Papalaua Wayside Park
Olowalu, HI
Papalaua Wayside Park runs along a long, kiawe shaded stretch of coast between Olowalu and Ukumehame, one of the few county parks on Maui where a permit lets campers pitch a tent right above the sand. During the day it's mostly a quiet pullover spot for a swim or a picnic under the trees, away from any real crowd.
A genuinely peaceful stretch of coast with real camping culture behind it, but there's no shade structure beyond the trees and no facilities to speak of beyond a permit and a patch of sand.
How we score beachesClosed toe shoes matter here. The ground under the kiawe trees is covered in thorns that go straight through flip flops.
A long dirt and paved shoulder along Honoapiilani Highway allows parking right next to the campsites, informal but rarely full outside of holiday weekends.
Flat, sandy ground under kiawe trees leads directly to the beach from the roadside, though thorns and soft sand make sturdy shoes worth wearing.
Trade winds keep this stretch breezy most of the year, with summer bringing calmer water and winter occasional bigger swells further offshore.
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