Lanai’s Kaiolohai Beach (Shipwreck Beach)

Though this Lanai beach offers wonder views of Molokai and Maui, it’s claim to fame is the remains of a 1940’s oil tanker.  This shallow, windy, rocky channel has claimed numerous ships.

You will find this remote beach along the northeast shore of Lanai. You will need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to access it. 

Near the beach is a trail that leads off to Kukui Point petroglyphs.  There are several unmarked trails in and around the area and as such, we were not able to find the one that leads off to the petroglyphs. I hope you have better luck finding them.   

2 comments
  1. HVG – I love the idea of another trip! After I mapped this beach on our interactive map, I realized that we didn’t walk far enough. One thing that Lanai could definitely improve upon is putting up simple signs directing people to the point of interest. There was one rock that had a plaque or engraving that said “Shipwreck Beach”, but it was way before you could see the view of the ships. We looked around for a while trying to find the petroglyph fields and it was like finding a needle in a haystack. There were rocks ALL around. So, how were we to find the area with the rock carvings? I really hope those with any involvement in tourism for Lanai will do something to help future visitors find these special treasures.

    I’ve done lots of hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the parks there are great about putting up signs directing you to the right path and they also indicate the distance to the point of interest. It would be great if Hawaii would do something similar.

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