ALOHA!
So one of the great colored sand beaches to see in Hawaii includes a red sand beach!
And, the Kaihalulu red sand beach is THE famous red sand beach of Maui.
The red sand beach that is located on the island of Maui is also the famous red sand beach in Hawaii.
If you’re chasing colored beaches in Hawaii (hello black sand and green sand), then Kaihalulu Beach is a must-visit beach!
And I’ve never heard of Hawaii having a pink sand beach. So if you’re looking for a pink sand beach in Hawaii, then a red sand beach in Maui is probably going to be the closest you’ll come to seeing pink sand in Hawaii!
So Kaihalulu Beach is one of the great beaches on the Road to Hana.
It is also one of the great hikes on the Road to Hana.
Should you visit the red sand beach when you’re on Maui?!
Despite being one of the incredible beaches in Hawaii to see, going to the red sand beach is controversial.
First, you may or may not be crossing private property to get to the red sand beach.
In Hawaii it’s not uncommon to see “no trespassing” and “private property” signs.
It can sometimes be difficult to know which are real and which property owners take these things seriously.
For now, it seems as though this isn’t enforced. Many tourists go on this hiking trail.
Maybe read the recent google reviews to see if anyone mentions any recent problematic access. There is an option to “sort” by “newest” reviews.
If you decide to go to the red sand beach, as you are on the trail and hanging out at the beach, you can secretly thank the property owner for allowing you to access the trail.
And aside from that, it does require a hike to get to. And this means it’s another somewhat of a hidden beach on Maui!
And getting to the red sand beach is a pretty short hike.
But the hike to the red sand beach in Maui has been considered a dangerous hike.
As recently as September 2022, there was a hiker going to the red sand beach who was severely injured. (Read the news report.)
So to be clear, hiking to the red sand beach on Maui is not without dangers. BE CAREFUL!
Do the red sand beach hike at your own risk!
Side note!
Things to buy on Amazon for your adventures!
I am an Amazon Associate. I may earn a commission.
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking shorts (comfortable shorts that are good for movement!)
- for women: hiking shorts | for men: hiking shorts
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking pants
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
- capris for women
- Some of the best outdoor travel brands:
- When you fly: If you have an iphone, you can put an airtag tracker in your luggage so you can better keep track of it! Buy just one, or buy a pack of 4. (Read the reviews!) This also makes a good travel gift!
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Top Maui tours
Read the reviews at partner website Viator!*
- Road to Hana small group adventure tour
- Turtle town snorkeling tour (with photo and video)
- Lahaina ATV adventure tour
- Horseback riding tour with Hawaiian cowboys
Things you might want to pack for your Maui vacation
Read the reviews on Amazon! I'm an Amazon Associate.*
- For women: Search for a rash guard for swimming and you won't have to worry as much about putting on sunscreen!
- Search for a rash guard for men
- Water shoes for snorkeling if you won't be wearing fins, or just generally for the beach!
- Cheapo waterproof phone case so you can capture pictures of colorful fishies swimming underwater!
- I always have a camera float attached to my phone case that I put around my wrist
- Snorkeling set: mask and fins
- Fins allow you to propel further faster (aka see more in less time and energy!)
- Go cheap if you accept that you need to come up for air frequently: regular swimming googles. They are not as fashionable but if you get swimming goggles, make them the clear kind so you won't be seeing dimmed colors of the colorful fishies!
- If you are able, I recommend trying out the mask at your local lake (in summer) or pool so you will be good to go in Hawaii when there's actually stuff to see!
- Travel-friendly turkish towel for the beach (lightweight compared to regular beach towels)
- For women: Teva walking sandals (one of the best sandal brands for the outdoors, perfect for lots of walking around outside - that's not a lava field!)
- For men: Teva sandals
- For women: Merrell hiking shoes (one of the best outdoor shoe brands, perfect for walking over rugged terrain like lava fields!)
- For men: Merrell hiking shoes
- Moisture-wicking tech t-shirt for women perfect for hiking and hot days when you'll be outside a lot sweating
- tech-t-shirt for men
- For more ideas, do a search for hiking clothes or swimming clothes!
*As a Viator partner and Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission.
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Is the trail to the red sand beach in Maui really that dangerous?
