Makena State Park

Mākena State Park comprises 165 acres (0. 7 km2) in Makena, south of Wailea on the island of Maui, Hawaii. It contains three separate beaches and a dormant volcanic cinder cone.

Big Beach, also known as “Oneloa Beach” and “Mākena Beach”, is a popular spot for sunbathing and bodyboarding by both tourists and locals. Big Beach is 1. 5 miles (2. 4 km) long and more than 100 feet (30 m) wide. The shore is fairly protected from wind. The “Makena cloud” that stretches from the top of Haleakalā to Kahoʻolawe is often overhead, cooling the sand.

Little Beach, also known as “Puʻu Ōlaʻi Beach” is a small beach just north of Big Beach separated by a steep lava outcropping (the tip of Puʻu Ōlaʻi) and a 5-minute hike. On Sunday afternoons/evenings Little Beach is host to celebratory drumming and fire dancing. The beach is only 660 feet (200 m) long and can seem crowded at peak times. Little Beach is one of the few Hawaiian beaches where local police tolerate nude sunbathing.

Oneʻuli Beach or Naupaka Beach is a black sand beach on the northern end of the park, closest to Makena. Puʻu Ōlaʻi is a dormant volcanic cinder cone in the center of the park with a height of 360 feet (110 m).

It is located on Mākena Road at 20°37′52″N 156°26′46″W.

Just to the south is the ʻAhihi Kinaʻu Natural Area Reserve.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article “Makena State Park“, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.