near the shore.

This is a beautiful park. The beach is small with black rocks and there’s a short hike nearby. Fabulous waves against the rocks and good place for all

We don't go here for the black sand beach. We go for the lava tube and the cliffs. The lava tube has a low entrance but once inside you can stand up. It's short but ends at the ocean entrance where you can watch the small waves roll in. Then cross the beach and take the trail up to the cliffs where the waves crash. On a good day you'll be a few feet away from wave spray that is over your head after already travelling dozens of feet.
Down side is the very restrictive scheduling. You have to pick your day and time slot at least one day in advance. Tourists like us are trying to capture as much as we can on the Hana Highway and it's unfortunate that timing the visit for this park can drive the decision making. This system wasn't in place on our last visit in 2017.

This was my absolutely favorite beach to look at, not swim, but look at - there is a cave that is cool to go into and the water ebbs and flows into the cave. You have to walk down a number of stairs to go to the beach and to leave the beach even to go to the restroom. However, it taught me that I needed to be in better shape as I was breathing heavy by the time I got to the top. Its a good beach. Please do not swim. Every one that went into the water was knocked around and knocked down. This is not really a swimming beach. However, it is a beautiful sight. Lots of trails and walks to take. Bring water cameras.

A very beautiful place to visit. But getting the orientation to the park takes time and most people want to look for the rest rooms first of all and they are some distance away from the parking. The queues (for ladies) were quite long. This took so much time (and we had to catch the bus at a certain time; only 45 minutes stop) that we could not enjoy the park as we would have liked. To really enjoy, you need to go exclusively for this attraction. (but read my review of the Road to Hana).

Beautiful park and the gem of what was an otherwise average Road to Hana. The letdown here was that they severely limited access and you can't stay beyond your allotted 2.5 hour window unless you pay yet again for ticket entrances.

Absolutely beautiful!
We under estimated how long it would take us to get to the park for our 12:30 - 3:00 reservation. To make it on time we were only about to make 2 stops along the way.
The beach was beautiful and I was thankful for the limited number of reservations because it is not very big. The surf was pretty strong and the shore dropped off very quickly so just be mindful if you want to go in the ocean.
There was a nice trail and we got some amazing photos.
Value for $!!!
Suggest getting a later reservation so you can stop at the beautiful waterfalls on your way. Or make it a 2 day trip! So many beautiful sights.

Most of my time was spent on the Black Sand Beach, (which when you go, will understand why) however the park area provides many amenities for families and groups alike.

We made the very long drive here from our hotel in West Maui only to find it blocked by a group of people holding signs saying "locals only". There were two uniformed officers standing to the side just letting this happen. This was very disappointing. Believe me, they would not let anyone pull into the road for the state park unless you were an islander. The date of our visit was Thursday, July 18th. We ended up going into Hana and visiting a beach there, but it was not very scenic. On the return trip we were able to see that the crowd of protestors had grown bigger. Even slowing down near the entrance drew them toward our rental Jeep. We just got out of there. Sad.

Make sure you stop here if you are driving the Road to Hana. It is by far one of the best stops you'll make along the entire drive! The views are amazing, and the way the rocks clack on each other as the tide crashes and recedes at the black sand beach makes it sound like a rain stick, it's awesome.

This was our main stop while traveling the Road to Hana. It is an excellent spot for stretching your legs, photos, a hike/walk (wear appropriate shoes), a picnic, ect.. They also have restrooms available. We found that a lot of our pictures of Maui were of this spot, as it is beautiful. I would not recommend swimming here as the waters seemed more suitable for viewing rather than a rough & somewhat dangerous time fighting currents & waves.

Worth the reservation cost and would recommend. We hiked the trails and eventually went swimming. I would recommend the trails and sights and make sure to check out the sand (it feels different), but the swimming is not so good. Come prepared as we got rained on a few times. Wear sturdy sandals or shoes if you want to hike and can get away with flip flops if just checking out the beach.

This black sand beach is absolutely beautiful but there lies danger. We didn't even walk on the beach due to high tide and VERY rough waters. The pathway to the beach was very nice and well kept. The black sand against the blue water, green plants and beautiful sky was just picturesque. It would be hard to find another beach in Hawaii to beat this beach. The issue is the waters here are dangerous and if you can't swim, do not go in over your knees. The weekend before we were there a man got swept out and a younger lady went in to save him and they both ended up drowning. Parents if you have little ones, hold onto them tight and don't let them go in by themselves. You can enjoy the beach and beautiful area safely from the comfort of the sand or knee deep in the water. I don't say this to scare you off but I do say it hoping you'll stay safe and go home with your family.
The park has plenty of parking, picnic tables and lots of trails to hike. It's very clean and well kept, so if you go only leave footprints and not any trash. Enjoy this absolutely beautiful park because we loved it.

This is where we got to see the black sand beach that everyone talks about on the Road to Hana. It was beautiful and my husband was brave enough to jump into the ocean for a minute. It was windy when we were there and a little overcast, but overall a great place to stop.

Pleasant beach though can be busy, and prepare for sudden rain! Don't get too close to the blowhole if you don't want to get wet...

For some adventure on Maui, we camped at this state park in order to get an early start to the national Park hike in the morning. Must make reservations on the Hawaii state website, which was easy to do. Make reservations in advance as it fills up fast. There are cabins, which really book fast, or tent camping. We camped in a tent on a large grass area. There are restrooms and freshwater showers. You could even stay in the camper van area if you have rented one of those. Get up before the sunrise and watch it rise over the ocean from the Black sand beach. It’s a great way to start your day!

saw it on the list as one of the top beaches in u.s. it's over rated. to me a great beach is one where you can go and relax and go out in the surf and have fun in the water.this is not one of them. not in my top 25

During our Road to Hana excursion, our tour guide brought us to this park. What a beautiful location...very scenic.

What an awe struck view! This beach is truly one of a kind. It is a smaller beach and not a lot of parking so it is nice that they give time frames for your tickets. It’s definitely a must to get tickets in advance to have a time slot you can’t just show up and expect to be let in. The beach is full of volcanic rock’s and tiny pebbles that have been eroded over years to make this beach. There are trails leading to heights overlooking the ocean and beach which are breathtaking. The beach itself is unique and a must see. The water is strong and you should wear water shoes. Be careful if you do venture in the ocean. It’s definitely a site to see!

Beautiful views...your pictures will be amazing. Chickens and kittens and some kind of stoat play in the rock walls. But is it worth it to make reservations weeks in advance and say it's a "must see"? Probably not. The waves aren't rough which is a plus or minus depending on your comfort with the sea. The beach is lava rocks which aren't great on your feet or your butt if you didn't bring a chair. The trail is short except for a part that is very steep so if you wore sandals to be at the beach, you'll be out of luck on the trail.
I'd say this is a half hour to hour stop. If I didn't plan on seeing a bunch of other things that day - including hanggliding two miles down the road -- I'd be very annoyed taking a two-hour drive to see it.

As part of the road to Hana we obviously visited black sand beach.
It was windy so kids enjoyed waves a lot.
It’s beautiful
You can also have a quick hike.
Definitely worth stopping for 1-2 hours (or more if you have time)

We came here to do some hiking on Friday and despite it absolutely pouring rain, had a awesome visit. The sea was raging and the waves very impressive. Great views, a black sand beach, a sea blowhole just spectacular. There is also a sea cave to explore which is really cool. Definitely a must stop on the road to Hana!

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!

When we arrived there were 3 female employees under a tent at the entrance, one asked did we have a reservation, I told her we did not make one as we are Hawaii residents and the website says no reservation needed, I showed her my state id and she said “it has to be a blue or green id”, I showed her proof of Oahu residency and she rudely said pull up forward and turn around, confused I asked to speak to someone else and she said you can speak to my manager but it won’t make a difference, she was very rude and aggressive, no sense of aloha and it felt as though she enjoyed turning us away, terrible customer service, and completely rude and obnoxious.

I have no idea about ticket times as mentioned in some reviews, we had a guide that took care of all that. This place has some amazing views and the black sand beach is worth walking all the steps to get down to it.

Amazing scenery and easy walks that give a great view of black sand beaches. This visit will definitely be a highlight of our time in Maui. Make sure to make reservations ahead as they do not allow same-day.

A piece of heaven is here ! I agree that having to pay and make a reservation is a bummer but man the surreal jaw-dropping beauty of this place is like no other ! Also pls remember to screen shot your QR code of your reservation before you start on the Road to Hana since there is no cell phone reception here. Since I forgot to do this, I was instructed that I could drive to the city of Hana where I could then access my email so we did but lost more than a half hr of our reservation time time driving back and forth! All worth the hassle though because this was our favorite part of the road to Hana !

Go early in the morning for a quiet visit. Make sure you’re a strong swimmer of you plan on taking a dip, the current is strong in this channel.

Different from your everyday "sand-colored" beach. The sand is HOT. But, a wonderful visual to the typical tanny-sand with black rocks and....sand.

This is an interesting place where there are sea arches that you can watch the waves pound through. After missing the sea arch at the volcano this made up for it.

This was one of our must stop here on the road to Hana. I drove and love the fact that it is free admission and what a beautiful park! Lots of stairs to get down to the beach which is really just black rocks of smallish size. If you are able to do it, it is worth it. To the right after the stairs is the cave, and you have to bend down to enter, then you can stand an view the sights. Wow! Some were swimming or hiking on the opposite side.

This park has been reviewed to death so I will try to add a few new notes. If you bend down and go to the front of the lava tube you may very well get wet.
If you play or just walk on the black sand beach you will get dirty.
If you try to take a picture without a lot of other tourist in it good luck.. The inlet with the waves crashing on the rocks and the black beach with the cliffs in the backdrop is a great pic and everyone wants to take that shot...be patient.
The park has limited parking and a lot of visitors daily that means waiting for the restrooms, which aren't AAA regarded.
This park has tolerable stairs going to the beach but the walk over the far cliffs is a little dicey and should be taken with care.
There are also some graves there. Show a little respect to the deceased.
A little bit of a drive but worth it for maybe an hours' visit

You could spend a lot more time here. Nice hikes, beautiful views. The beach gets crowded though. If I could do it again I would cut out other stops on Hana and plan to spend more time here.

We stayed in our camper van here and had a great time. You get to wake up and have the black sand beach all to yourself which is a real treat. FYI there aren't showers, just one beach shower in the middle to rinse sand off and bathrooms are very minimal.

On the Road to Hana, this was the farthest we went. We had packed some food for a lunch and once we found a parking spot (super difficult), we snagged an empty picnic table and relaxed.

We followed the path down to the black beach, which was small but interesting! We saw 2-3 families spread out on the beach but any more than that, it would be too crowded, considering the tide and people walking through. We took some pictures and videos on the beach then moved further along, hiking up a path. Since I was pregnant, it got to the point where the hike was too rocky and strenuous for me but my husband went further on. Nothing spectacular but some nice views! There's a sorta 2nd black sand beach further along but it's has large rocks so you're not going to hang out there.

First of all, make sure you make reservations in advance! We had read that there was a sea arch, blowhole and a sea cave here....in addition to being able to experience a black sand beach. The sea cave is fun and obviously right on the beach, the arch can be seen from a lookout coming down the stairs from the parking lot, but the blowhole has no signs and I'm not even quite sure we found it. If you take the walking trail across from the sea cave side of the beach, it travels along the edge of the water where giant waves crash onto rocks in a corner and it was amazing to see. Not really a blowhole per se so we were a bit confused. The trail went on for awhile and we had to turn back before the closed for the day. The waves at the beach were very strong in March and not many people were daring to swim. My husband did swim around a bit and saw a sea turtle here! All in all, glad we stopped. The walking trail was our favorite part.

Must have reservation and they are very serious about it! Nice trail leads to better views. Public restrooms. The black sand is beautiful and rare. Would say this is a must stop along Hana highway.

