Papohaku Beach Park

Papohaku Beach Park

Papohaku Beach Park
4.5
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  • Rainee E
    Seattle, Washington133 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Secluded and Pristine Favorite!
    This is near the top of my list of favorite beaches I’ve ever been to. I’ve been to Pāpōhaku on two different trips. Each time, we’ve been the only people on the 3 mile long beach. There’s a small cove toward one end of the beach, where you can safely swim. Just a beautiful place. Easy to get to by car.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 3, 2024
  • sskroll
    Orlando, Florida1,123 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hidden Gem
    What a view from the beach. There are rocks to watch out for if you go swimming and there aren't lifeguards. Isolated but the park has nice bathrooms and picnic facilities. We were there during the week and it might be busier on the weekend but we almost had the place to ourselves. Plenty of parking. No fee.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 24, 2024
  • Sean C
    Haleiwa, Hawaii1,782 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Huge, beautiful beach
    Beautiful white sand and gorgeous blue water, We went for an evening stroll and hoped to catch the sunset, but it was too overcast. Maybe because of the weather, this beautiful beach was desolate. We were the only ones there! We had an amazing evening.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 6, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles154 reviews
Excellent
100
Very good
38
Average
11
Poor
2
Terrible
3

JDSoui
Tampa, FL7,013 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
Quiet, secluded, large waves and simply a wonderful experience is a description of this location. There is a public access area for patrons along with the homes on the beach. That stated very few people were seen on the beach.

One of the days whales about a 1/2-1 mile off shore pods of whales were seen jumping out of the water. Could spend a whole day there enjoying the water and seclusion.
Written January 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cathy E
Lahaina, HI17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Couples
3 miles of beatiful white sandy beach! We had the whole thing to ourselves. The waves and current are strong so we did not swim. It is best to go in the morning before it gets too hot and the afternoon winds pick up. Great place to take a morning walk and then relax with a good book.
Take a lunch or snacks & water with you as there are no places to eat around that area.
Written July 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Haruhl
Chicago, IL84 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
This has to be one of the least populated large beaches that can easily be reached by car. More of a mile of gorgeous sand facing the sunset over the Pacific Ocean, with O’ahu in the distance. Swimming might not be advisable, due to currents, we are told, but we saw several people taking a swim or surf while staying reasonably close to the beach. There is no spectacular mountain backdrop like on Hanalei Beach nor those bent Hawaiian palm trees near the water, but overall truly beautiful. A couple of villas are a good distance behind a dike and out of view: climb the dike to see them. So: if you like to have a large beach to yourself, this is it! Though you may have to share that mile-long beach with about 20 people at sunset.
Written March 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wesinsac
Sacramento, CA64 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
We visited the beautiful island of Molokai for 11 days in March and we visited a few beaches on the island. This was the very best and most beautiful of them all. It had white sand and is expansive. They also call it two mile beach, because you can literally walk the length of the beach in both directions and it totals 2 miles from end to end. We visited three separate days during our 11 day vacation. There is good parking at the Beach Park parking lot and restrooms with shower facilities. There are also picnic tables and fire bbq grills available for use in the shade near the parking lot. To access the beach from the parking lot is a short walk through the park. WARNING: You must wear good protective shoes and DO NOT walk off the path because there are sharp thorns from the Kiawe trees and they punctured the soles of my shoes. I actually stepped on one in my bare feet and it punctured the bottom of my foot and caused it to bleed. So do not go bare footed, but if you do you will avoid a painful experience from the thorns and once you are on the beach it is totally a beautiful, quiet and non populated place to experience the beach and crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean....Enjoy!
Written May 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Buzzband
Bellevue, WA33 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019
We visited this beach in April of 2019. There was no one there (it is Molokai) and the sunset was gorgeous. This beach has a reputation for being very windy but on that day we could not have asked for better conditions. To get to the beach you walk through a gorgeous park with lots of picnic areas and a restroom area. Very well kept and hardly used.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Piero C
Annapolis, MD775 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Solo
This is a huge empty beach, very easy to get to, with miles of white sand, and decent facilities, including barbecues. Plenty white sand. Great for families. Waves and riptides in the winter. But excellent...a local favorite, like Makena on Maui, without the crowds.
Written March 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stevie
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This beach is the most beautiful place! I felt in awe of it’s beauty! I visited several times & found beautiful perfect tiny seashells. On one of my visits I walked from end to end, then back again. Plenty of parking though when I went some days I only saw a few people. Restrooms are clean & the beach is very clean. No swimming there in the winter months! The color of the ocean was a deep blue & the sand was golden. A very nice place to sit & watch the sun set on the ocean. My favorite beach of close to 3 miles long. Not to be missed!
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

steelpens09
West Newton, PA65 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2013 • Couples
As everyone before noted in their review, this is not a beach for swimming (or even wading into the surf). Strong undertow and crashing waves sent me back on my one attempt to at least get waist deep to cool off. It is, however, one of the best places in the state to find some decent size shells in unbroken condition. If that is how you enjoy an afternoon, there will be plenty (compared to the rest of Hawaii's beaches) of reward for a 2 or 3 hour stroll. I cannot be sure it is good shelling year round but we had a blast.
Written October 24, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MN Sand Seeker
Minnesota848 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2012 • Couples
My husband and I were at Papohaku Beach on the west side of Moloka'i on Feb. 6&7. This beach is the longest stretch of white sand beach in the Hawaiian islands. But the beach should be used for walking, lounging in the sun and watching the sunset - the waves are quite large and the undertow is dangerous. During the times we were on the beach we only saw a few people, so this is not a busy spot and you could have the entire beach to yourself. Free parking and no entry fee to the beach.

The beach park itself is large with a few picnic tables, restroom facility and designated camping area. The rock-walled restroom building as two toilets (no doors and limited toilet paper) in the womens bathroom with a sink (no towels or soap) and a showering area. Similar in the mens side. From the time until the sun goes down (after 6pm in the winter) until about 8:30pm, there are no lights in bathroom.

The camping area is separated by a wooden fenced area. The cost to camp here is $5 per person per night. A permit must be obtained from the Maui County Park & Rec office in Kaunakakai at the Mitchell Pauole Center. We spent one night tenting here. (A women came around at night to view the permit, to be sure we had one.) There was only one other person tenting in camping area on the night we were there. The waves from the ocean on Papohaku Beach were thundering loud! My husband tried to stick toilet paper in his ears to deafen the noise of the ocean so he could get some sleep that night. We could hear the ocean when we pulled into the driveway, with the doors shut and windows open - its that loud.
Written February 18, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael B
Houston, AK28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Friends
I hate to be negative about Papohaku.

It is Hawaii's longest white sand beach and its beauty is spectacular.

The first thing you notice though is that even during high season you will more than likely be the only person on over 3 miles of pristine sand.

You wonder what's up.

Then you actually get out on the beach, the wind whips up, and the blowing sand gives you the exfoliation treatment of a lifetime.

It just flat stings.

Add to that the oftentimes horrendous surf that pounds the shore relentlessly and the sharp, jagged, offshore lava rocks that line almost the entire beach and you get something best appreciated from a distance.

People love to go to the west end when high surf warnings go out and watch the shore from various safe vantage points. The pounding splashing waves can top 100' cliffs with power to spare so distance is your friend.

There is one spot near the old Sheraton resort that attracts a few hardy local surfers but visitors should be wary.

If you are on Molokai then by all means take a trip to the west end and see Papohaku....

Just don't pack all your gear expecting a leisurely day at the beach and enjoy the beauty for what it is.
Written March 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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PAPOHAKU BEACH PARK (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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