Right Beaches › Big Island › Naalehu
Papakōlea Green Sand Beach
4.6★ · 2,112 Google ratings · Naalehu, Hawaii
✓ Parking✓ Short walk
At a glance
Parking
On-site lot · 160 ft away · paid
Walk
80 ft · under a minute
Cost
Paid parking
Water
82°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Length
250 yd of shoreline
Sand
125 yd from the water to the back
Crowds
Quietest Mon 7pm
Map of Papakōlea Green Sand Beach
1
1Parking160 ft from the listing
Guide
Good to know
Arrive by 10am to avoid crowds
Visitors report the beach fills rapidly after mid-morning, with thirty or more people arriving between 10am and noon.
The sand appears more olive than bright green
The green color comes from tiny olivine crystals mixed with black grains, appearing brownish-green from a distance.
Bring multiple liters of water
The 2.5 to 3 mile hike crosses completely exposed terrain with no shade or water sources available.
Wear closed-toe hiking shoes
The ground is rough, dusty, rocky lava with many separate crisscrossing tracks that are hard to distinguish.
Expect strong waves and currents
Visitors consistently report large waves unsuitable for swimming, though wading and body surfing are possible.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
76°F · drizzle
Water
82°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Waves
7.5 ft · 10 s apart
Wind
11 mph from the NE
Shelter
Cross-shore · wind running along the beach
UV index
6 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 00:38 | High tide | ↑ |
| 06:23 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 13:52 | High tide | ↑ |
| 20:30 | Low tide | ↓ |
Last updated Sep 7, 6:43 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 Naalehu, HI 96772
🅿 Parking 160 ft from the listing
🌊 Water 80 ft away, under a minute walk
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Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Papakōlea Green Sand Beach?
The nearest mapped parking area is 160 ft from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Papakōlea Green Sand Beach?
80 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Papakōlea Green Sand Beach have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
When is Papakōlea Green Sand Beach least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Mon 7pm and the busiest at Sat 12pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