Good hikes, ok swimming, and great place to camp. We stayed here as a base for a couple days and were able to explore the whole road to Hana with less grounds. Highly recommend.

Black sand beaches, natural volcanic arches carved by sea, and a blow hole that sprays you with cool mist? Yes, please!

A wonderful stopping point on the way to Hana!great views, with ample surf, sun (no swimming), picnic areas, clean bathrooms, good area to get out and stretch while on the long drive! Also, stop at Aunty Sandy’s for banana bread, served fresh and hot. A delicious treat!

This was absolutely one of the highlights from our drive to Hana and back. The black sand beaches were amazing, and the blowhole, spewing water in the air some fifteen feet, was impressive. Parking is a bit of a mess, so be prepared. We had success by turning to the parking lot on the right and hiking a little farther to the beach.

Beautiful to see. I suggest taking a bus tour rather than driving yourself. This will allow everyone to see the sights.

The new reservation system is both punitive and expensive. If you do not arrive from Lahaina within your designated time window, the park service turns you away and keeps your money! Instead of paying the rip-off entrance fee, drive an extra fifteen minutes to Hana Bay Beach Park and enjoy a black sand beach for free.

The staffs at the gate of amazing state park needs to re-learn lessons in customer care. They are obnoxious and rude. This place is nice but staffs are not.

This park is so unique. In addition to visiting the gorgeous black sand beach, I highly recommend the 1.7 mile hike through lava fields.

Beautiful solitude in the times of Covid. Had this beach to myself and no rain, so I had some nice snorkeling on either end of the cove. Clean beach, clear water, and plenty of parking.

One of our favorite stops on our visit to Maui. Beautiful area and loved the black sand beach. Worth the time traveled on the road to Hana.

i found reservations easy to make and straightforward, and the staff showed so much aloha! the beach was smaller than i expected but the swimming was lovely and i really wish i'd brought my snorkel gear to explore more.

we did not do any hiking, which i do regret, but what we saw and explored was so beautiful.

The beach and the trails are exquisite! Unfortunately, the tour buses do stop and the crowds do descend! If you stay in Hana, you can get there before 9 and have it almost to yourself! The trail up the beach to the left is very, very special.

Not exactly a beach to relax on, but certainly one to visit! It is nice that the park includes a place to change and to wash afterwards.

Waianapanapa is a destination you must visit when embarking on the road trip to Hana. However, since a reservation is now required to enter, be sure to strictly adhere to your time slot of choice. If you're late, you will be refused entry to the park.

The beach boasts of unique black sand and extremely picturesque surroundings. The water, although a bit chilly to begin with, was refreshing and our kids just loved riding the small waves.

Don't forget to explore the small cave to your right at the bottom of the stairs. It's a sight to behold!

Decided to camp here on our first night in Maui, keep in mind that you need a permit to camp but they are cheap and can do it online. The drive from the airport is long and very curvy. Theirs not many options for groceries or food around the park so make sure so go prepared. Their was a few other campers on site with us which made us feel safer. At no point did we feel it was unsafe, our kids loved living through the trails and going through the little cave at the black sand beach. If you want a good place to camp you must try this place!

We spent the night in Hana and had a 7 am reservation. The walk down to the beach was great, and the sea cave was interesting. We hiked up to the cliff and had awesome views plus a blowhole which was fairly active. Great start to the day

Absolutely incredible!! It's a can't miss stop. The drive in from Hana Highway is bumpy but well worth it. Go check out the massive waves at the unique black sand beach... WARNING... the waves will occasionally cover the entire sand part of the beach, so be careful where you store your towels, bags, and shoes. Go up top and see the impressive blow hole... be careful of where you choose to stand or you will get drenched. Then continue passed the blow hole and hike, yes hike, a gorgeous short trail that embodies what you think of when you think about Hawaii... lush greens and bright flowers against lava rock and ocean waves. Upon returning to the beach, don't miss the sea arch and the walk-in cave off to the right, directly on the beach.

This is a great stop is you are driving yourself or on a tour stop excursion. This place provides amazing views, rocky outcrop beach locations, turquoise water, black sand, a lava tube that is beach front, a blow hole that can be seen from across the bay or that you can walk to. The access to the beach is via steps, so getting to it is not a problem. The views and photo ops are incredible.

I would lie to you saying that we didn't come here "just for the black beach"... that was the goal on our Road to Hana (see separate review on that idea) and I was thinking "why would I need as much as 2h30m window for this short visit"... in reality we ended up being here almost the entire time allocated!!!

This a very scenic and pleasant area to just sit down, have a lunch/picnic, wander around - after the drive here from anywhere it's just nice to be outside the car and take in the views/breezes - trust me, it's not the same as opening the window in your car ;)

There are some coastal trails here once you pass the water - flip flops were fine but you want to be careful as it's slippery at times and sharp rocks stick out - for that part I would say closed shoes are better, but for the general park you are fine in regular shoes or even water shoes if you want to walk on the beach more

TIP: make sure to accommodate your time accordingly for the drive to arrive at your window for the visit - it's $10 per car + $5 per adult = for us it was a straight drive from Kihei to here with a stop for coffee and gas but there are some earlier stops here that you may want to explore - and yes the earlier you arrive the fewer the people are there and with time there is just a looooot of them

There were some stone stairs that you need to climb but it’s a shorter maybe 1 1/2 mile loop.
Very beautiful.

If you are looking for evidence that you are on a volcanic island then this is the park for you! The sand is black and there is an amazing lava tube leading right to the water. There is nothing more Hawaiian (from a geological POV) than this place!

Like a lot of scenic parks and beautiful coastal spots, Wai'anapanapa is absolutely packed with people. Numerous tour buses stop here in addition to all of the visitors traveling the Road to Hana. I'm sure this place could be far more enjoyable if they limited the number of visitors per day but for now, expect to fight the crowds as you look to get some great photos of this beautiful place. I recommend good shoes for walking around the beach and trails if you choose to venture off the paved pathways at all. It's worth walking around a bit as there's some incredible waves crashing on the rocks...very fun to see!

Absolutely beautiful. I wish I could have spent at least half a day here. Dark blue water, black lava rock on both sides to climb and view. Waves were huge and crashing January 31st, 2020. I stood at the shore and got completely covered above my head by waves. Definitely no swimming that day. There is also an ancient graveyard.

Very nice place to stretch your legs and visit to Seven Sacred Pools. There are two very nice and easy trails to take you to the pools

As others have said, the workers at the entrance to the park are miserable. However, once you get through the gate and get to the park/beach, it’s amazing. I know the reservation system isn’t ideal but we loved the limited crowds while we were there. The beach is so stunning and unique and the paths around are worth exploring!

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Hana. There is a large parking lot. Make sure you turn to the left. Great lookout points. Take the stairs to the black sand beach. The sand is softer than I expected. The surf was also very light so my 5 year old was able to go into the water.

This is not an easy drive to get to because it is basically right before the city of Hana but definitely worth it. Its very crowded so its not a relax spot but the black sand, caves, and ocean views are incredible. I was able to get some great photos and even walk barefoot in the black sand. One of my favorite stops along the Road to Hana!

Incredible experience at a truly wild and untouched volcanic beach. We made a quick stop along the road to Hana. Our reservation was for 7-10am and we were leaving from Lahaina, so we only arrived at 9am but 1 hour was enough time to see the beach and do a short hike to some of the lava formations and caves.

Absolutely gorgeous views. Make sure you make reservations in advance - they are required!

Really hard to get here, especially coming from Kihei, but worth it!
Beach is nice, clean and fun to hear stones shaking from waves (yes, bring watershoes).
But the nicest part is the cliff on the left side of beach, where we saw at least 4 sea turtles drifting. And it is the best spot to take your pictures!
Place closes early than it says, so they are making sure you are gone by the time they supposed to close, so come early.

What a gorgeous spot! Yes, having to make timed reservations in advance is a pain, but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We actually went for a hike along the coast before going down to the beach (go right instead of left), and it was beautiful! We had the whole trail to ourselves and saw some stunning views. Then we went back to the beach to cool off and sit for a while. A lovely day, and we had no issues with the staff.

Come camp, hike the coast line. Walk down to the caves or black sand beach. Just beautiful. The views are just breath taking!

We went down a very pitted road to get to the entrance tent. We were greeted with “RESERVATION’ in a rude voice. No hello. No smile. It had been years since visiting this beach and we were unaware of the reservation process. We said we didn’t realize, and the lady snapped back with “you have to make reservations at least a day in advance”. Then she very rudely told us to turn around. We drove up a bit (maybe 20 feet) to a wider area to turn around and she started yelling at us to “TURN AROUND THERE NOW!” Like we were going to take off down the road to the beach. Good grief. We are still on Maui, there are reservations for the next few days, but there is no way we are visiting that beach ever again.

The customer service and gate keepers at this park are complete morons that lack any customer service. I bought 2 separate time slots bc I didn’t know when we would arrive. I got there and the QR code wouldn’t scan. They turned me away after driving 3 hrs to get there. I would never recommend this place, it is not worth the trip. Just visit the road to Hana and enjoy

This is a top spot on the island for a reason. It is absolutely beautiful, even if it's rainy, like it was on the day we visited. It requires a reservation, and that is good, as it is busy and this limits the crowds. Parking was no problem as there are people coming and going constantly due to the time limits. Trails are nice and once you get away from the parking area, it is much less crowded - especially if you take the trail in the opposite direction of the beach. There are paved paths around the parking area for more accessible viewing. Fairly clean, but trash cans could be emptied more for how many staff are present.

It may be a beautiful marine park but the lack of tolerance of the entrance staff who, faced with a tourist who is unaware of having to book only online and in advance, asks and is denied even just to take a photo even though there were very few people is really a sign of bad hospitality. I'm sorry to say it but I hope that it will be returned tit for tat to those who visit our beautiful country!

This is by far the highlight of both of my road to Hana drive stops (July 2016 and February 2020) Take the time to explore the entire park from the beach to hike past the beach to the blow hole.

BEAUTIFUL! We had a great time during our visit! We did snorkel some, even saw some parrot fish, but the water was a bit cloudy due to a recent storm. The "cave" off to the side that leads to the water was just incredible. I liked that they only took reservations because that kept the area from getting too crowded.

There is more hiking to do that I did not, but the views were spectacular.

I visited here back in 2010 and loved it! But I just learned the day before my visit here in Jun'2021 that we need reservations a day in advance to visit. The closest reservation is 4 days out, and we will be gone by then. I think the Hana side of the island just isn't ready for visitors yet, and folks may have better luck in 2022.

We were able to visit Haleakalā National Park at ‘Ohe‘o Gulch, and that was wonderful, but I do regret getting a hotel for the night in Hana.

Go early, as it gets very busy. The beach is small, but the black sand is impressive, with greenery around the cove and striking blue skies. Many photo ops, including overlooks on both sides of the bay and a small cave that opens up to the ocean. A must see on the road to Hana!

From some of the reviews I read here, it appears that the more active the waves, the better the experience. We certainly saw some huge waves crashing here, sending a geyser of water through the blowhole and spraying those who ventured close to see. Great place to picnic and I was happy our tour driver decided to have the picnic here instead of Hana Bay. Though I'm sure the locals get accustomed to seeing the majestic sea here in all its glory, for a Midwesterner it is simply awesome. Then the hiking trails, the lava tube and the black sand beach is like frosting on a cake.

We took this daylong tour off the Grand Princess when it moored off Maui. I would only give the Road to Hana with Picnic four stars though. Our guide Sean was an encyclopedia of Hawaiian history and culture but he said Princess wanted our bus back early so we didn't get to stop to see the sea turtles and windsurfers on the way back to the harbor. That was a disappointment. It's hard to get a full island experience however with just shore excursions off a cruise ship.

There are bathrooms, and an easy path down to the beach. The waves are rough but it is a nice beach. Maybe I'm a little over protective, but if a wave can knock me down, I won't let my kids go in past their knees.

