Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach(Pailoa Beach, Wai'anapanapa Black Sand Beach, Wai'anapanapa Park)

Located on the island of Maui, Waiʻānapanapa State Park is a beautiful oceanfront state park that has multiple unnamed black sand and pebbly beaches. The main beach in Waiʻānapanapa State Park is known as Black Sand Beach and it is also known as Honokalani Beach, and Pa‘iloa Beach. Black Sand Beach was listed by the travel website TripSavvy as one of the world’s best black sand beaches, and Waiʻānapanapa State Park/ Black Sand Beach has been named the 29th Best Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as "Mr. Beach." The black sand found on Waiʻānapanapa State Park’s beaches is formed from weathered lava fragments and igneous rocks – these black-colored rocks turn into sand due to erosion by wind and water over thousands of years. The beaches in Waiʻānapanapa State Park are present near dense forests. As an interesting fact, the name of the state park means "glistening water" in the Hawaiian language. Many sea cliffs are present near the beaches in Waiʻānapanapa State Park. In addition, a rock arch is also present in the water near Waiʻānapanapa State Park.

Waiʻānapanapa State Park does not have lifeguards. However, it has many other amenities including picnic areas, restrooms, showers, walking paths, water fountains, and observation areas. Pets are not allowed in Waiʻānapanapa State Park. 

The beaches in Waiʻānapanapa State Park offer many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, hiking, wildlife watching, fishing, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, canoeing, paddle-boarding, and surf-skiing. If you are planning to enter the water near Waiʻānapanapa State Park, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable and dangerous rip currents. In addition, the rocky shoreline can also inflict grave injuries to visitors. The water near Waiʻānapanapa State Park is also known to have jellyfish, which can inflict a powerful sting if disturbed. Nevertheless, visitors often jump into the water from the oceanfront cliffs in Waiʻānapanapa State Park for a fun cliff diving experience. However, if you are planning to cliff-dive in Waiʻānapanapa State Park, we recommend doing so during calmer water conditions - this ensures that you have a proper view of the ocean bottom before you dive from the cliff above. Depending on the time of the year, you can view sea turtles in the water near Waiʻānapanapa State Park. If you like birdwatching, you can view many kinds of birds around the beaches in Waiʻānapanapa State Park including Hawaiian noddies, Hawaiian petrels, and yellow-billed tropicbirds. An interesting cave is present along the cliff-sides near Black Sand Beach - you can explore this unique cave during low tide. You can catch many kinds of fish in the water near Waiʻānapanapa State Park including ulna and snapper. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near the state park, we recommend following the local fishing regulations.

Waiʻānapanapa State Park has a beautiful coastal landscape - you can explore the park’s vibrant landscape and biodiversity via the hiking trails present here - one of the state park’s trails is a part of a former historic pathway (which spanned across Maui’s shoreline) that was used by Hawaiian royalty in the 16th century. The state park’s interesting natural features also include unique caves with anchialine pools (these pools and caves have immense local cultural significance and are currently closed to visitors) and a unique blowhole (which is a coastal geological formation that routinely shoots up water). Waiʻānapanapa State Park also has campgrounds that accommodate both tents and RVs. If you are planning to camp here, we recommend visiting Waiʻānapanapa State Park’s webpage at the Division of State Parks’ website for more information regarding the camping rules and amenities. The state park also has many historic sites - one of the most prominent historic sites in the state park is the Ohala Heiau, which is thought to be a shrine for a Native Hawaiian fishing god.

