We found out about this oceanside swimming pool (250 feet long)from the Big Island Revealed app…read more It's five feet deep in some spots. Bring your water shoes and snorkel gear! It's 2.7 miles north of the corner from Highway 132 and 137 (so, go North on Government Beach Road). This is a paved road. Around 2.7 miles, you'll come across a small hill, on the downside of the hill, you'll see a dirt road on your right through a hau bush (twisted looking trees that are entwined). If you hit Pakaka Road, you went too far. There is no parking lot. There is a small one-spot parking space that you can back into (perpendicular to the road). There are two roadside beams indicating this spot. You can also park along the road. From Government Beach Road, on the dirt road, it's 1500 feet to the shoreline. The pool is 100 yards to the left once you hit the shoreline. I do not recommend driving down the path to the shoreline because the branches are low and it's super muddy. It's an easy walk. Towards the shoreline, you'll see an abandoned turquoise minivan. It's obvious that someone was squatting in the van at some point. The engine has been torn out, windows broken, carry-out boxes everywhere, and the rainforest has started to entwine itself with the car. On the coast, there were more signs of squatters. The pool was beautiful. We went during high tide and the pools were super full and the waves were crashing hard against the rocks. The app said we should go during low tide...whoops. We didn't run into a single person. It was super secluded and beautiful. Although the walk was really neat through the hau bush and having an oceanside swimming pool to ourselves was cool...I would not do this again. Honestly, I didn't feel safe. We didn't see any squatters but the signs made me uneasy. There is no cellphone signal and your completely isolated. I recommend this for large groups of people only.

Right around the corner from where I stayed. It's clothing optional. Some folks enjoyed…read moresummersaults and tree climbing in there nothingness. The waves can be quite strong. It's pretty, and popular.

Beautiful beach. Ocean is rough, no lifeguards. The hike…read moredown to the beach is difficult. So be careful. There are 2 separate ways to get to the beach. It's very quiet, black sand beach. There was less than 25% of those in the nude during our few hours on the beach, no one seem to flaunt about. Just carefree individuals.

Have you ever wanted to take a walk on an alien planet? What a strange and beautiful landscape…read more There aren't a lot of tourists here, and getting here means turning off the Google Maps once you're near and using an old fashioned map with a little sense of adventure. I think most people end up in the parking lot wondering "is this the place?" Follow the home drawn signs and keep walking. Don't dress for swimming, this isn't a swimming beach, wear sturdy shoes, workout shoes with good support or even hiking boots. Wear a hat to protect your head and sunscreen before you get out (it takes a few minutes for sunscreen to work). There is no way I can prepare you for what you will see, it's not like anything else I've ever encountered. So bizarre, so uncommonly beautiful.

We loved the black sand beach with turtles coming in to rest. Not much sand mostly rocks and the…read moreday we went it was windy and I wouldn't swim.

Loved this 5 miles round trip hike to the beach. Huge variety of vegetation and most of the trail…read moretramps through a tree forest. The tree forest is interesting with some abandoned and vegetation encrusted old jeeps and cars, historic rock walls and towards the end, spur trails to the sea cliffs, and a collapsed lava tube. At the end is a gorgeous bay favored by sea turtles. We saw at least 23 turtles on our visit. Please note that this trail is muddy and very muddy in spots even when it has not been raining, and the footing is very uneven so it is not for the casual walker, for flip flops or any shoes that you don't mind getting very muddy. I found that having hiking poles was helpful in order to gage how thick the mud was at various places on the pathway. Go early as it is very humid by late morning or mid day.

The Puna Trail that leads from the dirt parking lot to the secluded Shipman Beach (Ha'ena Beach) is…read more2-1/2 miles in each direction and consists of a jungle, lava rocks, and muddy conditions. It can be challenging especially during the rainy periods and at times it may seem forever until you reach the very end. Nevertheless, I was finally able to make it to the beach and it was worth it in the very end, though it's not one of these points of interest that I would want to do again. As for Shipman Beach, it's a nice place to relax at if it wasn't for the strong waves and currents particularly during the winter months. On better days, you might even see some sea turtles hanging out on the rocks nearby (do not approach them!). Best to apply bug repellant prior to hiking and make sure to scrub your shoes before and after at the trailhead brush.

We stumbled upon this park on our way to the "End of the Road" and really enjoyed our time here. We…read morehad planned on visiting a black sand beach and found this one serendipitously. Its like being at goth beach and I truly appreciated it. We took a ton of photos and when we got too close to the Wahi Kapu sign it started raining on us out of nowhere, so we took that as a sign to walk back to the car. That being said we would absolutely recommend coming here, its spectacular.