We loved the time we spent at this amazing state park! Be sure to make a reservation the day before or you will not get in. The highlight was the black sand beach!

The black sand beach is a must see! The seven sacred pools were beautiful. Glad we took this outing. A must see!!!

This is an amazing park with unique lava rock formations, and clear blue water! The drive on the Hana Hwy to get to park is also unique and there is a lot to see. Hana is a great little town, very laid back nice people.

Going here as other visitors did, I walk downed to the shore , go stright to see blowhole which was not much blowing water, turn left walking down to the black sand beach and lava tube , nothing much interesting. Go further is hiking trail to end at the tip of black rocks. The entrance way is bumpy road but for short distance.

We were on the beach on a raining day. Lucky the rain stopped around 3pm. The wave was fun and the black sand was sensational. Our two boys had a lot of fun jumping and swimming in the water. It was amazing.

This was one of our favorite stops on Hana Hwy. We had fun swimming at the beach, and then hiking to see the views. The surf was pretty rough, not good for snorkeling. The beach is black sand and black rocks. There are bathrooms and showers. You cannot get in without advanced reservations, so be sure to do that (you can do it 30 days ahead). The beach is small, so reservations definitely keep it from being too crowded. Definitely go here. Totally lived up to the hype

One of the most stunning places that we've visited. The black arches and black beach are stunning against the greenery, blue water and stark white crashing waves. Well worth the time to take the road to Hana. And if you take the road to Hana, this is something you should not miss.

Beautiful black sand beach nestled within stunning lava cliffs and greenery. The sand here was finer than the few, less popular black sand beaches and the cliffs, sea arches and caves made it even more spectacular. Don't miss the sea cave to the right of staircase coming down. You have to duck to get through openign but it opens up to standing and you take a few steps to the ocean waves pounding at the other end. We also tried the coastal trail going South (or making a right facing beach after the paved walkway above) but lost the trail over large lava rocks so we aborted and chose the Northern Coastal trail, easier to follow and the hardest part was the climb at the beginning. Gorgeous views from the cliffs. We spent two hours there and did the 7a-10a reservation and it wasn't very crowded initially.

Parking is limited, but free. The beach is awesome, a little rocky so I would recommend having water shoes. It's really relaxing and ocean is smooth with some waves. Totally worth the stop. Some grassy areas if you wanna stop to eat.

The black sand beach here was spectacular! The sand was so dark, but then there were a few white pieces of sand that looked like they were sparkling. Unfortunately we were only able to stay at the park for about 15 minutes. We had a 10-12:30 reservation. We lost track of time in the morning and stopped too many times. So try to plan your stops and timing when you are getting reservations.

A bit dissappointed that the blow hole was not blowing but black sand beach and the lava tube ware always fun

This is a MUST see on Maui but the State of Hawaii has decided to take full advantage and charge $10 parking and $5 per person for non-Hawaii residents. I can't wait for other states to pick on this fund raising scheme. The state of Oregon could collect $100's of dollars off visitors traveling the Highway 101 down the coast. I only paid because I had people with me who had never seen the black sand beach. I won't pay it again.

So this is one of the few beaches in Hana that gets rated as kid- friendly and I agree, somewhat. The surf was fairly heavy the day we went, but the undertow wasn't out of control, and even my 8-year-old could jump in the waves without getting knocked over. Please note though that this is not a sand beach -- it's black lava rock and it gets HOT. You have to walk right to the water's edge in your sandals to avoid burning your feet, which leaves you in a quandary over what to do with your shoes to keep them from getting swept away in the surf while you are in the water! The beach is also really small and fills up -- I'd say get there early, because once 50 or so people arrive, it starts to feel overcrowded. Do take a little time to walk on the bluffs to the side of the beach -- there are gorgeous ocean views. And check out the cave to the right of the beach -- it doesn't look like much on the outside, but it is gorgeous inside. Overall, this is an okay family beach that you should check out, but depending on what you are looking for, Hamoa beach down the coast might be a better bet.

Such a fun place to visit! It takes a bit to drive up to the summit, but is completely worth it. It was a bit cloudy for us, but the views we did have were great. It is cold up there, so make sure you have an extra layer of clothes with you. The crater is also a worthy stop, even if cloudy. And watch out for the Nenes as you drive, they are small and quick!

Great stop along the road to Hana. The beach is beautiful and the volcanic rock makes it an amazing spot. Be sure to explore the little lava tube cave. Remember to make a reservation in advance.

This is one of the best stops on the Road to Hana. The sea arch, lava tube, and trails along the shoreline are breathtaking! Great place for a picnic!

We really enjoyed the park and beach. Nice walking pathways and picnic tables to enjoy a picnic. The stairs down to the beach are easy.

We love coming to this Park on the way to Hana. This time we decided to venture off to the right before hiking out to the point on the left. Got to view the blow hole and a sea cave. Great views the whole time. Walking the loop trail from the parking lot on the left was 1.5 miles with moderate up and downs. You could manage in flip flops as long as you take your time.

Simply put, this place is breathtaking. On the Road To Hāna, we made this pot first stop so we could spend as much time as we wanted. After that we hiked the Pīpīwai Trail, and hit whatever places we had time for on the way back. I am SO glad we did this. I could have stayed at their beach for the entire day. Once you go down to the beach, there is a path along the left. It goes up to the top of lava formations where you can watch insanely wild waves spray tens of feet in the air. The sheer power of the waves was incredible. I could have just stayed there all day. Of course exercise caution there, but don’t skip it. Back down to the beach you can go to the right to explore the cave. There is also a campsite to the right where you can bring your own tent and camp. There were some people swimming, but I’d be really careful doing so. The waves are large and powerful here. It’s probably best to admire them from shore. Of all the incredible places we went in Maui, this was my favorite. Definitely go here on your own, not a short stop on a tour. It deserves so much more than that. Just be sure to check the weather before you do the Road to Hāna to make sure rainfall will be less than an inch when you go.

One comment - you better be darn sure you have a reservation in hand and ready to go as the girl at the front gate is not very friendly or welcoming. I showed my pass which was unfortunately for the day after (I can thank Google for not changing my local time on my laptop Chrome). Although I fully paid and it was for the wrong day, she wouldn't have it and sent me on my way. So friendly.

Overrated if you are just doing a look see. Over restrictive scheduling and no adjustment prepayment are not helpful (3 hour limit on visit). Other black sand beeches are available.

You're gonna wanna take a towel and change of clothes to get the full experience of this small beach. The rocks on each side are a bit dangerous but the beach and black sand in the middle are amazing.

This was spectacular, absolutely gorgeous. But the staff we encountered were so incredibly rude it was actually funny, and then not funny. Beware.

TERRIBLE SERVICE HORRIBLE MANAGEMENT RUDE UNFRIENDLY FRONT STAFF HEARTLESS COLD INCONSIDERATE “MAHALO” for the very BAD EXPERIENCE. Probably the worst website! I booked a day before for December 1, 2021 and fortunately I was able to get a 10am-12:30 pm slot. I was thinking this is a beach and spending 2 1/2 hours is more than enough as there’s no longer hiking needed to get there. Of course we arrived a little late of 45 minutes but we understood our time left will be shortened. I constantly looking on my watch for time being but a siren suddenly alarmed us to get out of the beach as it may be a tsunami or whatsoever just to be safe. When we felt like didn’t make sense for the alarm to go off in the first place, their poor system maybe need a little updating or so, we decided to go uphill and check out the views and didn’t disappoint us the views were amazing and we stayed a little bit longer to take some pictures. Unknowingly we passed around 30min late checking out from parking. I never realized that from that moment I will experience the WORST! A simple request to get a picture on the signage to post for my social media only take a snapshot for less than a minute turned us down and told us with a very SARCASTIC RESPONSE that you overstayed already GET OUT! What in the hell these people came from??? We’re not even entering their precious gate is just outside to take a snapshot and treat us like a homeless shoo us away? Our car just pass out like less than a yard we just need a souvenir picture from the signage and their behavior was very unfriendly bad attitude SHOO US AWAY,,, hey we paid not to be treated unpleasantly. This is people’s park how come they gonna put a certain period for you to stay it’s not a dental or clinic appointment to have only 2 1/2!hour it’s not even a hotel.
Another hypocrisy of this road to Hana there’s multiple mention about PRIVATE PROPERTY DO NOT TRESPASS! I do understand privacy why are you keep mentioning this is a private property blah blah blah,,, I don’t understand why the owners somewhat overprotective of no trespassing ,,, they’re probably doing some illegal in their property probably planting poppy seeds or illicit drugs.
DEFINITELY NOT COMING BACK ! Their terrible service will backfire on them they will never ever recover from their losses of income. I hope their economy burned down!

Probably the most beautiful black sand beach I visited in Maui and the Big Island. It's small and there's a fair number of visitors, but still worth the visit. Note that the sand is composed of tiny to medium sized lava rocks, so bring water shoes!

We stopped here on our way to Hana and have no regrets. The black beaches are awesome and very unique! Do not miss the lava tube to your left when you walk onto the beach. Also take the trail to the right of the beach for great views of sea arches!

Black sands, blue skies, and green vegetation. Hiking trails on the bluffs had incredible views. What more could you ask for? The park was definitely one of the gems of Road to Hana. It requires a 3 hour reservation up to a day in advance, which is easy enough to do. The park staff are a little considerate if you go beyond your time, especially if they see you making an effort, but we did see them waiting for us to leave past our given time slot.

During Covid, one needs a time reservation to get in. It was so beautiful with black lava, green vegetation and blue skies. Paths are good and plenty of picnic areas.
The black sand beach had a little rough surf, but still could swim. Beautiful on a nice day.

We spent the night here in the campervan lot which was nice and right next to the bathrooms and showers. It was so great to wake up early and have the beach to ourselves for a bit. The beach was absolutely breathtaking, my absolute favorite spot on the Road to Hana. The cave to the right of the beach was my favorite part. After reading so much about it, it was still incredible to see everything in person as pictures could never do this beautiful park justice. The blowhole was pretty cool, too, on the way you pass another cave opening with a little fence around it, obviously not safe to go in but still cool to see.

We rented 2 cabins in this state park, and stayed for 3 nights. The one issue (only for some :-) was that there is no cell coverage at all, let alone internet. But hey, you come to this beautiful place to view the amazing nature and relax (so it is actually a good thing!). The cabins are very basic, but they are clean and have a shower, bathroom, electric cooking plate, refrigerator and (very important!) an BBQ. Everything is very laid back and the park itself offers amazing views!

Beautiful black sand beach
Beautiful views
But you must have a reservation to enter
Possibility of picnicking

Be sure to stop on your trip to Hana. Our mistake was that we stopped, hiked to the beach and then we hung out for a few minutes and got back on the road. The next time we do this, we will plan more time to swim in the water and hang out at the beach. It's a great place to stop and eat lunch or just relax on the beach.

This stunning coastal park is best known for its volcanic black sand beach, dramatic sea cliffs, and lush greenery. The hiking trails offer breathtaking ocean views, and the lava tubes and freshwater caves add to the park’s unique charm. Reservations are required, so planning ahead is essential, but the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere make it well worth the visit.

Make sure you have a reserved time slot or 2? You could easily spend a day here- make sure you find the lava tubes! We missed them and missed some of the history of the area. The black sand beach is amazing and the waves are fun to play in, there was a decent undercurrent if you get out far enough- be aware! Also the waves come up quite far so don’t be surprised if you get drenched thinking you will just watch! Hike over to the blowhole.

Cool little spot along the Road To Hana. Parking can be tough but it is worth it. Take a swim or just take a photo. Either was it is memorable.

