Papalaua Beach Park(Thousand Peaks)

Located in the southern part of Maui, Papalaua Beach Park - also called Pāpalua Beach Park, Papalaua State Wayside Park, Papalaua Wayside Park, Papalaua Wayside, and Thousand Peaks - is a recreational park that is spread over six and seven-tenths of an acre.  Papalaua Beach Park is situated to the south of Lahaina, and it has a narrow beach with light brown sand and many nearby Kiawe trees.  The park’s alternative name (Thousand Peaks) comes from the multiple peaking waves in the water near it - the water near Papalaua Beach also has a reef. 

Papalaua Beach Park does not have lifeguards or other amenities except restrooms and picnic areas, so plan your trip accordingly. 

Papalaua Beach Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, camping, picnicking, fishing, swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, skimboarding, bodyboarding, boating, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, and wakeboarding.  The water near Papalaua Beach Park often has fun surfing waves - this makes the water near the beach ideal for all kinds of surfers.  Snorkelers also enter the water near Papalaua Beach Park during calm water conditions to explore its vibrant biodiversity - the water near the southern part of Papalaua Beach Park has a popular snorkeling site which is called the “Coral Gardens” due to the abundance of the coral here.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Papalaua Beach Park including corals, sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals (on rare occasions), and many different types of fish including butterflyfish, parrotfish, and triggerfish - sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals are protected under a law named the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and harming them can result in a fine of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment.  The ideal time for snorkeling in the water near Papalaua Beach Park is during early mornings and late afternoons.  If you are planning to swim, surf, or snorkel in the water near Papalaua Beach Park, we recommend being careful as the water here has unpredictable rip currents.  In addition, portions of the water near Papalaua Beach Park are rocky, making aquatic activities slightly difficult here.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Papalaua Beach Park, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations.  If you are planning to fish in the water near Papalaua Beach Park, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations - these regulations can be found on the website of the Division of Aquatic Resources (which is a part of the State of Hawai’i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources).  Papalaua Beach Park offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Maui shoreline and the Pacific Ocean, especially during sunrise and sunsets.  Papalaua Beach Park has campsites around its eastern part - you can camp in this park every day except Wednesdays and Tuesdays.  If you are planning to camp in Papalaua Beach Park, we recommend visiting the “Camping Sites” webpage on the County of Maui’s official website for more information regarding the campsite permit rules and booking procedures.

Getting to Papalaua Beach Park is easy - the beach is present along Hawaii Route 30 (which is also called the Honoapiilani Highway and the Honoapi’ilani Highway) near its mile marker 11 and mile marker 12.  There are many free street parking spaces near the beach, along with a dirt parking lot.  We recommend being careful while walking to the beach from the street parking spaces and the parking lot, as thorny branches of the kiawe trees are known to fall on the ground around Papalaua Beach Park. These thorny branches can inflict injuries on visitors.  In addition, we also recommend being careful while parking here and avoiding leaving any valuables in your vehicles, as burglary-related attempts have been known to occur in the area.

There are many attractions near Papalaua Beach Park.  Maui Ocean Center is an oceanographic center that also has one of the largest tropical reef aquariums in the western hemisphere - the aquarium has around 60 exhibits that display many kinds of aquatic animals found around Hawaii including sting rays, sharks, and sea turtles.  The aquarium was also listed as one of the top ten aquariums in the world by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards in 2018 - this aquarium also offers a unique insight into the migration of humpback whales through an immersive virtual reality 3D sphere.  In addition, it also has historical exhibits on how Native Hawaiians used aquatic resources and interacted with marine animals.  The Olowalu Petroglyphs is a collection of 100 petroglyphs that have been carved along a basalt cliff in west Maui - these petroglyphs have been created by the ancient Hawaiians and feature human and animal figures, along with sailboats.  If you are looking for another attraction near Papalaua Beach Park, McGregor Point Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse that was initially constructed in the 19th century and was reconstructed in its present form in 1915.  A historical marker is also present near the lighthouse which commemorates the arrival of Norwegian ships Beta and Musca in 1881 - these ships brought more than six hundred Scandinavian immigrants to the Hawaiian islands and this resulted in the largest and the only recorded Scandinavian immigration in Hawaii.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Papalaua Beach Park.  Fleetwood's On Front St. is a 17-minute drive away- this upscale restaurant is owned by Mick Fleetwood and it serves amazing seafood, salads, soups, steaks, poultry dishes, burgers, and pasta.  Monsoon Bar & Grill is an Indian restaurant that specializes in North Indian cuisine and serves excellent samosas, curries, kormas, biryanis, kebabs, and naan bread.  Down The Hatch serves fantastic dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner including seafood, salads, burgers, sandwiches, chicken-and-waffles, fried rice, loco moco, eggs, bagels, and tacos.  This restaurant was also featured in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in 2022.  If you are looking for another excellent and affordable restaurant near Papalaua Beach Park, Acevedo’s Hawaicano Cafe is 20 minutes away by car.  This restaurant serves amazing Mexican dishes including burritos, tacos, and nachos.  The restaurant also incorporates Hawaiian culinary influences within some of its dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Papalaua Beach Park, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort is a 30-minute drive away and offers many amenities including a fitness center, a spa with 40 treatment rooms and a fitness center, a kids’ club, nine pools, multiple restaurants, and a kid’s club.  Another upscale option is the 4-Star Hyatt Regency Maui Resort And Spa which offers many amenities including numerous restaurants, two pools, a water slide, a kids’ lagoon, tennis courts, a fitness center, and a spa.  The hotel also organizes many activities for a fee including snorkeling, kayaking, and surfing.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Lahaina Shores Beach Resort which offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, and barbecue grills.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Papalaua Beach Park, Wailuku Guest House is a 20 minute drive away and offers many amenities including a beach gear loaner facility, a pool, a sundeck, and beautiful gardens.