Holoholokai Beach Park
Waimea, HI
Holoholokai Beach Park marks the north end of the Mauna Lani Resort, a rocky shoreline park with tide pools instead of sand and a trailhead for the Malama Petroglyph Trail right at the parking lot. It's more a picnic and tide pool stop than a swimming beach, but locals use it as the easiest access point to the resort's coastal trail.
A reliable, uncrowded stop for tide pools and the petroglyph trail, but there's no real sand or swimming to speak of.
How we score beachesWalk the petroglyph trail before the sun gets high. There's no shade over the lava field, and the carvings are easier to spot in the softer early light.
A paved lot at the park is free and rarely fills, even on weekends.
A short, flat paved path connects the lot to the picnic area and tide pools, though the shoreline itself is rocky lava, not sand.
Trade winds keep the park comfortable most of the year, and the petroglyph trail is best walked in the cooler morning hours regardless of season.
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