Not worth the money for visitors doing the Road to Hana. The new ticketing system is the stupidest thing I've ever encountered It requires advanced reservations that must be made at least one day in advance and no more than 14 days. You pay $10 for your vehicle and an additional $5 per person in the vehicle. You don't get admission for the entire day, but a mere 2.5-3 hours during a pre-selected time slot. If you happen to get bad weather on the selected day of your visit, too bad! Consider it a donation. Also, the Road to Hana drive time is so unpredictable that it is difficult to select the proper slot. If you get there earlier or later than the times on your pass, you are not admitted. We saw people turned away because they were not aware of the new reservation system. During our trip, we planned to stay on the beach for an hour, but arrived later than planned for our time slot and were told we had to be out at the end of our time. I offered to pay for the next time slot and was rejected. It was a complete waste of time and money while we hurried to get to the black sand beach that wasn't exactly close to the parking lot. Yes, the black sand is cool to see, but otherwise, there just isn't enough there for your money and stress. It was a complete disappointment in every aspect.

Stunning views from this well laid out park. Park encompasses a cemetery. Walkways are easy to maneuver and meander along the walked grave sites. Black sand beach, lava bridge, blow hole and beautiful blue waters. Road is quite rough to get into this free park. Plenty of parking. Glad we stopped!

Excellent views of the formations a volcano leaves behind! Wind and surf are mesmerizing! We could look at this view for hours!

I'd call the things on the beach black rock instead of black sand as they are still quite big and not worn down to sand sizes yet. I'm biased because I've been to the Pololu beach on the Big Island. Otherwise it's an amazing area, with a fun blowhole and caves. Worth a stop on the Road to Hana.

Beautiful black sand beach. The sea is a bit rough here, so swimming for the adept only. There's a nice hike that you can see some great sea arches too

It’s very pretty - black sand and blue water but the beach itself is tiny, rocky and uncomfortable. I would not take kids here- surf is too rough and the beach no fun for them. We stayed 30 min. Had to reserve tickets- Cost $25 which I considered my donation to the upkeep.

This park was amazing
beautiful views of the ocean. A lot of lava rock and caves loved it. Must go!!

Beautiful black sand beach with rock formations and a natural blow hole. This is an absolute must stop along the Road To Hana. It gets crowded later in the day and parking can be a little challenging, but there are lots of spots.

Had 7-10 am reservations and arrived around 7:30 am. Not too many people at that time of morning on the beach. Followed path down to black sand beach, on right, saw entrance to sea cave/lava tube, small opening in rock at ground level, walked in carefully (waves are unpredictable in mouth of tube), can stand up once inside and enjoy view, sea arch on cliffs to right of beach, from beach head back up steps and follow sidewalk out towards cliffs to get a view of arch. This was our first stop on Road to Hana as we wanted to get to the Pipiwa Trail by 9:30 am. Good stop for bathroom and stretch plus good views.

We were amazed at the black sand. It was a first for us to see and experience it. We had driven the "Road to Hana" with our rental car and the last stop before it got dark was Wai'anapanapa State Park. This a must stop if you are doing the Road to Hana on your own. We had enough time to see what we wanted and t take a lot of very nice pictures. It is a must see!

You will need to book a time slot in advance to visit this park and it's iconic black sand beaches. The bathroom is rustic no soap nor paper towel. Remember to be respectful and not take sand or rocks home.

STOP HERE. We do everytime! You won't be disappointed. Crashing waves constantly coming ashore, creating picture perfect spectacular viewing of the ocean spray hitting the black volcanic boulders. There is a great hike to get to a spot to view blowhole. I would consider the hike moderate, with a very narrow uphill climb, but doable for most. Wish we would have packed a lunch to picnic/brought sandwiches from town there as many did. Yes there is a black sand beach and yes it is a popular spot, but it is a sizeable area. But again, the beauty of the mighty blue ocean waves is just really something you cannot see just anywhere. Few spots like this, best one on Maui. Other great beaches but you do not get the drama of the force of nature. NOTE: The trip out to Hana is a full day adventure. Enjoy your trip to the most beautiful place on earth.

Beautiful and unique! View from the overlook was stunning! So glad we made reservations for this stop at Waianapanapa State Park!

This is overpriced...$30 for a 3 hour time slot. Views are okay but comparable with other spots on the island if you do some research. Staff were rude, bathrooms not clean, and one of the main attractions, the freshwater cave pool, was CLOSED. Road in was also in need of repair...for $30 a vehicle- more should be provided.

Beautiful sacred place. This says it all. Take your time here. Sit and be quiet. Say your prayers to the ancestors and guardians of this sacred land. Ask permission and give respect. This place is truly amazing... approach with reverence and take the time to receive the gifts which are given in return.

Tried to go to see black sand beach, my husband has been here before and never needed a reservation, we got turned around at the gate due to not having a reservation for that day and the lady working the front entrance was quite rude about us not knowing we needed a reservation this time to get in.

We had an amazing experience on Hawaii! The beaches, the lovely, foliage, the fun!! What a blast! Nine of us just hanging out and loving each other.....perfect time! Even the rocks were having a good time! Be sure to take a really big towel and extra sunscreen. Enjoy!!

Spent about an hour here. The black sand beach is something to see, but the blowhole was great as well. Depending on the weather conditions you can swim. No chance the day we went the ocean was rough. The lava caves are great to see. Photos really don't do it justice

Must see stop on the Road to Hana! You must book at least 24 hours prior and for specific timeslot so plan ahead!! We spent 2 hours checking out all the different overlooks, easy hike, lava tube, and of course the black sand beach itself. The beach however is small and can get crowded even with the reservation policy so I wouldn't choose it as a relaxing beach day option. Plenty of park benches and areas to picnic. Absolutely loved the views of the volcanic rock and splashing waves!

Perhaps we caught it on a bad day, but after spending two enjoyable and peaceful days in Hana, we found this park to be overcrowded and kind of stressful. Due to the amount of people at the park, and the fact that the beach itself looked like it was already filled with people, we decided not to go all the way down to the beach. The walk to get to the beach, for what it is worth, is quite long. To be sure, the location is beautiful. It just felt like tourist central, which seemed incongruous with the location.

We paid in advance for parking and admission for a family of 5, $35. We drove 4 hours from west Maui to get there, but arrived past our check in time window and they turned us away. It is hard to make it within a 30 minute window when driving that far with a family. Enjoy the free money. Also, the people in this area are unwelcoming to visitors. So much for the aloha spirit!

Beautiful black sand beach and fun, wild waves to swim in. It is extremely crowded with tourists by the afternoon. The car camping is really just in a parking lot.

Was a nice place to take a break from all of our travels. Nice walking trails and clean bathrooms for the public.

We stopped and spent some time walking the black sands in the State Park. Its a nice climb out onto the rock formations on the point. We happened to be there on a day with someone dressed in a dinosaur outfit was on the beach.. It was pretty funny watching them chase kids into the water. All in all definitely worth the stop

Beautiful beach with striking views. Beach is rough to swim in with very strong waves. Does get alot of people and is not a big beach. There are big black pebbles and rough sand. Water shoes recommended but also athletic or hiking shoe if you plan to climb to view points which are very rocky. There is a small cave right on the beach. For less crowds come very early or if not too afraid to drive at night late afternoon. Lots of parking in area and restroom.

Beautiful place but it is certainly a hot spot for visitors so getting an isolated photo without people in it will be hard. The black sand is little smooth lava pebbles or stones. The waves were ferocious the day we went so be careful. Hike to the blowhole which isn't too far and you'll get away from most of the people.

Restrooms and picnic areas are available.

Beautiful stop to see the black sand beach off the Hana highway. Busy place but lots of parking and facilities.

The black sand, the tunnels and the incredible surf drew us to this place. The terrain is easier than some beaches, and the tunnels and arches fascinating and breath-taking.

This was definitely worth going to, and we were so glad we made reservations. We were a bit early for our time slot, and they did let us in. In addition to the beach, there are some walking trails that take you out to some awesome views.

Most beautiful, natural place I've ever experienced. It was a long drive down Hana highway and this area is near the end of the Hana HWY. There was a sign with "WAIANAPANAPA Park" and a left arrow - so we took it. So glad we did! Actually went in spring 1990, before tourists and parking charges. We were the only ones there...Besides the wild, tropical birds (never before seen kind - beautiful colors). They just landed peacefully on my shoulders and arms. There are picnic tables, but I wouldn't count on a clean bathroom. The scenery is atmosphere is unforgettable. We almost felt like Adam and Eve. Enjoy while you can.

There is not much else to say but BLACK SAND BEACHES!! This was my favorite place along the Hana Highway. STOP here if you make the trip!

This was a super cool experience. Had a little cave and hiking trails as well as the beach. Beautiful! Great for all ages and affordable. Early morning seemed less busy.

This is a highlight on the Road to Hana. We started early (7:30 at the start of the road) and didn't stop a ton but this place was very busy when we arrived. Beautiful location with amazing views and rough surf - would not recommend swimming but people were trying anyway. I don't think there are any lifeguards.

There are hiking trails on both sides of the beach, with some stairs.

If the parking lot is full, drive around because people come and go.

To reach the beach, turn left before the yellow gate at the camping area of the park.... continue further and you'll drop into the parking lot.

We had a spectacular couple of hours at Wai’anapanapa State Park while on the Road to Hana. We had lunch up at the picnic area and then spent some time just walking and relaxing down on the beach. This was the first time I’d ever seen a black sand beach and it was truly breathtaking. The views from the cliffs above are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. I also enjoyed interacting with the feral cats up on the cliffs too! This is a must stop on the Road to Hana, for sure!

The visit must be planned and timed with military precision. Too bad if your little ones can not be good soldiers. Who, in sane mind, demands visit at the pre-appointed time for a limited time slot to enjoy their visit? A slight delay or weather not permitting means your entrance fees are lost. Such bad attitude towards tourists!

We visited the first week of February and the chose a 12:30 reservation time. Drove the back road to Hana, stopped to see the Oheo Gulch (didn't hike Pipiwai) and then continued on. Arrived right on time and the place was perfect. Some may want water shoes for walking on the beach (it's more small pebbles than black sand). Loved exploring the lava tube and all the surrounding grounds. Such an incredibly gorgeous spot.

We actually didn’t stay due to overcrowding. This place has bathrooms and grills for picnics, but the beach area is relatively small. Other options are so much more worth it.

We stopped by as recommended by the app we used during our road trip to Hana. The application indicated to park at the end of the road, big mistake we ended up parking near the entrance. Enjoyed walking around and to the beach, even enjoyed seeing the graves around us. Beautiful black sand beach but very packed. Bathroom and showers are nearby. I would recommend walking around.

So many people stop here on the Road to Hana, there is a constant parade. I recommend you take a bit more time, have a seat on the tiny black pebbles and go for a swim. I had a great time in the waves and exploring the caves and surrounding area.

Was unaware that we needed reservations prior to visiting. The park staff was rude about this and quickly informed us that reservations were alrwady fully booked for the next three days.

We traveled in Dec 2019 to this beach area. Plenty of people- even on a rainy day. I would recommend this location to anyone visiting the island

This was a most wonderful experience for us. The black sand beach is spectular. Must go down lots of steps to get to the beach, it is small but beautiful. We walked the whole park. There is a cemetery for certain families which were well maintained and unique. The rocks were for some to climb to the top and jump, we were lucky to see several jump. If you are a camper, stay here. Great Park.

We visit Waianapanapa State Park on our first visit to Maui in October 2019. Of course, this meant we took the Road to Hana to get there. And that road is frustrating and long. So, we were hoping this place was worth it. And it was.

