Spreckelsville Beach

Two mile stretch of rough/raw beaches and tidepools. Frequently used by fishermen and windsurfers.

Rating: ★★★★☆

In a nutshell: Two mile stretch of rough/raw beaches and tidepools. Frequently used by fishermen and windsurfers.
Minuses: Directly in flight path of Kahului Airport. Attracts some “iffy-characters.”
Sound-bite: [Roar of jet engines]

Windsurfer launching at Euro Beach

Windsurfer launching at Euro Beach

DETAILS:
Actually more than one beach, “Spreckelsville Beach” is the historic name for a two mile stretch of beaches from Baby Beach in Spreckelsville to Kanaha Beach in Kahului. Most of these beaches have been left to the windsurfers, fishermen, and Maui’s well-hidden homeless population. With recent development in the area, including a new access road to Camp One, more people are starting to find their way here.

The names of the individual beaches that make up Spreckelsville Beach, in order from west to east (see map below) are: Camp One, Sprecks Beach (aka Euro Beach), Lobster Cove, Sugar Cove and Baby Beach.

At the east end, Sugar Cove and Baby Beach are separated by shoreline features and access roads, and these days each is typically considered distinct from catch-all “Spreckelsville Beach.” I’ve written about Baby Beach in its own article. (Sugar Cove article coming soon!)

Camp One, at the other end of Spreckelsville Beach, is named for an old plantation camp razed to make way for the airport, and is literally at the end of the Kahului Airport’s main runway. Planes suddenly tear into the peaceful ambiance, barely overhead with their roaring jet engines. If you’re an airplane buff, you might really enjoy the unusual proximity – in fact, you’re so close to the planes here that the FAA has determined that kitesurfing actually has the potential to pose a danger to the airplanes, and is prohibited here. (Good info for kiteboarders considering where it is safe to launch in this area: Maui Kiteboarding Association website.)

Sprecks Beach is a favorite for European Windsurfers (hence the nickname Euro Beach.)

Sugar Cove often had good boogie boarding in the winter and access is from a few roads down (via Nonohe Place).

Spreckelsville Beach

Somewhere along Camp One Beach

Recently development has moved into this area, and in order to gain approval the developer made a deal with the County to remove the immediate shoreline area from development. They also agreed to install infrastructure to make these beaches more accessible and the access road to Camp One has just been widened, graded and graveled, making for easy parking access right at the oceanside. Expect this beach to become more visited as development continues. Euro Beach also has a decent sized parking lot at the end of a winding poorly-graded unpaved access road.

Camp One has historically been populated by a small amount of homeless people living in tents – the recent development and resulting increase in people visiting these beaches has pushed the homeless further out of sight, but they are still here – not normally a danger, but be sure to keep your valuables in mind (as you should everywhere.)

Key Info:
Location: Stable Rd. (Off of Hana Hwy 36 between mile 4 & 5)
GPS Coordinates: 20.907729,-156.416345
Facilities: None
Get directions


View Sprecelsville Beach in a larger map

  1. Anissa says:

    I’m assuming there’s no over night parking here? But wanted to double check if there was a chance of parking our camper van here?

  2. R. Hughes says:

    When I was a child, our family home was right at the point you call “Camp One.” That area of the beach was known as Sprecklesville Beach, and it was where several of the HC&S Co., executives lived including the Managr, Mr. F. F. Baldwin.

    Camp One was about a mile inland from the beach. It was one of the many plantation villages (called “camps”) provided for the field workers.

    • Hello, my 85 year old mother is from Camp One. Her father ran the stables back in the day. There were 6 children, all but one came to the Mainland. Moon is her surname. She still lives in San Diego, CA, where she transferred from UH to SDSU 65 years ago.

      • Tpmmy Kakihara says:

        I remember your mom and Aunty. Susan and lorna mae moom. Which is your mom and aunty?

        I lived across from the Miyagawa house in Camp one and the Moon family house was next to Steven Petro’s house.

        I don’t think your mom or Aunty remembers me cause I was 2 years younger than Lorna mae. Me ’55 grad MHS.

      • Michael says:

        Sydney, My makuahine (mother), anakala (uncle) and a me anak (aunties) and my O’ Kapanakane worked on the Sugar plantation while my TuTu stayed home taking care my mom, uncle and aunts, they live in the Filipino camp. My mother’s last name is Aspuria.
        A hui ho (until we meet again)

    • Ron Sawyer says:

      My grandfather was the head physician for the Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Plantation and the family lived at Camp One. My dad, aunt and uncle lived there from 1904 until 1924 when they moved to Berkeley, CA.

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