Makena State Park

Big Beach, Little Beach and Puu Olai

Big Beach — Oneloa, “long sand” — is the park’s heart: well over half a mile long, generously wide, with clear views across the channel to the crescent of Molokini and the long silhouette of Kaho’olawe. No hotel towers, no beach bars, no umbrella concessions. It is the closest thing on Maui to seeing a beach exactly as the island made it.

Over the saddle trail at the north end, five rocky minutes up and over the shoulder of Puu Olai, sits Little Beach — a pocket cove with a long-running unofficial clothing-optional scene. It is prettier than its reputation suggests and the vibe is mellow, but go in knowing what it is. The trail is uneven lava rock; wear actual footwear and keep an eye on the time so the gate hours do not sneak up on you.

If you want to keep going south, this corner of Maui rewards it. A few minutes past the park the road reaches La Perouse Bay, where Maui’s most recent lava flow meets the sea, and the ancient footpath of the Hoapili Trail heads out across the flow. Gentler swimming and famously reliable turtles are just north at Maluaka Beach.

The shorebreak, honestly

Big Beach’s waves are beautiful and they are the most dangerous thing in the park. The bottom drops off steeply, so swells cross deep water and then detonate directly onto the sand in inches of water. That is the famous Makena shorebreak, and it breaks necks and backs every year — usually belonging to visitors who turned to face the beach at the wrong moment. Lifeguards staff towers here for a reason.

The protocol is simple: watch the water for a full ten minutes before you commit, ask the lifeguards where and whether to swim, never stand in the impact zone, and never turn your back on the ocean. On genuinely calm mornings — most common in summer — the swimming is glorious. When the shorebreak is up, leave it to the expert bodysurfers, who are worth watching from a safe patch of dry sand. Families with small kids will have a far better swim day at Kamaole III or Maluaka.

Then there is the evening shift, which is when we send most guests. The beach faces almost due west, the crowds drain away after 4 pm, and sunset behind Molokini is the kind of show people fly five thousand miles for. Rinse off, drive the twenty-five minutes home, and if the ocean is still on your mind, the view from the lanai of our Best Ocean Views bungalow keeps it going until bedtime.

Good to know

• Bring a card for the fee kiosk — $5 per person plus $10 per car for visitors, no reservation needed.
• Go before 9 am or after 4 pm; midday brings full lots, hot sand and no shade to spare.
• Watch the shorebreak for ten minutes before swimming, and check in with the lifeguards. It is stronger than it looks.
• Pack all your water — there are no taps or food in the park.
• The first (northern) lot is the shortcut to the Little Beach trail; the far lots buy you empty sand.
• Gates lock at closing time (7 pm most of the year, 7:45 pm May-July), so time your sunset exit.