How To Get To Black Sand Beach Maui
How To Get To Black Sand Beach Maui?
Drive to Maui’s Black Sand Beach
If you are an out-of-state visitor to Maui and have opted for a rental car to get around the island, you can drive to Maui’s black sand beach in Waianapanapa State Park.
There are two driving routes to Maui’s black sand beach from tourist hubs on the west and south of the island.
The more popular route to get to Maui’s black sand beach involves first getting to Kahului in Central Maui from your base in West Maui or South Maui.
Planning a trip to Wai’anapanapa State Park? Bookmark our Black Sand Beach, Maui, website for the complete rundown on every single detail!
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From Kahului, you will take Highways 36 and 360 (the famous Road to Hana Drive) to arrive at the black sand beach, which comes up at mile marker 32 on the Hana Highway.
This drive is just under 50 miles, and should take you just under 2 hours in normal traffic and without any stops along the way (see map).
By far the vast majority of visitors to Maui arrive at Waianapanapa State Park via Kahului and the Hana Highway, and make a visit to the beach a part of a larger excursion to the east side of Maui.
Check out our article on directions to Black Sand Beach Maui for detailed driving routes from different parts of the island and expand this map of Maui’s black sand beach to orient yourself.
The alternate, lesser used route to get to the black sand beach in Maui involves driving around the south shore of the island (Highway 31) and then up the Hana Highway (Highway 360) to the beach.
Note that this route involves driving on a stretch of rough unpaved road and rental car companies in Maui usually have clauses that prohibit you from driving their cars on unpaved roads.
Once you enter Waianapanapa State Park and park in the parking lot, head down the steps to access the black sand Pa’iloa Beach!
Join a Guided Tour to Visit the Black Sand Beach in Maui
Visiting Maui but do not plan to rent a car?
You can visit Maui’s famous black sand beach on a Road to Hana tour!
While your time in Waianapanapa State Park on a small-group guided tour is limited, you will still get enough time to go down to the black sand beach and spend some time savoring its beauty.
This popular Road to Hana tour allows you 45 minutes at Waianapanapa State Park and the black sand beach. The tour includes pick-up and drop-off.
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