2025 is different from 2024, in between they tried to put in the boat launch which didn't work. The…read morehot ponds are still here and toasty. Some palms are growning, very little shade near the water.

On the West end of Molokai where the Kaluakoi Villas are, There lies one of the biggest stretches…read moreof white sand beaches in the entire state of Hawaii. About a mile wide and three miles long, the view is just breathtaking and the pictures don't do it justice. It was just awesome to take in the view with the cool breeze and NO ONE else around! Picture perfect scenery, peaceful, tranquil, and undisturbed.....only on Molokai......ALOHA!!!! YELP 365 CHALLENGE-(178/365) "One of Hawaii's Beautiful Beaches"

I've been to most beaches in Hawaii (except for Lanai, which is a smaller island with smaller…read morebeaches anyway). Popohaku Beach is probably the third biggest beach in all Hawaii. Polihale Beach on Kauai is the biggest at 17 miles long. Waimanalo Beach on Oahu is probably the second biggest at more than 5 miles long. Popohaku Beach is about 3 miles long (and up to 100 yards wide) and is informally named "3 mile beach". Kailua Beach in Oahu is about 2.5 miles long. Eighty Mile Beach in Western Australia is the world's longest beach and is actually 140 miles long. Ninety Mile Beach in Australia is just over 90 miles long. Padre Island in south Texas is about 112 miles long and I think may be all beach, but I never drove to the end. I digress... Papohaku Beach has large-grained reddish-golden sand and has a different vibe to the other Hawaiian beaches. First of all, there is pretty much no-one there. When we went there was just one other person walking the beach, and some random recent footprints. Probably the only time there are more than a few people is for the annual Ka Hula Piko Festival for three days in May. Each May the annual Ka Hula Piko Festival is held here as a celebration of the hula dance. Molokai is widely held to be the birthplace of hula. The Hawaiian legend is that Laka, the goddess of the hula, began the hula dance at a sacred hill in Kaana, named Puu Nana. Laka then travelled the Hawaiian islands teaching the hula. It is said that the spirit of Laka remains at Puu Nana hill. This is a walking beach. What a great beach walk with no-one else around. But when doing the long walk from the parking area to the beach, be careful of the kiawe tree thorns and don't go barefoot. View a spectacular sunset to the west over the water. If it's not too hazy you can see the coast of Oahu to the west and north a little bit. You can see Makapu'u Lighthouse at night and the lights of Kailua. This is not a swimming beach. An Aussie will swim at most places, but I definitely would not swim here. If the waves are not strong it is deceptively enticing. But if you watch the water carefully you will notice that the current does not move in just one direction, but swirls in many different directions. The 22 mile channel between Molokai and the east side of Oahu is one of the most treacherous in the world (Did you notice there is no ferry from Oahu to Molokai?). Also, there is a rock platform just under the water. I could imagine slipping on the rock, getting injured and then getting swept out to the ocean. BYO lifeguard. Halawa Bay was bad enough, and I swam at Sunset Beach in the winter till it kicked my butt. But I'm not going in here. As Amy Winehart said: they tried to make me [go to rehab] and I said No, No, No! Go early in the day when the tropic sun is less fierce, and the winds are calm. Facilities include outdoor showers, restrooms, drinking water and picnic grounds. To get there you take Highway 460 west toward Maunaloa. Turn right on Kaluakoi Road before you reach Maunaloa town. Continue on Kaluakoi Road, past the entrance to the Kaluakoi Resort. Papohaku Beach is two miles past the resort entrance. You can camp here if you get a permit from Department of Parks, Land, and Natural Resources at Kaunakakai (I think $3 per night). Be respectful of the Molokai people as they take this place very seriously as the most Hawaiian of all the islands. Say no to cruise ships. Mahalos yeah fo' checkin' out dis place.

A far far drive, but well worth every minute! Punalu'u Beach is a gem, wonder of the Earth!…read more The black sand beach is absolutely stunning! I appreciate the the boundaries they have in place to protect the turtles from tourists and keep their environment as sacred and safe as possible. It's truly a spiritual experience and a must visit!