•We got there early. I want to say by 9:00 AM (this meant we had to leave West Maui at 6:00 AM). At that time, we were one of only about 5 cars there when we arrived. I am glad we did this, because by the time we left the park, it was super crowded.
•When you arrive, you will be tempted to park in the first parking lot. Don’t do this, instead turn left and park down towards the end of the road. This section is closer to the Black Sand Beach and most ‘attractions’ of the park.
•We first checked out the beach from the top via a paved walkway / observation area. What a beautiful view! After that, you head down a small number of stairs to hit the black sand beach.
•Before we jumped in the water, we walked the trail on the left side of the beach (looking out towards the ocean). It’s a dirt and lava stone trail that offers some more amazing views of the black sand beach, ocean, and jagged lava cliffs. There was no one else on this trail, I don’t think many people either know about it or care to do it. But I suggest it, because it offered some exercise (after sitting in a car for so long) and great views most people don’t see. I think it goes for two miles, but we turned around about after one. It does get pretty technical and less defined the further you go. If you do go, I suggest closed shoes only (tennis or hiking shoes).
•After our short hike, we jumped in the water and spent the rest of the morning swimming. When we were there (say about 10:00 AM is when we swam), it started getting pretty populated with people. The water was pretty calm and super relaxing to swim in. We had so much fun swimming and relaxing in the water. And the views all around are amazing.
•Also, right on the same beach, there are a few sea caves you can check out. You basically have to crouch way down (or crawl) through smaller spaces to get there, but then you are in caves that look out into the ocean. Pretty cool bonus fun on the beach!

While we didn’t do everything this park has to offer (you could make a whole day out of it), even just the hike, beach, water and sea caves were well worth the long drive there and back. It looks like a picture perfect postcard when you first see it and you will feel like you are in one as you explore the area. If you make the drive to Hana and don’t stop here, you are crazy!

This was one of our highlights in hana. Go early as we did (8 am) no people around. The black beach looks unreal.

Yes, the famous black sand beach is here. However, it's in this state park that is really much more. If you're a camper and want to spend a few days exploring, this is a good place to do it. The grounds are fairly expansive with foot paths and trails, along with ample signage. There are also decent washrooms and public restrooms available.

It's a busy area with visitors coming and going. Yet, one really has to make an effort to spend time at this place. So, it's not too packed like other stops on the Hana Highway. At least that was our impression on the day we went.

While we stopped there to rest a bit and primarily see this black sand beach, we were impressed with the other amenities available.

Perhaps a word of caution: Parking area. It goes without saying that if you don't practice good safety with your car/rental, you certainly set yourself up for a break in or theft. We do that anyway, and when we parked made sure the car was locked and nothing visible inside for someone to see and steal. Clearly, that is an issue at this state park since ther was obvious signage stating this.

So, enjoy yourself here with a short or long visit. But, be careful with potential car break in issues. If you want more info (and you should) the state park has a great website, explaining all the aspects.

We stopped here for lunch on our Road to Hana drive (we went the full way around). The beach and rocks are awe-inspiring. Note that during COVID advance reservations were necessary.

This was one of our stops during our road trip to Hana. We did not swim at the beach because of lack of time. Plus trekking down to the beach is a bit of a workout (for a family with a toddler and 2 super seniors but still agile and independent albeit stubborn, 87 year olds). The park is big but parking can get tricky since it is a popular destination. Bathrooms are available (thank goodness!) and there are picnic tables under the shade of trees even! We also saw people camping (by reservation only) but one can also set up tent for the day to escape the heat. This was a good treat for us since black sand beaches are rare. So if you're up for the road trip, this should be a stop for your guys.

Spent some time here wandering from place to place seeing the sights. Very well kept by the State and with interesting features to view - the main one being the black sand beach - until you see it you don’t really compute it!

Park has nice walk around a burial site (traditional Hawaiian) and cliffs into the sea. Nice beach below, and surf on ricks, including an arch and blow hole. Worth a stop.

Make your reservation! This is a beautiful beach. However, as other reviewers have said, it is dangerous. We are not ocean swimmers, but love to stand at the edge to let the waves wash over our feet. The waves were very rough and knocked me down. A few minutes later, I realized I had a skinned up knee and thumb-minor injuries. It was great fun to sit and watch others in the water. To the right of the beach is a beautiful little sea cave-I wasn't going to go in at first-you have to duck down pretty low. Once you are past the first low spot, you can stand up. It was an absolutely fabulous view-I could have stayed in there for hours!! We had booked 2 reservations, we weren't sure what time we would arrive. However, we stayed for about 1 1/2 hours and then went on to resume our Road to Hana experience.

Don't drive to Hana without seeing Black Sand Beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park! Beautiful area. Perfect place to rest and have lunch before your reverse drive of Hana road.

This beach is indeed beautiful and a wonderful stop on the Hana Highway to swim. However, be advised that the "black sand" is in large part black rocks, and you will need swim shoes to walk around comfortably. We were in pain ourselves, but we also spent an enjoyable afternoon watching other people painfully tiptoe to the water and back. There are some nice trails around the beach, too. So, footwear is important.

The Wai'anapanapa State Park is just off the Road to Hani and is certainly worth the visit, more so than going into Hani. The Black Sand Beach is smaller. However, there are other less traveled hiking trails adjacent to the beach with awesome views of a blow hole with jagged rocks/cliffs. Further up the trail is a black sand beach not directly accessible. The Road to Hani is a challenging drive of roughly 80-90 miles with many single lane bridges and winding curves to maneuver along the way. Challenging drive, though views in this area of Maui are worth seeing.

The beach itself is fabulous, but the pitted, rough and bumpy road to it is horrendous. We made it on time, our reservation was for 12:30. We park and get out to find changing rooms/restrooms. Well, they are CLOSED and our only options are in porta potties or change in our vehicle. We choose the vehicle. What are they doing with the money they are collecting?? $10 per vehicle and $5 per person. They sure aren't using it for the actual park. A real disgrace. Make sure you bring hand wipes because you won't find much soap at the stops.

Although a sizeable parking lot, we had to drive the pot-holed loop and almost had to leave but luckily got a spot at 2 pm in the afternoon. Good luck finding parking at this time. If we had come around 3:30 (the time we left), it would have been easier to find free spots. It is a small beach but quite picturesque: black "sand" (felt like walking on coffee grounds), surrounded by green vegetation and waves of blue water. You can't miss the lava tube cave on your right as you face the water. If you take the hike on your left, you will get incredible views of the beach and see a blowhole. Wear good shoes -- the hike can be trying on your knees. The beach was crowded but likely limited by the number of people who could find parking.

Make sure you get a reservation online before going. We saw folks get turned away who didn't have one.

That said, this is a great stop: Black Sand beach, lava rocks, beautiful lookout for pictures, and even a small ocean cave to explore. You'll eat through your reservation window so try to get there at the start to maximize your time.

Picnic tables, bathrooms, and an outdoor shower are available here too.

This beach (also known as the black sand beach) is definitely worth a stop when driving the Road to Hana. Just MAKE SURE that you have reservations prior to arrival or you will be denied entry. We reserved for the 3:00 time slot, and it wasn’t busy at all. The beach is clean and very beautiful. The sand is very rough on your feet, so you might want to wear water shoes if you plan on swimming.

Popular beach requiring reservations. Beautiful black sand and easily accessible by steps (no need to climb over rocks or anything). Nice hiking trails around too and restrooms. Waves are very strong, easily could knock you off feet. Waves also have tendency to steal people’s belongings from the shore!!

As you go down the steps there is a small cave that you can enter and see the waves entering on the other side. Beautiful.

There are very nice views of the ocean and the cove here. Stroll around the grounds and enjoy the views.

I will preface this review by saying that the black sand beach and surrounding trails are beautiful and must be seen by everyone driving to Hana. This being said, we went here during the Covid 19 pandemic and had an absolutely horrifying run in with the parking enforcement. We were supposed to leave the beach by 3 pm and in fact did, but were 10 minutes late leaving the parking lot itself. when we went to leave we were locked in the parking lot by the worker running the parking enforcement. We were able to push the gate open and make it to the front entrance and the parking enforcement worker would not let us leave and actually made us drive back and shut the gate that we had exited before she would let us leave. Once we returned to the front entrance of the parking lot the worker began to berate us in front of myself, wife and daughter. She began screaming at us and told us to "get the f out of here." When we asked her to stop using profanity in front of our daughter she replied "Why don't you teach your daughter to follow directions." I have never been treated like this by a state worker in my entire life and felt like a hostage in this state park. Also all toilets were clogged and no toilet paper in the restrooms, not to mention they had no soap to wash your hands during a pandemic. I will never be back.

Awesome state park with amazing coastal view of waves and breakers along the shore. A bit of a hike to the black sand beach area which is not that big but full of people. A great place to view the ocean and enjoy the surroundings. If you have time take a detour and view the blow holes. A small Hawaiian cemetery overlooking the sea is close by the trail leading down to the beach. Must be a great place to camp. Has washroom and outdoor shower area.

This really is quite an amazing sight - a jet black sand beach amid the verdant green Maui scenery.
This is a short drive off the main road to Hana, along a road that increasingly deteriorates as you near the carpark, but the carpark is huge, and has good facilities.
Head to the right for views of the beach, or head as far left as you can for for the shortest walk down to the beach.
If you're not swimming, this has a nice safe path with great views, and no need to trek down to the beach.
There are freshwater pools nearby, but these have now been fenced off for safety reasons.
Tour groups jump the fence and still head down there, but there's little to see at the end unless you wish to swim in the cave.

We booked the Afternoon I slot which was 12:30 - 3pm, we get that it is popular but weird for this state park to be so inflexible about changes and refunds. Iao Valley allows for changes 2 days prior but this park does not. You also had to print out the QR code when other parks allowed the electronic version (screenshot would've worked too). Major attraction was the black sand beach, average restroom and picnic tables. Expected more from this state park.

This is a neat area, but make sure you get reservations! You have to have them! The black sand beach is really pretty!

Stunning views of the beaches and short trails to walk and experience the beach with black stone marbles. Few trails to walk around to experience more views of the beach.

You can plan to spend couple of hours. There is camping area if you like to camp. Assume you need to book well ahead.

This is a rocky beach. To get here, you have to have all going well, planning and the entrant in good mood to let you in. We like the concept of visitor number control but what we did not like is the rigidity and rushness for tourists.

On a long trip but worth it when you see Black beach. Bring along a picnic lunch to eat when you arrive and enjoy a leisurely stroll around the park and beach.

The park itself was nice and well maintained, with facilities including restrooms, picnic area, and beach shower. This makes for a good rest stop along the road to Hana.

The black sand beach was nice to see for the novelty of it. The water is clear up close and blue at a distance, not cold on the feet. Overall, this is probably worth a stop at least once, and maybe for about 20 minutes to soak in the surroundings, snap a set of photos, perhaps check out the lava tube (I abstained).

However, the "sand" of this "beach" was more like a field of little black pebbles. It's not quite as a sharp as, say, gravel, but not so smooth and soft as one might hope to find at a beach of Maui. I happened along an isolated patch of proper sand within a mass of the little beady rocks. Unsure if this is normal for a black sand beach, having never visited the one(s) at the Big Island.

It was a bit crowded at the time of my visit.

Unfortunately, after a 2+ hour drive to Hana, plus a 30-min stop in Hana, we were still 45 min early for our 12:30-3pm reservation time at the State Park. We had traveled up to Haleakala for sunrise (highly recommend) and left our hotel at 3:15am. We did not want to sit around in Hana for an additional 45 min. Our crew was restless and wanted to return to the hotel.
The QR code scanning folks at the entrance to Wai’anapanapa State Park would not let us in early. There were three of them sitting under a tent looking at each other as of they had never heard of someone arriving early. The parking lots appeared empty. It was raining and we did not see one car come or go when we were on the offshoot road to the park. Ultimately, between the three of the QR code scanner people, they arrived at the decision that we needed to wait until 10 min prior to our reservation to enter. Even though we were very disappointed and a little confused with their decision (especially after an incredibly long car ride with two kids), we opted to leave and head back to the hotel. We will not attempt to go back. The reservation folks would not refund our $35 entrance fee either. Beware…don’t arrive too early or show up late for your reservation time slot.

I thought this was the best place on the entire road to hana... more impressive than the pools. Camping here isn't the most luxurious but seeing the sunrise here was unforgettable.

A short walk takes you to an overlook surrounded with blowholes or you can go the other way to a black sand beach. Either way is incredibly beautiful.