If you read some of the online reviews about the trail to the red sand beach that is Kaihalulu Beach, you might start to believe that you could be seriously risking your life by doing the hike to the red sand beach.
And, depending on who you are, you might be. So it could be a good idea to look further into it.
I’m a pretty low-risk person, and the reviews were enough to make me consider not doing it.
But as I continued reading more reviews, it seemed like the reviews were really mixed.
It seemed like there were some people who said you really shouldn’t do it because it is that dangerous.
And then there were others who said the negative reviews were overblown and it’s not actually that bad.
So… which is it?!
Well firstly, I’m also not one to take the dangers of Hawaii lightly.
Hawaii can be a dangerous place!
You need to be careful no matter what activities you do.
A calm scene can quickly turn disastrous. Tourists literally die in Hawaii.
And not all activities in Hawaii may be suitable for everyone.
Also, trail conditions CAN change quickly, no matter what hike you do in Hawaii. For example, if it’s rained recently, it could actually make the trail to the red sand beach very dangerous, this sort of thing. (So I would definitely consider NOT doing it if it’s rained!)
So all that said, if you are a regularly active person and interested in doing hikes in Hawaii…
On a normal day in 2019, I did not think the hike to the red sand beach was that bad.
As with all hikes in Hawaii, there are certain things you need to be careful about.
So as with all hiking trails in Hawaii, you should absolutely take precautions and be careful.
What makes the hike to the red sand beach dangerous?
What is the red sand beach hiking trail like?
The main things that make the hike to the red sand beach dangerous are the loose gravel and the narrow trail along a cliff.
1. Loose gravel = easy to lose footing
There are trails in Hawaii in which the surface is dry loose gravel.
The trail to the red sand beach is one of them, in certain parts.
This type of trail condition means that it can make it easy to slip, particularly when you’re going downhill, no matter what type of shoes you’re wearing. (Although there’s some footwear that does give better traction, and these types of footwear are better suited for Hawaii in general.)
So it will be important to be careful with your footing and use caution.
2. Narrow trail along a cliff
There’s one section in particular in which the trail is narrow and it drops off.
It’s not that narrow, but it could be enough to cause some anxiety again depending on who you are.
So this is another thing that could make this trail less than ideal.
There have been reports (here and here and here for example) of people falling down the cliff and getting injured. (I’m not sure where exactly on the trail, but dangers of the red sand beach hike nonetheless!)
Red sand beach map of Maui
👆 Map of where the red sand beach is located on Maui. Explore the Road to Hana map. Explore more Road to Hana stops. Explore more things to do in Hana!
And that’s a bit about hiking to the red sand beach in Maui on the Road to Hana!
More colored beaches in Hawaii?!
- You can also find red sand on the Road to Hana near the famous huli huli chicken stand
- THE famous black sand beach on Maui
- The green sand beach in Hawaii
More hikes in Hawaii:
- Road to Hana hikes
- Maui hikes with amazing views
- THE bamboo forest hike on Maui
- THE volcano crater hike on Maui
- Lanai hikes with great views
- Big Island hikes with ocean views
- Oahu hikes with ocean views
HAPPY SEEING A RED SAND BEACH IN HAWAII!
👇 Explore the Road to Hana map on google maps!
See the list:
- Road to Hana stops (for views!)
- Things to do on Maui (for views!)
- Things to do in Haleakala National Park
- Things to do on Lanai
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from this.
Top things to pack for your Hawaii vacation!
The ultimate beach towel for travel?!
Turkish towels are considered to be more absorbent and lightweight than your average beach towel. Be sure to check out turkish towels like these!The cheapo way to waterproof your phone
You can take underwater pictures with a simple waterproof phone case like this. Touch screen may not work well underwater - try the volume button to snap the pic instead!Get your suitcase more organized!
Packing cubes can make it so you're spending less time on your vacation looking for things! They are basically a form of drawers in your suitcase. Take a look at these packing cubes.Wear less sunscreen by wearing a UPF swim shirt!
Wearing a swim shirt means less skin that's exposed to the sun which means less sunscreen you need to apply! See about wearing swim shirts with UV protection like these when you're snorkeling.More for your Maui packing list
- How a cheapo waterproof phone case works
- Why wear water shoes for the beach
- Why a personal swim buoy is an essential for snorkeling and swimming in the ocean
- Essentials to pack for Maui
- Best shoes for Maui