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Wai'anapanapa State Park

Wai'anapanapa State Park

Wai'anapanapa State Park
4.5
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Best known for its volcanic black pebble coast and panoramic coastal views, this park is one of the most popular sites along the famous Hana Highway.
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  • Jolene J
    39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful park and beach!!
    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!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 31, 2023
  • DRegehr
    Winnipeg, Canada184 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Black sand beach
    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.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 5, 2024
  • Matt Mills
    London, Canada435 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Super cool - black rock beach! CRAZY waves and swells….
    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!
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 7, 2024
  • DJC
    Vancouver, Canada153 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth the stop.
    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.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 10, 2024
  • twcsmom
    187 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Make your reservation for this beautiful black beach!
    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.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 22, 2024
  • Sherry E
    16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning
    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.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 8, 2024
  • GoPlaces49034562240
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful beach and easy hike
    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.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 27, 2024
  • 2TropicsTravelers
    Orlando, Florida95 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    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.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 20, 2024
  • Debbie R
    Davao City, Philippines135 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit in Road to Hana trip
    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.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 30, 2024
  • IAfarmgirl
    76 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Make a reservation to stop at Wai'anapanapa State Park-Black Sand Beach.
    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.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 2, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,068 reviews
Excellent
1,594
Very good
378
Average
57
Poor
12
Terrible
27

SGS1260
Columbus, OH221 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
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.
Written May 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thomas C
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
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.
Written July 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CaliMama12
San Ramon, CA47 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
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.
Written June 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colma
7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
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!
Written May 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Morgan I
Olathe, KS155 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
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.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kauai Tai Chi
Kapaa, HI225 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
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.
Written August 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dumdoc
Eagle, ID149 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
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.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Annette W
7 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
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.
Written May 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

stjohnbeachlover
St. Louis, Missouri 1,229 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 • Friends
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.
Written March 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cmud
Saint Louis, MO243 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
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
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Wai'anapanapa State Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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