Getting to Waiʻānapanapa State Park is difficult—in order to reach the town of Hana, visitors have to drive on a highway named Hana Highway – which is also locally known as the Road to Hana. This highway has winding roads on steep cliffs with many sharp turns that can make many drivers nauseous. In addition, certain portions of this highway are also very narrow and this highway also passes through dense jungles and century-old bridges. It takes more than two hours to drive to Hana from the town of Kahului on the Hana Highway. If you are planning to drive from Kahului to Hana, we recommend possessing considerable amount of driving experience in order to drive safely here. Once you enter the beautiful small city of Hana, you need to turn towards Honokalani Road from Hana Highway. Honokalani Road will lead you to the entrance for Waiʻānapanapa State Park. A paid parking lot is present near Waiʻānapanapa State Park. It is important to note that apart from parking fees, you also need to pay a separate entrance fee to access Waiʻānapanapa State Park. In addition, please also note that you also need to make an advance reservation for your entrance and parking at the state park. We recommend visiting the Waiʻānapanapa State Park’s webpage at the Division of State Parks’ website (which is a part of the Hawaiian state government’s Department of Land and Natural Resources) for more information regarding the reservation rules. Once you park at the state park’s parking lot, you can easily walk to the state park’s beaches via a hiking trail. However, please note that accessing some of the beaches in Waiʻānapanapa State Park can be difficult and potentially hazardous as they are surrounded by rocky hillsides.

The town of Hana (also known as Hāna) is an isolated yet beautiful town that still has many characteristics of a typical "Old Hawaii"-style community. The town is known for its spectacular coastal scenery and amazing natural wonders, including exquisite waterfalls and a red sand beach (which is known as Red Sand Beach, and whose alternative name is Kaihalulu Beach.)  The town also has many interesting cultural landmarks in and around it – one of the most iconic landmarks is the Wananalua Congregational Church. This church was built in the 19th century and it is currently a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places.

There are many attractions near Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Hana Lava Tube (also known as Ka’ Eleku Cavern) is a lava tube that was formed around 960 years ago by underground lava rivers - this tube is the 8th largest of its kind in the world and it offers a unique insight into the island of Maui. The lava tube has unique geological formations with interesting shapes and patterns and many kinds of subterranean invertebrates including millipedes, crickets, and flatworms - in addition, a hedge maze named Red Ti Botanical Garden Maze is also present near this lava tube. Hāna Culture & Museum has interesting exhibitions and artifacts which offer a unique and memorable insight into the daily lives of the Native Hawaiian people - the museum also has old photographs and it also offers information about local historic figures. The center’s premises also include the Kauhale O Hana (which is a replica of a Hawaiian Chief’s compound from the Pre-Columbian era) and the old Hana Courthouse which was constructed in the 19th century and is a part of the United States’ National Register of Historic Places. If you are looking for another attraction near Waiʻānapanapa State Park, Kahanu Garden focuses on exhibiting plants that are considered significant by Hawaiian people and the people of Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia - the garden is set in one of the largest native Hala forests in Hawaii and it offers a unique insight into the cultural significance of "canoe plants" which were brought to the Hawaiian islands by Polynesian explorers. The garden also has a historic site named Pi’ilanihale Heiau - this humongous lava-rock structure is presumably the largest ancient man-made structure in Polynesia and it is also a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Waiʻānapanapa State Park. The Hāna Ranch Restaurant offers amazing gourmet dishes infused with local Hawaiian culinary influences for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including burgers, sandwiches, pastas, steaks, seafood, salads, and pork chops. Hāna Farms Roadside Stand & Bamboo Hale Restaurant is set in a unique bamboo structure and it serves amazing dishes displaying local culinary influences including pizzas, barbecued dishes, and salads. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Waiʻānapanapa State Park, Braddah Hutts BBQ Grill primarily serves amazing Hawaiian-style barbecued dishes. As another modestly priced option, Thai Food by Pranee is known for its amazing Thai dishes including Thai curries and drunken noodles.

If you are looking for a hotel near Waiʻānapanapa State Park, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Hana-Maui Resort offers many amenities including a pool, a Hawaiian restaurant, two tennis courts, and a spa (that offers treatments for a fee) with steam rooms and a lava rock hot tub. The hotel also offers many fun activities including fishing, outdoor yoga, ukulele, and cookery/cocktail classes. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hana Kai Maui which offers many amenities including sun loungers, and a gas barbecue grill. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Waiʻānapanapa State Park, Waiʻānapanapa State Park offers cabins for accommodation - the cabins and the area around them offer many amenities including restrooms, showers for nearby beaches, picnic tables, and hiking trails.