Beach · West Maui Scenic Drive
A simple shore walk with winter humpbacks sometimes offshore.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for West Maui Scenic Drive. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the West Maui Scenic Drive audio tourRecorded for this area
Māʻalaea: Aquarium and Harbor“You’re approaching Māʻalaea, home to Maui Ocean Center and the boat harbor. For a break from outdoor exploring, the aquarium gives you a close look at Hawaiian marine life.”
Plays on the road 0.6 mi from Māʻalaea Haycraft Beach Park in the Parkwolf West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Māʻalaea Haycraft Beach Park is a 6.5-acre county park at the end of Hauoli Street, with sandy shoreline and grassy picnic space. It’s a simple stop for a beach walk and bay views; swimming has no lifeguard.
The sand and open view across Maʻalaea Bay are the main draw. Low coastal trees give parts of the shoreline some shade. Visitors often describe a quieter feel, especially midweek, though it can be busier on weekends. Swimming is possible, but there’s no lifeguard; snorkeling reports vary, so don’t plan the visit around it.
Humpback whales may pass Maʻalaea Bay during the winter migration. Scan offshore, but treat a sighting as a bonus, not a guarantee.
For a photo that feels like this stretch of coast, include the low shoreline trees in the foreground with the mountain across the bay. Turn along the beach for a second angle with the surf crossing the foreground.
Wildlife
152 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
71 sightingsHawaiian Monk SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
23 sightingsSpinner DolphinMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
401 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
14 sightingsHawksbill Sea TurtleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
92 sightingsWedge-tailed ShearwaterMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across West Maui Scenic Drive. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingEast Lāhainā Pali Trail3.8 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA sunbaked climb to wind turbines above Māʻalaea.
ChallengingLāhainā Pali Trail4.8 mi · 4 hr · 1 mi awayA tough, rocky ridge crossing with wide ocean and island views.
ChallengingWest Lāhainā Pali Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 3.9 mi awayOcean views reward the steep climb to turbine-lined Kealaloloa Ridge.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayMaui Ocean CenterSharks overhead, Hawaiian reefs, and a humpback show indoors.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayMāʻalaea Small Boat HarborA working harbor for Maui’s snorkeling, fishing and sailing trips.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayPāpawai Scenic LookoutA quick bay overlook with a chance at winter humpbacks.
Sight · 3.6 mi awayMaui Tropical PlantationA tram loops the lagoon with a live demonstration of coconut husking.
Picnic area · 4.4 mi awayPāpalaua Wayside ParkA shady beach picnic, with the highway just behind your towel.Parkwolf’s West Maui Scenic Drive ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
