Waiehu Beach Park is a small county park boasting beach access that’s located just north of the bustling Maui town of Wailuku. The beach connected to the park may not be the most picturesque beach on the island, but the surf here is great for things like surfing and fishing. This paired with the amenities of the county park itself makes Waiehu Beach Park a good spot for those looking for a peaceful escape from more tourist-minded activities.
The surf and fishing are good at Waiehu Beach Park in part because it has an exposed reef and because the headline of Waiehu Point lies just to the north, creating what is often a perfect point break. These conditions mean that you will often see surfers out catching the waves here, and fishers often taking advantage of how the swells bring in the largest catches of fish. The best time of the year for these surfing conditions is during the winter, with December being particularly great for it. For most of the year, surfing here is amiable to beginners as well as offering the periodic larger swell for more advanced surfers.
You will find parking for Waiehu Beach Park and some of the area’s other attractions on the northern end of the park and across the street. Also across the street from the park is Leisure Estates Park, which features a large baseball diamond where kids and adults often spend lazy afternoons playing. This diamond is also popular with dog owners thanks to its nice maintenance and fenced-in grounds.
Waiehu Beach Park is also dog-friendly and the park’s closeness to residential areas means that visitors are more likely to encounter dogs than not when visiting the beach here. What you won’t find is a lifeguard on duty, despite this being a fairly swimmable beach. You’ll also find the snorkeling pretty nice if there aren’t too many people fishing and surfing near the exposed reef. The park also boasts five large picnic tables, four of which feature barbeque grills that are ideal for those planning a nice picnic on the water.
But that is rather all that Waiiehu Beach Park has to offer. You won’t find any restroom or showering facilities here and unfortunately, the sands are not exceptionally pretty, often scattered with glass, rocks, large pieces of wood, and other ocean flotsam flung ashore here. There is a manmade rock wall at the very southern point of the beach. If you hop or otherwise climb over this rock wall, you will find yourself in Coral Beach. Coral Beach is barely exposed during high tide, but in low tide, it is quite pretty to explore as the ocean leaves behind thousands of tiny pebbles and pieces of coral.
Insider Tips:
-Just north of Waiehu Beach Park is the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course. While this golf course certainly is not on par with the bigger championship, luxuriously designed golf course on Maui both in terms of looks and challenges, it is more affordable and does offer some pretty outstanding ocean views while playing.
-Food trucks are sometimes in the area, but not always a guarantee. If you find yourself exceptionally hungry while in this area, check out the nearby Ula Ula Cafe.