The crowning glory of Makena State Park, this untouched beach is arguably the finest on Maui. In Hawaiian it’s called Oneloa, literally, ‘Long Sand.’ And indeed the golden sands stretch for the better part of a mile and are as broad as they come. The waters are a beautiful turquoise. When they’re calm you’ll find kids boogie boarding here, but at other times the breaks belong to experienced bodysurfers, who get tossed wildly in the transparent waves. There is a lifeguard station here.
In the late 1960s this was the site of an alternative-lifestyle encampment nicknamed ‘Hippie Beach.’ The tent city lasted until 1972, when police finally evicted everyone. For a sweeping view of the shore, climb the short trail to the rocky outcrop just north, which divides Big Beach from Little Beach.
The turnoff to the main parking area is a mile beyond the Makena Beach & Golf Resort. There’s a port-o-john here. A second parking area lies 440yd to the south. Thefts and broken windshields are a possibility, so don’t leave valuables in your car in either lot.
