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Makua Beach • North Shore
The mile marker 8 spots, the Haena Beach Park walk-in, and the shuttle nobody tells you about
Updated August 14, 2026 · No reservation is needed for Tunnels Beach itself
There is no parking lot at Tunnels Beach. You either grab one of the few roadside spots near mile marker 8 (gone by 8 AM), park free at Haena Beach Park and walk 10-15 minutes along the sand, or ride the North Shore shuttle, which stops right at Haena Beach Park. Unlike neighboring Haena State Park, Tunnels Beach needs no reservation and no entry fee.
Every parking option near Tunnels fills early, all year. Arrive before 8 AM for a realistic shot at the roadside spots, and before 9 AM for Haena Beach Park. Morning is also when the water is calmest and clearest for snorkeling, so the early start pays twice. Check today's conditions before you commit to the drive.
Two short, unpaved pull-off roads sit off Kuhio Highway (Route 560) near mile marker 8, a few minutes' walk from the reef. Together they hold maybe two dozen cars. They are first-come, free, and typically full by 8 AM.
The reliable play. Haena Beach Park is a free county park just past mile marker 8 with a real parking lot, restrooms, and outdoor showers. From the lot, walk east (right, facing the ocean) along the sand and you are at the Tunnels reef in 10-15 minutes.
The GoHaena North Shore shuttle is sold as the way into Haena State Park, but its route includes a stop at Haena Beach Park, the Tunnels walk-in. Park free at Waipa Park & Ride near Hanalei (or board in Princeville), ride 20 minutes, and skip the parking scramble entirely.
Drive north through Hanalei on Kuhio Highway (Route 560). The road crosses a series of one-lane bridges: local custom is that 5-7 cars cross as a group, then yield to the other side. About 15 minutes past Hanalei, watch for mile marker 8. Haena Beach Park is on the right just after; the roadside pull-offs are between the two.
Arrived at 10 AM to full lots? You have two good outcomes that do not involve circling Kuhio Highway:
Ride in anyway: same-day shuttle seats sometimes remain when parking passes are long gone. Check the reservation guide for the 12:15 AM and 7-8 AM availability windows.
Let a guide handle logistics: a small-group guided shore snorkel nearby at North Anini includes parking, gear, and a guide who picks the day's calmest water. It is the no-stress version of the same morning.
Either in the small unpaved roadside pull-offs near mile marker 8 on Kuhio Highway (arrive before 8 AM), or free at Haena Beach Park with a 10-15 minute walk east along the sand to the reef. There is no dedicated Tunnels Beach parking lot.
Yes. Both the roadside spots and the Haena Beach Park lot are free. The only paid way in is the North Shore shuttle ($45 adults roundtrip), which drops you at Haena Beach Park and spares you the parking hunt.
No. Tunnels Beach and Haena Beach Park are outside the state park boundary, so no reservation, permit, or entry fee applies. Reservations are only required for Haena State Park (Ke'e Beach and the Kalalau Trail) a mile further up the road.
Before 8 AM for the roadside spots near mile marker 8, before about 9 AM for the Haena Beach Park lot in summer. Early arrival also means the calmest snorkeling water of the day.
Yes, and it is the most reliable access. The two are directly adjacent: walk east along the shore for 10-15 minutes and you reach the Tunnels reef. Flat sand the whole way.
Not usefully. The state park lot is about a mile past Tunnels and your pass is tied to the park. If you have a shuttle pass instead, hop off at the Haena Beach Park stop, which is the Tunnels walk-in.
Parking sorted? Check what the water is doing today and what to bring: conditions on the north shore change daily.