The One Place In Hawaii That Looks Like Something From Middle Earth

Located off the most famous winding road in Hawaii (Maui’s Hana Highway) is a little sliver of paradise home to a striking black sand beach, sea caves, fresh water pools, and cascading waterfalls. This is Waianapanapa State Park on Maui, and it looks like something straight of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth: lush, green, and entirely not of this realm. Let's explore one of the most beautiful places in Hawaii.

Nestled along the coast of east Maui is a beautiful state park with scenery so diverse, you’ll certainly believe as though you’ve stepped into another world, perhaps one resembling the famous Lord of the Rings landscape.

Maui’s Road to Hana is home to countless incredible viewpoints, parks, waterfalls, and hidden gems, and I’m honestly not sure how you could complete this drive without stopping to witness something gorgeous every 20 minutes - or less.While many of these stops take no time at all, Waianapanapa is perhaps the one place that you should take as much time to explore as you possibly can.

The magnificent park is home to a striking black sand beach...

...a gorgeous waterfall...

...incredible sea caves...

...and absolutely breathtaking rock formations.

Oh, and did we mention the lush scenery?

If you're not a resident of the islands, you must make an advanced reservation with a timed entry and parking to visit Waianapanapa. You can do so from the Go Hawaii State Parks website. Have you visited the stunning Waianapanapa State Park and enjoyed spotting some of the most breathtaking natural wonders in Hawaii? It's places like this that make residents so proud of their Hawaiian roots - and understandably so! Be sure to check out these 16 Hawaii state parks at some point in the future, as well as these 11 spots straight out of a fairytale.