Hiking the Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach Trail in Hāna on Maui, Hawaiʻi
Distance (Roundtrip): 0.5 miles / 0.8 km
Kaihalulu Beach, more commonly called the Red Sand Beach, in Hāna on Maui, is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind beach tucked away in a secluded cove that makes for a great place to swim, lay out and enjoy the weather—and best of all, catch the sunrise on a clear morning!
All this to say, Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach is Hawaiʻi’s only red sand beach, but all these amazing things about the beach don’t go without mentioning that the trail to get there is more dangerous than one might initially think, regardless of the short distance.
By this, I mean that the trail is composed of a lot of loose dirt/ rocks, and a fall off the steep, exposed trail could easily be life-threatening, which has unfortunately happened on the Red Sand Beach Trail before.
I don’t say all this to discourage anyone from visiting, as Kaihalulu Beach is not only one of the best things to do on Maui, but in all of Hawaiʻi! However, I mention this to hopefully provide realistic expectations and to emphasize that the Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach Trail is not a great kid-friendly adventure.
Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach Parking
Parking for the Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach Trail is located on Uakea Road, between the Hāna Ballpark and the Community Center.
Spots are very limited along this stretch, but in any case, don’t park illegally. Hāna has a small police station, and you may be cited for not following the no parking signs.
Google Maps Directions: Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach Trailhead
Hiking the Hāna Red Sand Beach Trail
The trailhead to get to the Red Sand Beach begins at the end of Uakea Road near the Community Center.
For the most part, the Red Sand Beach Trail should be fairly self-explanatory, but I wanted to show the photos here, so that you are aware of the dangerous drops along the trail.
This is where the dangerous drops begin, and they only get worse as you get closer to Kaihalulu Beach.
This final, highly-exposed descent is generally the most dangerous part of the trail, as the drops are unforgiving, and the trail, particularly the Ironwood seeds, can easily cause you to lose your footing.
Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach
At the end of the short 0.25-mile (0.4 km) trail, you are greeted with one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Hawaiʻi, and on top of this, the open-ocean swell is highly mitigated because of the rocks that you can see just offshore.
That being said, there are no lifeguards at Red Sand Beach, meaning you should always think twice, as help is not as readily available as other beaches across the island.
The sand is a little bit coarser than other beaches.
Native Plants on the Red Sand Beach Trail
While short, the Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach Trail still has a number of native plants along the hike, including Naupaka, Alena, and Niu.
If you would like to learn more about these and other native Hawaiian plants from across the islands, I encourage you to read through my separate post.
Read My Separate Post: Native Hawaiian Plant Guide