First time stopping at thos beach and glad we did. There are some rougher waves here and they are strong at times but the kids loved it and we had a blast!

This was our first stop on our day long trip on the Road to Hana. We were staying in Kihei and it took about 2 hours to get to the park. We had 10:00 reservations and arrived on the dot. We did a short hike to the Black Sand Beach and walked into the small "cave". We then hiked about 1/2 mile up the trail directly behind Black Sand Beach where we had some great views. We walked down to Black Sand Beach and got wet to cool off. We walked back towards the entrance and had a picnic lunch at one of their tables. We were out of the park at exactly 12:30 (when our reservations ended). I believe it was $10 to park plus $5 per person to enter the park and I had to make the reservations at least a couple weeks ahead if time.

Definitely worth the hassle. It's a beautiful beach with big waves! You need to reserve parking up to 2 weeks prior to going there. The park's website said they do not accept same day reservations, but I was able to make a last minute same day reservation for the 3:00 - 6:00 time slot. Just check their website and see if it will allow you to make last minute reservations if needed.

Don't stop at the beach, go explore the trail. Great views, and even saw a turtle swimming in the bay.

Stopped while on Road to Hana tour. Beautiful lava rock formations in water. Several people enjoying the beach and all looked to be having a great time. Since this was on a Sunday, it seemed to very popular with the locals. Park area could have been a bit cleaner, but generally well cared for and could have been a bit messier due to large crowd. Very scenic setting and well worth a stop on the Road to Hana.

Reservations are required and are pricey based on parking and the number of people going in. Maui is overrun with tourists right now and this place is overcrowded, despite the reservations. It is a beautiful bay with a black sand (gravel/rock) beach. Swimming is not recommended as the surf is ROUGH! I wish I would have had more time to walk around the whole park. Not sure I'd do it again.

This is a beautiful park and the black sand beaches are not to be missed. Worth the crazy drive. The beach is not large so it may get crowded. We arrived late afternoon and there was plenty of parking.

This site gives you a great sense of the power of the sea, along with the blowholes and lava rock shoreline. Picture perfect location. Our tour guide on the trip to Hana made this stop and I think it to be one of the most beautiful locations on the trip.

We were fortunate to rent cabin 10 for 3 nights in January and were unsure of what to expect, however, the cabin was clean and very comfortable with a fridge and microwave. There are no dishes or linens but there were also no bugs. It's a great place to stay as you have many trails to hike and falling asleep with the waves crashing against the cliffs was wonderful.

On the Road to Hana and Mile Maker 32 you need to have reservations in order to enter the park. Reservations are available in 2.5 hour time slots throughout the day. It is $5 per person plus a $10 entry fee if you are driving a vehicle. Reservations are available 30 days in advance of your desired visit day and must be made at least one day in advance. They do sell out so I would book as soon as you can. At the park they had a lava tube and a blow hole in addition to the iconic black sand beach. There were porta potties and rinse off stations available. Beach is a bit tight, tighter when the tide is in. There as a lot of smooth rocks which were painful on the feet, especially when trying to get in/out of the water, if you have water shoes, here is a good place to wear them. The water was a bit rough so be careful to those who are not good swimmers. You can hike up to the blow hole which overlooks the beach. When the waves come in, it travels up the lava rock and sprays viewers, that was fun. We had a great time here and spent the whole allotted time here. If you can’t get a reservation or forgot to and happen to be traveling to The Big Island there are additional black sand beaches there.

We visited BSB a couple of years ago, but we didn't spend the time there I would have liked so I was excited to see it again and stay longer this visit with our children. Things had changed though, and now you need a reservation and have to pay a fee to visit. The beach is difficult to get to and making your reservation is very challenging. When we arrived, I was bothered by the rude "Carnies" who were there to check your reservation and even more disturbed by how rundown the beach had become in such a short time. The restrooms were squalid and many sections were blocked off without explanation. The beach, although iconic, is really not impressive close up (It's not really black "Sand" but small, feet-hurting pebbles). If you're staying a week or less, there are far move impressive things to see.

Beautiful stop to enjoy the scenery and the black sand beach. Be sure to have flip flops or beach shoes... those rocks can hurt!

Also check out the lava cave opening to the right once you go down the steps. Then walk past the beach and hike up along the cliffs. You’ll enjoy the beautiful scenery, including viewing the rock bridge in the distance.

This is a must do stop. Parking can be a bit challenging. There’s a restroom and an area to wash off the beach sand before you resume your drive.

Ok if you are not from Hawaii you have to pay a fee and make a reservation. The major attraction is the black sand beach, a sight to be hold.

The beach was beautiful and the hike up the slope was unbelievably beautiful. We had sturdy hiking shoes but saw lots of people in flip flops that were struggling. The farther you go down the trail, the rockier and more difficult the footing becomes. You are hiking on black lava and it gets very hot and there’s not a lot of shade so bring water!

This is probably one of the few "must stop" places on the Road to Hana. We were on a tour so did not encounter any of the staff upon entering the parking lot. Looking at the reviews, probably best we didn't. Our tour provided us one hour to explore the black sand beach and its surroundings. After walking down a flight of stairs, we reached the black sand beach with lava tubes situated on the side. We transversed the black sand beach and carefully climbed some rocky trails to reach the blow hole at the top of the trail. There you get to see the water blow hole as well as the sea stone arch across the water. A tip for those wanting to walk the beach and hike the trail: wear sturdy shoes because the rocks will hurt your feet both on the beach and the trail. Also, do not do the trail to the blowhole is you have knee or walking issues...

This review is about the management and the gatekeeper at this park. For the park itself: the black beach is not that impressive (very small, there are much better ones on Big Island and other ones in Hana, where nobody talks about) the coastal trail is quite nice. Not sure if it's worth the hassle with this terrible people?!
What happened? We made a reservation the day before our trip and when I finished the payment, I immediately received the information from my credit card that the payment went through. At the same time the website said that it is an invalid transaction, so I didn't receive a QR code or a confirmation. I made screenshots of this page and wrote an email to the park. No response. Next day we went to the park and I explained the situation and showed my payment, the screenshots and the email. This all didn't help, they wanted to have a QR code. Finally they said we can do another reservation right now and they will pay us one amount back. For this reservation we needed an internet connection. The gatekeeper told us we have to go back to Hana (in an unfriendly way) We started to drive back but realized OUTSIDE of the park that there is an internet connection and we parked our car about 50feet from the entrance, without obstructing anyone, and started to do the reservation on their website. Suddenly I heard the gatekeeper shouting and thought there must be a problem with somebody else. Then the shouting started with a megaphon(!) and we realized that the gatekeeper meant us(!?) So we drove our car to him and he was beside himself and insulted us and told us to leave HIS park immediately. WHAT?!?! We told him that we only tried to do the reservation but he didn't even listen.
UNBELIEVABLE, we felt like criminals. The behavior was so ridiculous and exaggerated.

We visited the park another day, it was a different gatekeeper but still unfriendly! From the management we heard back 5 days later, no hello, no goodbye just a standardized unfriendly message. At least at the end we got our money back.

Absolutely loved getting to see the black sand. Stopped her and ate lunch on my drive to Hana. The views are amazing.

Beautiful park to visit, we really enjoyed the black sand beach. The ocean view is very beautiful. Can recommend for everyone.

This park was so nice loved the black sand beach the water was warm I found the lava tube so interesting I enjoyed people-watching here.

Black sand beach, lava tube, blowhole what’s not to love. We hit a windy, rainy day so didn’t get to do as much as possible but it is a rainforest.

If you're on Road to Hana, you have to stop. Plenty of parking, which is great. We went to the beautiful unique Black Sand beach. If you have time, go for a swim, but even if you can't stop to put your toes in the sand. There's a cool lava tube near the beach as well. Beautiful coastline.

With dark black sand, lush green vegetation, blue water and white sea foam, I was amazed during my entire visit; this place is beautiful. We visited during a stormy day, and the blowholes were going crazy and there were so many waves crashing into the shores, but people were loving it, wearing ponchos and trying to get photos of sea spray.

You have to go here!!

Ah the warm Hawaiian water surrounded by black lava mounds and lush foliage was a sight to behold and a great place to picnic. The pure black sand sparkled in the sun. Something I’d never seen or will forget.

My wife and I visited and camped here last week. What a beautiful spot! We drove in about 3pm. There were already around 10 tents set up, but there is a big area to camp. We found a great area under a tree with an oceanfront view. After setting up the tent and changing into our swimsuits, it started pouring down rain! This is Hana for you, sunny one minute and stormy the next. To kill some time during the rain, we jumped in the Jeep and drove into town and went to the Hana Ranch Store. We picked up some hotdogs (which were delicious) and then headed back to the park. It had stopped raining and we went for a swim on the beach. It felt amazing to get in the water after the rain. Camping there was a great choice. We walked on the beach by ourselves at night under the stars and even went in the cave. Also, the next morning was perfect; again we had the beach to ourselves and amazing sunrise views. As for the facilities, there are restrooms and outdoor showers. These are public showers, not private stalls, so we showered off in our swimsuits. Overall, a great experience.

My first ever Black Sand Beach. There are little caves/hikes around the area which end up into the ocean.

We saw many people stop at the top and not go down to the beach. They missed out on a lot. When you get to the beach, you turn right and are able to duck and walk into a sea cave, with an ocean entrance as well and when the tide is right it gets its own blow hole. It was quit fun, not quit sure when you might get wet. We hiked on out past the beach to the next ocean front cliff, maybe a hundred yard climb, and found fantastic views of how the ocean was sky rocketing its waves from hitting the front of the cliff. At times it would send the spray 50 feet high or more. We loved it.

As you’re making your way through the Road to Hana, this is definitely not a stop you want to pass up. The Black Sand Beach, Lava Tube, and surrounding hikes are beautiful. You will want to plan on spending at least 45-60 minutes here! We drove the Road to Hana ourselves by utilizing the app Shaka Guide, and highly recommend that. You’re able to manage your own time and stop for as long (or as short!) as you’d like at each place.

This is an incredible place to spend time. The views are incredible. The black sand beach is so unique. It looks like caviar. There is a lava cave.
Great trails to explore that in general are easy to navigate. No need for a tour. At a minimum, be prepared to spend an hour, but easily can spend a half day or full day.
Bathroom facilities are clean and good

Nice place to stop in hana to go on the volcanic beach and swim in the ocean. Also has a lava tube leading to a rougher part of the ocean with discovering.

Only if going to hana.

I had paid for 4 entry fees and the dude at the entrance was very rude and lied to us saying we could not enter the park because we had the wrong admission. Later I found out that he had lied to me. My family drove for 4 hours to see this place. Beware of this guy scamming visitors at the entrance. Not sure why so much hate against visitors.

We had our 2020 trip canceled due to covid. Finally we rescheduled and one of the first things we did was get up before sunrise and take the road to Hana using a tour App.
when we arrived we were told we needed reservations to get in. UUUUGH Beautiful drive there though

What I found surprising at this beach (aside from the striking black sand) was just how soft the black sand was. I was expecting it to be like small rocks, which there were a lot of, but the sand at the actual beach was soft. It’s a nice place to swim around in the water. There are caves at this park too, so take your time to explore around. Bathrooms and washing stations are available. This beach is definitely a must see if you’re on the Road to Hana!

We were camping there. It was lovely. We did short hikes to the black sand beach and to the blow hole which was great.
As for camping it is one grass area that you put the tent wherever you want, we had ocean view which was great but no privacy for camping spots. Nice for one night but not several days.

Had to see the Black Sand beach on the Road to Hana. Fortunately another traveler had tipped us off that you need advance reservations - felt bad for a lot of people who didn't know and were getting turned away. Black sands were cool but it was a bit crowded and once you have seem them time to move on. We spend too long (about one hour) hiking around and using the restrooms and wish we had more time to do some other hikes.

