Waianapanapa State Park.

Waianapanapa State Park is a dramatic departure from Hawaii’s typical white-sand coastline. Its centerpiece is Pa’iloa Beach, a starkly beautiful crescent of jet-black volcanic pebbles set against turquoise waters and bright green hala trees. The landscape is a geological playground of basalt sea stacks, natural arches, and blowholes carved by the Pacific. Beyond the shore, the park holds deep cultural weight with over 34 ancient sites, including burial grounds and stone house platforms. A freshwater cave system hides beneath the lava rock, tied to the tragic legend of Princess Popo’alaea; in the spring, thousands of tiny red shrimp gather here, turning the pools crimson. For those staying overnight in the park’s cabins or campsites, the remote location offers some of the best sunrise views on Maui, far from the island's more developed resort hubs.