Hanakao'o Beach Park

Hanakao'o Beach Park

Hanakao'o Park is 4.8 acres and is found between Wahikuli Wayside Park and the Ka'anapali resort area. It's another beach park, and many of the amenities are the same as Wahikuli Wayside Park. It has 12 covered picnic tables and 8 BBQs. There are several parking spots to accomodate well over 50 cars at a time here. There is a bathroom and showers. If you have kids with you, this park is a good choice because there's a lifeguard station at the park.

Shoreline photo

What first caught my eye about this park was the canoe halaus. If you want to become a paddler, and Lahaina is convenient for you, this is the place to go. With three clubhouses to choose from, surely there will be an opportunity for you to get involved. I paddled in high school, but our allocated time was something like 6AM, so as a kid, I was not into getting up that early to go freeze in the ocean so I quit after freshman year.

Beach

The other thing about this park that I find unique is the lifeguard station. I see them popping up more and more as the years go by. It feels like 20 years ago, a lifeguard anywhere other than the public pool was like a myth. Even the beaches that had lifeguard stations built were often unoccupied, or the beaches stretched far you couldn't see the lifeguard from where we were swimming. Even here, if you're on the south side of the beach, there are so many trees and rocks, no lifeguard will see you, I think. Make sure to stay on the sandy north side if you're not a strong swimmer.

Warning, slippery rocks

Click and drag this 360 photo!

Sources:

Google Maps, accessed January 22, 2021. https://goo.gl/maps/k2HYKdikeQmP9Xid8

Maui County, accessed January 24, 2021. https://www.mauicounty.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/171