This is a beautiful state park with very nice walking path and much to see! The black sand beach is something to see. There is a small sea cave to go in that is pretty amazing also. We only stopped for a short time on our trip on the road to Hana so we could stay very long, but it looks like it would be a great camping spot.

A beach with black sand???? Couple that with volcanic rocks, a blow hole, and palm trees........totally an unbelievable experience!!!!!!!!

Lots of buses and people traveling down a very narrow road with plenty of pot holes. Everyone seemed frustrated here including the staff. I don't mind supporting a state park and paying to enter but this one needs some work to make it a little easier to access.

This was a great place to stop of our way to Hana! The black sand beach is beautiful. Several hiking paths you can take. We continued to the lava fields after the beach. Great views up and down the coast.

Got 2 reservations one for 7-10 then 10-12 since I did not know how long the drive would be. We left hotel at 635 and got to black sand about 9:30 with just about 2 stops. one for coffee and one for a bathroom break but the coffee place was closed. Nothing is really open that early. All the stops along the way were closed except for some bread stand. Black sand beach was warm, cave was fun. Lots of rocks so just be careful as with any hikes. The rock shore line goes pretty far, we didn't venture out, it was just too hot. Stayed by the cave and water then left. About an hour is enough time. After that we headed to red sand beach, lunch the drove home and hit the twin falls on the way back. We didn't have enough time for anything else but I did the road to hana 15 years ago and hit alot of the other spots. Make your reservations at least a week in advance.

The State Park contains a lot of different sights and things to do. We went here to appreciate the remoteness of the location, the blow holes, lava tubes and lovely beaches. It has the lot, be aware the drive from Lahaina, where we were staying, will take at least 2.5 hours. Worth it nonetheless.

We drove the hana yesterday. Paid to enter the park.
road is rough going in and we bottomed out with mustang a few times.
Black sand beach is overrated but a nice hike.

We bought our visitor tickets for entry and parking for two shifts. 7-10:30 and 10:30-12:30 and that was plenty of time to swim, explore, hike, picnic before continuing on the Hana Highway. Get your tickets right away when they become available on the website. It is a beautiful park and area. There are restrooms, water, picnic tables. You will need ID and ticket to enter the park. There are also cabins available for camping. That would be a fun adventure. Beautiful!

Not a popular opinion but I don’t think it was worth the hassle. The beach itself is absolutely beautiful but it’s small and crowded. I can’t imagine what it would be like without having to make appointments. It’s one of those things that I’m glad I had a chance to see and experience but now that I’ve checked it off the list, I don’t think I’d go out of my way to go back.

You need advanced reservations for this park and a small fee. It is $10.00 to park and $5.00 per person. We were greeted by the rudest young ladies possible. The parking is very limited but that is why you have reserved times. Not sure how they monitored that. The beach is magnificent. The day we were there the water was very rough. We had read about a lava tube and freshwater pools but as there is NO signage we did not get to see this. The facilities are atrocious!!! Absolutely disgusting. Not sure where the money they collect is going but it is not to the facilities they have on-site. It is very beautiful here but I can't get over the negative feelings I have. I will never be going back.

Glad we made reservations to visit this stop along our Road to Hana trip. Of note, we could not get a cell signal when entering the park so had to turn around and go back out until we got service to download/screenshot the QR code from the reservation. Saw several other cars that had to do this too. It's a quick visit with the blow hole, black sand beach, beautiful sea arches and ocean views. It's was smaller than I had envisioned and thought there were other areas in the park we wanted to visit based on reviews/research but we were told to stay on the trail/pathways so not sure if there was another entrance or location for other sites within the park.

Wow! It was amazing to see a black sand beach. The road to Hana was a little intimidating but the views were amazing. I wore flip flops probably a mistake on my part definitely being tennis shoes to hike to see even more, and see the blow hole.

In Hana, this is a must stop location to see several natural formations. First is the Holokalani Beach - a beautiful black sand beach. It’s not very wide but lots of people sunning, swimming and walking. You have to walk along this beach to get to the rugged trail to view the Wai’anapanapa Blow hole up close, otherwise view it from a distance along the paved hiking path. From the hiking paths, there are several natural arch formations created by lava and the ocean. It’s neat to go see the arches up close, but be careful not to get too close walking along the jagged lava formations.

We first stopped by in the early evening, and the place was packed. We spent the night in Hana and showed up there at sunrise, and had the whole place to ourselves. I'd strongly recommend staying up North to get the best views of this place

A visit to Wai'anapanapa State Park and its Black Sand Beach is a highlight along the Road to Hana. It is definitely worth spending 1-2 hours here. The beach contrasted against the lush green vegetation and the blue water makes for a stunning sight. It is very worth hiking along the coastal trail north of the beach. Spectacular views all along the way. You will need to reserve a timed entry to access the parking lot at the state park. Reservations can be made up to 30 days before arrival at the park's website. There are several time blocks you can choose from beginning at 7am. I chose the 1230p-3pm. You must arrive withing 30 minutes of your designated start time or else you may be denied entry. No problem finding a parking spot as visitors frequently come and go. For non-residents, it costs $5/person and $10 per car to enter.

The views, the water, black sand beach & lava tube which opens out to the water were just fantastic. The blow hole wasn't doing much the day we were there but that's ok. The beach was busy, but was expected. A must stop, even if just to look around for a bit.

Excellent Swim & Explore site. Camping is permitted. Hiking trails and Black Sandshore is a marvel. Great Place to break from driving and have lunch. Watch out for the mosquitos.

Beach is small but beautiful. Sometimes the waves are gentle and swimming is good. The trails leading north and south from the beach are both well worth the hike.

Beyond beautiful! Definitely a place to visit! The best time to go is in the morning, less crowded. Make sure to hike for the beautiful scenery.

It is a beautiful place. The contrast of black rock, ocean and green plants are beautiful. Don't like the people who charge you to get in. I've been a resident for years now and they always give me a hard time.

Nice place to put your toes in the water and avoid going to far out. Great picnic area and views from the many trails.

Black sand! Where else in the world do you get to see a world with black sand? That, alone, makes this place a must visit. The fact the water is cool and the waver awesome for playing, makes it even better.

Just gorgeous! My husband and I stopped here with friends while on the Road to Hana. We ate our picnic lunch here on picnic tables (there are hungry cats around but they are not aggressive). Then we walked down the wide stairs with railings to the small but beautiful black sand beach. There is also a sea arch which you can see from the beach. Afterwards go back up the stairs, wash your sandy feet off at the foot showers and hit the restrooms before continuing you trip to Hana. Although often crowded, there is enough room to enjoy. Personally, I think it is a "must stop" on the Road to Hana.

It was beautiful but the beach is very small so gets crowded easily. Beach is rocky and waves are rough. There is better free beaches on the road to Hana.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Road to Hana from the back of a Harley Davidson and our beautiful walk through the park. So many breathtaking views.

The road into the park is not safe for a vehicle to travel on much less a motorcycle. You had to wait for a good bit of time until there was not another vehicle entering so that you could maneuver around the enormous pot holes.

Spectacular views. The park is big; allot 2 hours for sightseeing, even if you don't swim. There's some walking and easy hiking to see from higher areas. The reservation system ensures it doesn't get crowded inside.
The black sand beach was a sight to see too. We did not swim though, for the waves were a bit too strong for children.

Stunning, 10 star beach-front park - ADVANCE RESERVATIONS NEEDED. For sunning, swimming, camping and/or hiking, this place is incredible. As soon as you know that you are going to visit Maui, strongly recommend making a reservation as the # of people here at any one time is limited, to keep it from being over-run.

There is a parking/admissions fee for non-Hawaiian visitors. Residents are admitted free.

The name means "Glistening Waters" and it is accurate. This is an extremely beautiful place.

State Park is free to enter. You can camp there for a fee. The park is clean and view amazing. bring your hiking shoes, and your swim suit. Beautiful black sand beach!

Wai'anapanapa State Park is a must-visit for its unique black sand beach and stunning ocean views.

Highlights:
- Breathtaking black sand beach
- Crystal-clear waters for swimming
- Short, scenic trail hikes offering spectacular ocean views

Recommended for:
- Nature lovers
- Hikers seeking scenic views
- Families and photographers

This was our first beach in Hawaii and one of our first stops on the road to Hana. The setting was truly stunning! There’s easy parking and then you can walk/hike to either side of the beach for spectacular photo ops of the black sand beach and lovely setting. We swam at the beach as well and the water was so inviting! You can do a short hike along the lava rocks as well for an excellent view of the beach. A must stop. Very special place!

As a photographer I totally fell in love with this place. It is a great place to wander - with palm trees, black sand beaches, craggy volcanic rocks (be careful, if you fall you will get damaged!). Wish I'd had more time to explore. Was staying nearby which made visiting even easier.

Absolutely beautiful beach, I just had to mark this off my bucket list! I read about this beach and it won't be there forever, once all the back sand and rocks wash away, that's it. So that made it more special. Beautiful sights all through the park! Bring a lunch and water shoes and enjoy the day there!

2.4 miles north of Hana, onto Waiʻanapanapa Road at the large wooden sign and drive ½ mile to the large parking area for Waiʻanapanapa State Park (free entry). Warning: Waiʻanapanapa Road, especially the last 200 yards, is in very rough shape; maneuver carefully to dodge the numerous deep potholes and ruts! The main features here are the small but gorgeous black sand beach, freshwater caves (after which the park is named – “wai’anapanapa” means “glistening water”), sea arches and a small lava tube framing the ocean. Bonus: The park has public restrooms with a foot washing station, boardwalk-like walking trails and picnic tables. There is also a popular camping area which requires a (paid) permit which must be obtained well in advance.

Definitely worth a visit - I'm not sure if I'd travel all the way around the island for it, though! But if you're anywhere near, I'd go!

The black sand beach is absolutely beautiful!! I wish we had time to do the hike but we will have to save that for next time. In my opinion it's a must stop on The Road to Hana!

The black sands are cool to see, especially for those of us used to seeing boring tan sands. Make sure to get an earlier reservation. We were able to get in at 3 pm and left by 4 pm to be able to get back east on the road to Hana before dark. The waves were good for body surfing. It was pretty rocky (smooth rocks), which made it a harder place to just lie on the beach. The reservation system means it wasn't very crowded.

These 3 female employees at the entrance have the best time of their lives just sitting there under the tent are terrible.. Extremely rude!!!

Make sure to set your clocks and get reservations the day they open! Check website for up to date info on when reservations are released. We got reservations for two separate time windows because we weren't sure when we would arrive. You are required to leave when your time window is up. We arrived 30 minutes before our first time window would expire but were able to show our additional reservation for the next time block. This makes it a lot less stressful and you can enjoy your visit. Bring water, a towel, sunscreen, and a hat. We wore our swimsuits under our clothes but decided against swimming at the beach because it was so crowded. We still had a great time and really enjoyed the hike to the end of the trail. We sat, took pictures, and watched the ocean waves! Truly a gorgeous place!!

This has been my favorite beach in Maui since I was a little kid. I love putting my head underwater and listening to the waves move against the rocks. Beware: the waves can be strong and aren't for weak swimmers or small children.

We stopped here on the road to Hana. There is plenty of parking and the path down to the Black Sand Beach is quite easy. There is a small lava tube you can enter and watch the waves crash in.

Unfortunately the road leading to the state park is private property and a group of 15 protesters were able to shut down access to the entire park today. Don’t plan on meeting up here for lunch with someone from a different car as it might be closed again and you won’t have signal to call anyone. The locals are getting more aggressive with tourists and also had temporarily shut down the Pools of ‘Ohe’o today by stealing the park rangers cameras that measure the water level.

Beautiful Black Sand Beach! Defiantly worth the reservation! Make sure to book your reservation in advance, not the day before or you'll miss your chance! Luckily, we stayed in Hana for 2 nights & were able to score a last minute morning reservation on our way back on the Road to Hana. Early morning reservations are the best to beat the crowd! Watching the sunrise on a black sand beach was pretty incredible especially for honeymooners!

