Makena State Park
Makena State Park
4.5
About
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Top ways to experience Makena State Park and nearby attractions

The area
Reach out directly

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 waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles147 reviews
Excellent
90
Very good
50
Average
7
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Kteach09
Chula Vista, CA8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
When visiting Maui recently, my husband and I were able to visit a few beaches, but Big Beach at Makena State Park was one of our favorites! The multiple shades of turquoise and blue waters against the clear, blue sky, the waves rolling in, the warm sandy beach and warm water, and the overall laid-back feel of the people made this a very relaxing place to enjoy the sun and surf. The currents and waves can be a little strong, but the water still feels great to swim in. The bottom is sandy. A lot children use boards to skim on the sand. With travel restrictions in place, the crowd was not too large, so there was plenty of room on the beach. We definitely want to go back!
Written 18 January 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.

MBMVWA
Seattle, WA588 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
This was a beautiful beach!! Everything you'd hope for on a Hawaiian beach. The beach goes on for ever. Good waves to play in and not too many people. We accidentally found Little beach by climbing over the rock bluff at the end of the beach., it turned out to be a nudist beach with all men, I saw more than I wanted to! I guess if you're into that, you may have a good time. We left, and went back to the main beach. If you drive down about a quarter of a mile past the paid parking lot, the is free parking on the roadside and public trail to the beach!!!
Written 14 November 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.

gebersk
Kennewick, WA236 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2018 • Couples
The place is crowded, but the waves can get very sizable.... 6-12 feet in the afternoon. Not for the beginner to boogie board unless you are ready to crash a few times.... No shade though.
Written 30 July 2018
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.

Andrea2018
San Francisco, CA133 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017
Makena State Park - usually called "Big Beach" by locals, deserves its "Big Beach" name. Its really wide and really deep. The surf can become treacherous with bigger waves, and you should pay attention to the life guards when they say to stay out of the waves. The beach is big enough, but also out of the way enough so that it never becomes crowded, even on weekends when locals have the time to go to the beach. It will take you about 20-25 minutes drive from Kihei and Wailea.
Written 2 December 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.

slarnder
Kamloops, Canada21 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Couples
This is an absolutely beautiful beach. The only thing I didn't like was that swimming was almost impossible due to the rather large waves. There were a few intrepid souls in the water but most people were clearly there just to enjoy the gorgeous sand and lovely scenery. Also, I highly recommend the fish taco food truck that parks in the parking lot. We bought lunch there and wow, was it delicious!
Written 25 April 2018
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.

Gla_Rangers
British Columbia, Canada1,202 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Friends
Located in Makena State Park, located South of Wailea, it has a couple of parking lots, with the one closest to Wailea having a food truck. From the parking lot it is a short walk to the beach.

The beach is huge, about 2/3 mile in length and about 100 yards wide. They now have lifeguards posted and for good reason. This is one of the most dangerous beaches in the USA and experiences regular injuries, some extremely serious.

Today we had a southerly swell resulting in extreme shorebreaks. This beach is not for poor swimmers under these conditions. During our 1 hour visit we saw the lifeguards called into action twice, one of which was serious and required evacuation.
Written 23 April 2016
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.

Joanne M
Venice, FL6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022
I have never seen such big waves in person. There is a warning that if you're not a strong swimmer to stay out. Beautiful to look at, did not go in.
Written 8 August 2022
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.

Elizabeth R
Hackensack, NJ155 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2022
Gosh this beach is gorgeous! Sugary sand, no development, and gin clear water. Just please know that there’s a seriously steep break which in my opinion as an experienced body surfer and beach goer is NOT for amateurs. Enjoy the views but stay out of the waves if you don’t know what you’re doing!
Written 30 June 2022
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.

bktpro808
Kihei, HI64 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019
Big beach is a beautiful beach, almost two-thirds of a mile (1 km) long and over 100 feet (30 m) wide, it is one of the most popular beaches on the island. I will caution you that Big Beach also have one of the most powerful waves on the South or West shore so make sure to not turn your back on the ocean. They have life guards, which is a good idea to check in if your unsure. But this beach is one nicest beaches in the Hawaiian islands and certainly worth checking out. They do have shaded areas when you 1st walk in and have several entrances. Big Beach can be an excellent start to your Maui Vacation.
Written 17 August 2019
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.

Dani U
Ottawa461 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Friends
As you travel south of Makena Big Beach you will notice lava flows on both sides of the road. These are the remnants of the last eruption of Haleakala in 1790. When the road stops you are at La Perouse Bay. You may park there, walk two minutes to the oceanfront and take in the beautiful scenery and, if you have good footwear there are trails through the lava fields along the ocean. Lava rocks can be sharp therefore closed shoes would be advised. We walk a very small portion of the trail because coming from a beach we only had sandals.Nevertheless it was totally worth it!
Written 17 April 2019
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.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 128
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

MAKENA STATE PARK - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All Wailea HotelsWailea Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Wailea
All things to do in Wailea
Day Trips in Wailea
Things to do near Makena State Park
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars