Moomomi Beach
Hoolehua, HI
Moomomi sits inside a nearly 1,000 acre coastal preserve on Molokai's northwest shore, home to some of the last intact sand dunes left in the main Hawaiian islands. The Nature Conservancy manages the far end, but the beach itself, off Hawaiian Home Lands, is open to anyone willing to drive the rough access road in.
One of the few genuinely wild stretches of coast left on Molokai, worth the rough drive for the dunes alone, though there's essentially nothing here for anyone hoping to swim.
How we score beachesA regular car can struggle on the unpaved road out here, especially after rain. Four wheel drive isn't strictly required but makes the trip a lot less stressful.
Parking is limited to designated pull offs near the trailhead, since the dune area itself is protected and off limits to vehicles.
A dirt road leads to a sandy trail across the dunes, uneven and unshaded, not manageable for strollers or wheelchairs.
Dogs are not allowed within the Nature Conservancy's Moomomi Preserve, given the fragile dune ecosystem and native plants it protects.
Summer's calmer water still comes with a rocky bottom and real currents, so this stays a fishing and walking beach more than a swimming one regardless of season. Winter surf makes the water flatly unsafe.
More Hawaii beaches
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, HI · Hawaii
4 access points
The beach that put Hawaii surfing on the map, with gentle, forgiving waves for beginners, Diamond Head crater as a backdrop, and a reef that keeps the water calm most of the year.
Lanikai Beach
Kailua, HI · Hawaii
A quiet, residential-neighborhood beach on Oahu's windward side, with powder-soft sand, turquoise water, and two small offshore islets (the Mokulua) as a paddling destination.
Poipu Beach
Koloa, HI · Hawaii
A sheltered, sunny south-shore beach on Kauai split into a calm swimming lagoon and a livelier surf side, with a good chance of spotting Hawaiian monk seals resting on the sand.