We stopped here for just a bit while we were on our way to volcanoes national Park. We were with a…read moregeologist with Hawaiian GEO tours. You can climb the lava rocks and enjoy the amazing waves that are coming in or you can walk over to the black beach. We were told the black beach is formed as the lava from volcanic eruptions hits the water it ends up, exploding somewhat, and creating this black sand beach. It's warm to the touch. The green sea turtles love to come here and lay in the sand as it helps regulate their body temperature so the beach has cordoned off an area for them so they have a safe spot to rest. There are restrooms here as well as a pretty large picnic shelter as this seems to be a stop on many excursions on this island. It's free and everything was fairly clean. We really enjoyed this amazing part of the world.

For more advance swimmers and more open waters this is your spot. Perfect for snorkeling and…read moreexploring the sea life swim past you. The vibrant colors shimmer at you while you take in the magic of the island as you soak up the sunshine and cold waters. During low time the waters are calmer and great for splashing around. Against the lava rocks are some crawling crabs that camouflage with the rocks so you will see them scurrying around. Parking along the road fills up quick and is rare to get the open waters without running into human feet and bodies as you are snorkel around. Added bonus the public restrooms. Remember to take care of the land and leave it better than you saw it and enjoy!

We came at sunset the first time. It was magical! We came back later to snorkel…read more It does get crowded during the day but it was such a great experience both times. Parking can be hard to find! And the waters can get rough. So be patient and a spot will open.

To address the parking situation:…read more You can park across the street from Pinky's Convenience store at the abandoned bakery, next to the propane tanks. Be careful not to block off the parking lot. There are houses behind that lot and people do go in and out. I also wanted to mention after several outings to this beach that it's decent for surfing, but make sure you're a strong swimmer. The bottom is rocky and the current is strong.

I live in the area, know some of the residents and would like to clear up any misguided information…read moreabout this property, it's access & the beach. First things first...and I really can't stress this enough. -NO PARKING OR DRIVING DOWN MILL ROAD... here's why. The ENTIRE paved road from Pinky's property on Mill, all the way to the end is a PRIVATE ROAD/DRIVEWAY and meant for the property owners to gain access to their house on the Mill. They paved Mill Road for easier access for themselves, Mill Road residents, resident guests, deliveries and utilities ONLY. It is not state maintained and it is not a public road, repeat; NOT A PUBLIC ROAD. There are signs at the top of the hill stating it's a private road. There are ZERO turnaround areas at the end of that road. It is apparent with all the chains and signs around, the residents do not want their driveways used as a turn around or parking of any kind on their property. SO, unless you want to make a 20 point turn and chance scrapping against big lava boulders, don't even bother driving down. Parking is across the highway, walk down from there. Pedestrian crosswalk provided. You can not be a lazy person to get to this beach, it's a nice long walk from the parking area. And even longer on the way back because it's all up hill. This beach has had quite the history and there are a few locals that are unhappy about this situation. But it is what it is... Most residents of Mill Road that I've spoken to are happier with the current set up of the beach access and feel the area is much safer since private ownership at the Mill. That said, this beach is NOT "public access" nor a "public beach". It was never public. It is called "permitted access". That land is completely privately owned. It's always been privately owned and wasn't accessed "publicly" until the Mill closed and was no longer being maintained. There was no safe access to that beach, it was illegally trespassed upon by entering through the old mill, luring down to the beach by ropes and chains and sketchy pathways. The new property owners made the current access to the beach and it's now a beautiful path down to the beach. Moving on and moving forward... The hours you are allowed access are from 6:30am to 6:30pm. The property owners run a tight ship but as long as you follow the rules, you're all good. It's a great place to body board and surf but only if you have skills. I've seen ppl fishing too. This area is a fresh water feeder to the ocean. The beach itself is black iki pebbles, cobbles and boulders with green sand. It's littered with debris from the old mill such as rusted metal and bricks and choke amounts of deposited drift wood. I would consider this beach kinda dangerous with all the rusted exposed Mill remnants and debris, so not really sure it's suitable for the little ones. Definitely watch your feet when walking around, lots of glass and metal. The Mill itself is completely off limits and super dangerous. It's condemned for good reason and looks on the verge of collapse. No dogs(they have guard dogs and the beach is dangerous for their feet), No wheels of any kind, No alcohol, No fires, No fruit picking. Absolutely NO PARKING on Mill road...EVER...you will be towed. I love it there but I'm also really close by and can walk down. I go often but hear lots of fake news about this place. Trying to get the truth out so everyone is on the same page and has a good time instead of a bad one. Take out what you take in and don't be asshat, walk down from the highway.