Great reasons to visit Waiʻānapanapa State Park

Waiʻānapanapa State Park is located on the northeastern side of Maui, near mile marker 32 off the famous Road to Hana. It is one of the best, if not the best, stops on the road.

Understand, though, as one of the most visited parks in Maui, you must reserve a time slot to attend. And no, you cannot make same-day reservations. More on that later.

The park is home to many sights and natural resources. It is beautiful, and spending as much time here as possible would be best. Parking is spacious, and having time slots provides a better experience due to lower crowds.

Restrooms and a sprinkler station allow you to “wash up” after your swim. I recommend you use reef-safe sunblock for the safety of the animals and your skin.

There are options to bring camper vans into the park and reserve a stay in one of the park’s cabins—up to 6 people per cabin. Visit the park’s website for more details.

Reservations Required

Advance reservations are now required for all vehicles, walk-in entry, and PUC vehicles visiting Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Plan your trip accordingly. Reservations may be made up to 14 days before your visit and no later than the day before. (Hawaii State Parks, 2021)

Quoted from the site itself. For reservations, visit their site here.

Due to its time slot status, you must carefully consider what slot you choose to visit. Being an attraction of the Road to Hana can make it very unpredictable, especially if this is your first time here.

If you take the earliest spot means, you must rush through the “Road,” which will make you miss the beauty. I chose the 12:30 pm – 3 pm slot because I strategically planned my stops, and even still, I was late. Entering Waiʻānapanapa closer to 1:30 pm when I planned to arrive at 12:45ish. The scenery on the way kept distracting me. The Journey to Hana is full of beautiful sights; do not underestimate it.

The last reservation slot starts at 3 pm and continues until the park closes at 6 pm. This is the best slot if you wish to relax after your journey and are planning on staying in Hana overnight. I don’t recommend hiking here. You will be tired if you spend all day hiking through the Road to Hana.

Reasons to visit

#1 Trails

There are two main hiking trails. Nonetheless, you can check the trails here if you have the time.

The King’s Trail is an olden-time footpath built for the royalty and their messengers to traverse the land from place to place. I did not fully complete this one since I prioritized my time at the beach. It’s the main reason I went there anyway.

There is a blowhole, which isn’t very active in one of the trails. These trails vary in size and are segmented into smaller portions. The farther away you go, the far more strenuous they become, so be mindful of that, with the longest easily being a 5-mile round trip. One of the trails brings you into Hana itself.

A small part of me wishes I could’ve done more of these trails, but in the end, I was content with what I did.

# 2 Black Sand Beach

The famous black sand beach is the main reason why people come to Waiʻānapanapa. Officially, the beach’s name is Pa’iloa Beach. Not only is the sand black, but the pebbles found in it are black, too. The sand underneath the water is also black. Pretty cool, right?

Bring a lawn chair or beach rug with you if you plan on lying on the beach. There are plenty of “pebbles” that you will feel on your back. Unless you plan on “claiming your spot” closer to the water, where it’s mostly sand, on a quiet day, no problem, but on a busy day, you can see where this becomes inconvenient.

The fascinating thing about this beach is its caves; I found two on the actual beach. It was rather neat and reminded me of something out of either Pirates of the Caribbean or Game of Thrones. If you’ve seen these, then you know what I’m talking about.

It’s very easy to find the cave. If you are facing the ocean, look to your right, and you’ll see an opening in the rock small enough to duck under; enter it, and when you make it to the other side, you are in the cave.

How about the actual beach?

Make it to the water, take your cool photos, and take an immediate right around the bend to find an alcove/semi-cave. Pretty cool.

The surf here can be strong and will try to pull you away. This, of course, varies throughout the day. I overheard that it gets stronger during the winter.

The beach itself isn’t that big; it’s just the right size. Outside the actual beach, the rest of the coastline is rugged and very rocky. It is not advisable to try and swim in those areas.

Truly a beautiful place

In the end, for my first experience at an actual Black beach, I can honestly say that it was fun, exciting, and delivered. I lived a little! And learned a lot!

As you can see, Waiʻānapanapa State Park is a beautiful place worth visiting. A stop you must include in your “Road to Hana” itinerary. A friendly reminder, though, due to the time slots, don’t forget to plan carefully and reserve your spot. Have fun in Maui!

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