If the sun is shining this may very well be the most beautiful place on Maui. If you don’t agree it might be overcast. When the sun is shining the contrast between the water and the black shoreline is amazing. Great place to take a snack or lunch break. Hiking along the coastline past the black sand beach continues to impress. Make sure you don’t park illegally here, you will get a ticket. This place alone is worth driving the road to Hana.

Just grab a beach blanket. Sit back and enjoy this beautiful black sand beach. What a beautiful location.

You need to book this place in advance…..which is actually great, b/c it’s not too crowded.

We left Kihei around 8:30am and have ourselves plenty of time to do some stops along the road to Hana - and we made it right at 12:30 for our reserved time slot.

We brought along boogie boards, fully planning to have a long stay here - but the waves on this North shore were NUTS. Tons of pullback when the waves were crashing, so the kids didn’t go in. I boogie boarded but only close to shore with a few other brave souls and it was a lot of fun.

The black rocks are really need to see, and there are a few little hiking trails and a neat cave see. Would recommend if you’ve never been!

We loved this beach! Beautiful rock formations, a cave and a blowhole surround this amazing beach with black sand. We swam in the ocean and had a picnic in the picnic area with the most amazing view.

Picturesque views of Keawaiki Bay. Then, you got its black sand beach. Down side of the beach is number of tourists making pictures almost impossible to not have people in them. Also, you can walk into a cool ancient lava tube cave that is associated with a sad old Hawaiian Legend. There are trails and other sites to see but unfortunately I didn’t have time to explore more.

It was a little bit crowded, but very easy to get to. The beach is exactly what you expect, but has very smooth rocks and some pretty cool caves to check out.

I went there on the 21st December 2018, with discover Hawaii’s inter island Oahu-Maui day trip road to Hana. The weather was very nice and chill, a bit crowded as it’s high season. The sand was very soft and, absolutely, black. Over all it’s very lovely and definitely the must see destination. The vehicle is included as I took a tour, but if you didn’t, driving here is also possible. 1 and a half hours definitely not enough! Will come back again for sure :)

Great State Park with great views of the ocean. There is an awesome black sand beach which is a must stop to see and swim. It can be a little rough.

Wow! The black sand beach was amazing!! This was our favorite stop on the road to Hana. Loved the sand, the water. Wish we could have stayed longer. Really worth the stop. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Beautiful park and beach. We spent the max amount of time we could here and could definitely have spent more! Waves were a good size for the kids to play in, water is beautiful and clear, we hiked up to the blow hole and past, explored the lava tube. This stop was one of our favorites. The parking attendants were very nice and friendly. We were a few minutes early and they went ahead and let us in. We had the 10:00 time and it wasn’t very crowded. Slow down and enjoy your time here! Oh - and the fresh fruit stands along the neighbors road to get to the park we’re a bonus.

The staffs have impressive rudeness. They must have honed their rude behavior over years. The rocks must have witnessed this, no wonder the rocks here are spiky as well.

Beautiful and rugged coastline. 2 main hikes that you can do plus the beach. Worth the visit but you have to get tickets in advance.

Everybody stops here during the road to Hana for good reason. Beautiful black sand beach and a cool lava tube to go into. It was raining when we were here but it was still packed with people and you can see why.

When it isn't super busy this is a great place to visit. We climbed up the trail over to the next cove of the black sand beach, then Up the trail and around a bit before heading back. Nice place to sun and swim as well.

Kind of a scam you have to boot a reservation with parking that will limit you time there or pay extra for more time and you can pay just for parking or extra parking time.
The women at the entrance wasn’t very nice and basically admitted to her scam and told us ether you pay me extra entry for nothing (11$) or you park in the main road and walk 10 mins each way and take a chance of getting your car pulled.

Absolutely beautiful! Clear water. Decent small waves. Black sand and black rocks are very hot! Wear Flipflops or water shoes. Not a lot a shade. Several steps to get down to the beach.

This place is magical, rugged, and black sand. If you are confident, swim out from shore to get a lovely view of the bay, and be sure to hike through the lava tube to the small beach next to the black sand beach. Be respectful of the walkways as there are residents living there. There is a freshwater shower by the bathrooms. We would go back. Only drawback was we had to book a reservation due to the large number of tourists. This is not a quiet place.

This beach is definitely worth the stop! Make sure you make a reservation. There’s a awesome cave and it’s just gorgeous in all directions!

Home of the black sand beach, the Wai'anapanapa State Park is an amazing stop along the road to Hana. The short walk from the parking offers incredible views of the park. The black sand beach is a unique and the caves and blowhole are awesome. The area is crowded with tours during peak hours, but the park is a must visit!

Tickets are required for entry. Since we stayed overnight in Hana, I went with the 7-10AM time slot. We got there at 7:30AM and almost had the whole park to ourselves. We were there for about an hour and then went to Hana Ranch Restaurant for breakfast.

I had my two-year old toddler with me, who I put in a baby carrier to haul down the stairs to the beach. He had a great time running around on the beach with his water shoes and exploring the lava tube. Checked his pockets for contraband rocks (so many!) before leaving the park. There's also a paved walkway to the right of the stairs that took us to the blowhole and a nice view of the beach.

Make sure to make your reservation! They were lenient about the time of your reservation (we were a half hour early), but you do need to make one. they do not allow same day reservations. We explored a cave, dipped our feet in the water, and enjoyed the black sand during our trip. It's a small beach so I appreciated that they limit the number of people who can enter.

Absolutely worth the time to stop and spend at least a couple hours here. Strong swimmers only beyond the drop off, and you can't swim very far out. The little cove is beautiful and you can wade in the water and feel the waves. Bathrooms, water, and drink vending machines available. The road and parking lot is full of potholes and very rough, so beware if going after a rain. The caves are no longer open but there are trails on top of the rocks as well as a boardwalk along the cliff.

You get to hang out on a black sand beach inside a small cave. The scenery is a welcome divergence from most of the views on the road to Hana. Lots of folks were just hanging out going for a swim.

This park was great. The views were fantastic. It had nice hiking trails, beautiful black sand beach, and adequate facilities and parking.

The black sand beach and interesting lava formations make this a great stop on the road to Hana. In addition, the lava caves make this extra special!

FOOD/DRINKS: None available.
RESTROOMS: Yes! Restrooms easy to find: Yes.
COST: Free.
PARKING: A good amount of free parking.
WORTH IT: Yes. Something I’ve never seen before! Black sand beach..only in Hawaii! Waves were strong Sept 28th, 2019 when we went. Can get crowded here.
Trails along side the beach to get the perfect photo.
Some benches to sit at.
LENGTH OF TIME spent here: 1 hour or so.
For Kids/Couples: Everyone.
WALKING/STAIRS: Easy walking. Some stairs down to beach. Uneven ground along some of trails.
We paid for the Maui GyPSy app. The app told us right where to go. The beginning parking lots are for campers. When you turn left…drive all the way down to the end.
BRING: Water, food, sneakers, swim suit, towel, sunscreen, camera.

We are so glad we stopped at this park to take in the gorgeous views of the black sand beach below. We didn't go down to the beach this time. The area has some very nice paved trails. Definitely stop here on the Road to Hana! Highly recommended!

This is a review mainly on service and not of the park itself. I'm sure in the future things will change.

We booked for 10 entries (2 families of five), but were refused at the gate as one voucher only counts towards one vehicle. You can purchase up to 14 entries on a voucher, but no available choice to purchase multiple parking vouchers. No warnings that you are purchasing for only one vehicle parking. Very poor website design and choice of verbiage that does not convey their actual terms.

Front gate attendant was extremely abrupt and rude. We were utterly confused upon entry, but were met with no sympathy/understanding or constructive handling of the situation. She said we had to figure out how to load 10 people into a Sedan for entry, as it was the ONLY way they would honor the reservation. No suggestion on where we can park the other car when we asked and no work around such as making two trips to drop our two families. We really had no choice but to give up on the park and take the loss.

I understand she probably gets a lot of confused tourists coming through, but her attitude was absolutely horrendous. Looking at the bigger picture, whoever designed and implemented the reservation service is the one that should be taking the blame, yet it's the workers and tourist who are taking the blunt of it, which negatively compounds on the whole tourism in Hawaii issues.

Gorgeous! Amazing beach to visit. The hike along the trail was beautiful with the contrasting black lava rock and bright green plants. Even had another beach and blowholes along the trail. Trail to the caves was closed now though.

I loved this beach the second I saw it from above. The pitch black sand, the bright blue waters, and bring green palm trees all in one shot - the contrast was simply phenomenal. This was my first black sand beach and I loved every minute of it and enjoyed it immensely . It was a hot sunny day and the beach was crowded, but despite that it turned out to be pretty perfect. There is a lava tube there as well, which was quite popular.
There are a lot of steps to get down to the beach, but they are sturdy and easy to navigate. Some parts are very narrow though.

Loved the coastal hike. The views are amazing. The black sand beach itself was very crowded and would not appeal for hanging out We just walked on it to get to the hiking path. The facilities seem good and parking was a breeze. If you want to do the hike and spend time at the beach you should book two time slots.

My husband, 3 kids (then 7, 9, 11) and I stayed the night in Hana and went to Wai’ānapanapa State Park first thing in the morning during the 7-10 a.m. slot. I believe we started around 7:30 and finished before 8:30, including plenty of time for photos, although you could definitely use the whole time slot if you don't have other plans. We hiked along the lava path (I think we hiked the north trail?) and barely saw anyone. Fun trail, beautiful scenery, very peaceful. Kids had a blast exploring in nature and we loved the solitude after our previous afternoon's hike on Pipiwai trail.

Very mixed feelings about this spot. Gorgeous location, but the facilities are not quite up to the traffic it receives. HORDES of people cram in here during the day- we arrived to set up camp around 3:30 pm on a Sunday and there were still tons of people. Garbage was starting to overflow from the bins and the 2-stall women's bathroom had clearly had about all it could take. Pretty rough. But pitching your tent in the grass is easy, mostly level- fellow campers were respectful and quiet. Kids got eaten alive by invisible mosquitos, who seemed to ignore adults. Location could not be more beautiful...sunset, sunrise, stargazing. It is insane to try to drive the road to Hana and back in one day- camping here allows you to see this beautiful park at its best.

Aside from the black sand beach which is the main attraction, there is also a small lava cave as well as views of blowholes and a rock bridge! We enjoyed our short visit there due to the variety of sites.

Visiting this beach was a highlight of my trip along the Road to Hana not only for the black sand, but also a magnificent up close view of the majestic ocean. The water is so mighty and powerful.

My mother and I visited during our journey on the road to Hana. The app we were using suggested we stop here and we are so glad that we did! An adorable black sand beach and some of the best views I’ve ever saw in my life! If you go down to the beach, take the trail up to see the best views! Highly recommend.

The Wai'anapanapa waterfront and black sand beach is one of the best sites along the Road to Hana. The black sand beaches (produced by volcanic activity on the island) are otherworldly along the beautiful coastline.

There is a public restroom and lots of parking for day travelers.

This beach was busier than I would have liked, but we arrived later than planned as well. It was still fun. My sons loved getting hit with the waves and playing in the sand. There is also a neat lava tube that opens up to a great ocean view. There are bathrooms at this location which is a definite plus!

It has taken us a few trips to figure out how to pronounce this state park but now we have it. It’s a 10-min detour from the Hana Highway (just a couple of miles before one gets to Hana) but it truly is breathtaking. It is an absolute must and worth the drive through the unpaved, pot-holed road to the park and the wait for a parking spot. The views are amazing. The black sand beach, the rock shapes and bridge carved by thousands of heats of crashing waves, and the general ambiance make this a must visit. You will not be disappointed.

Our kids wanted to swim at a black sand beach and the beach was a little crowded but my son had a blast! And of course the black sand (round rocks) was very pretty! The views are very picture worthy. There are also lave caves at the beach.