Wai’anapanapa Coastal Trail
Did you know that a Wai’anapanapa coastal trail runs out of each side of Maui’s black sand beach? Part of the ancient King’s Highway, these hikes offer spectacular ocean views and lush vegetation.
You can still see some of the flat bluish stones that were placed in a row to mark the King’s Highway!
If you have the time, you can hike both south and north of the beach. If you are on a short visit, you can walk south out from the viewing area to see many beautiful natural features in a short distance.
Here’s more information on hiking in Wai’anapanapa State Park.
Planning a trip to Wai’anapanapa State Park? Bookmark our Black Sand Beach, Maui, website for the complete rundown on every single detail!
And if you’re just starting to plan your visit to Maui, check out the some of the top things to do in Maui, many of which you absolutely don’t want to miss!
Hiking South from Black Sand Beach Maui towards Hana Town: Piāilani Trail
Walk southeast from the paved viewing area at Black Sand Beach Maui to hike along the scenic shoreline. Along the way, you will get beautiful ocean views, admire sea stacks, and look for nesting seabirds on islets offshore.
The trail heads past Pailoa Bay to a lava plateau that houses a blowhole. When the blowhole is active, it sends up a powerful volley of spray. Stay well clear of the blowhole and watch from a safe distance.
From here the trail leads to a lovely hala grove. Hala trees have sculptural trunks and spiky long leaves and make for great photos. This is one of the largest hala groves in Hawaii!
Keep going and you will see a rock wall by some cabins, on the mountain side of the trail. Look carefully and you may spot a pictograph — a painting of a human figure. It’s orange in color.
Next, look for the sign for Ohala Heiau, an ancient sacred Hawaiian temple site.
You can turn back at this point, or, if you choose, you can continue on. The trail leads beyond the limits of Wai’anapanapa State Park almost all the way to Hana Town.
For a short walk, you can walk the paved section up to the blowhole and return. This quick walk still offers excellent views.
Up to the Ohala Heiau, the trail is about .75 mile one way. It is classed as moderately challenging, and should take you about 2 hours or so with stops for photos, birdwatching, and admiring the views.
Hiking North from Black Sand Beach Maui towards Hana Airport: Ke Ala Loa O Maui Trail
Head down the steps from the paved viewing area onto the black sand beach, and cut across to the opposite side, where you will find the Ke Ala Loa O Maui Trail that leads to Pukaulua Point.
The trail traverses striking black lava coastline and offers gorgeous ocean views. Along the way you will come to Kaukealiāi Heiau, an ancient Hawaiian temple.
You can turn back at this point, or keep going until the trail ends a little past Pukaulua Point, at which point you will retrace your steps back to the black sand Pailoa Beach.
This trail is also classed as moderate but it can be strenuous in places. It is about 2 miles round trip.
Tips for Hiking Waianapanapa State Park
During the day, the trails can get crowded close to the beach. Either plan on walking early or late for more solitude, or hike further and leave most of the crowds behind.
A lot of the trails is exposed, so you will want to wear sun protection and bring an adequate supply of drinking water.
Wear proper hiking shoes with good grip. The lava rock can be uneven, with sharp edges, so avoif flipflops or open toed sandals.
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