Hello-
We will be on the Big Island this summer. I was wondering if any of you have been to the Green Sand Beach. It sounds like it's a pain to get to, and I was wondering if it's worth the trouble. Any thoughts?
Thanks

You can say you saw a green, black, and white sand beach. All in one day.
Check out ths site for some photos. http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html...and_beach.html

South Point is one of my favorite areas on the Big Island, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. The area is extremely sparse (if you go, be sure to bring a hat or sunscreen and lots of water), but has an energy all its own. My hiking partner and I definitely felt it our first time hiking there, then months later we read that even the ancient Hawaiians spoke of this same energy at South Point. Between the red dirt and incredibly dark blue ocean one gets a rather eerie feeling, as if the Earth itself has just been created. The green sand beach only adds to the other-worldly atmosphere.

The sand itself is olive green and made from a combination of lava rock and crushed peridot (a semi-precious gemstone). You won't be able to appreciate the beauty of this sand unless you hike down to the beach -- from above it just looks kind of cruddy. There are two approaches, the easier route is straight down the cliff face (rock outcroppings act like a staircase and the hike isn't nearly as bad as it looks).

A few other suggestions:

South Point is remote, and vehicle break-ins are sometimes a problem. Don't leave valuables in your car when you go, including in the trunk and glove box.

If you rent a 4WD vehicle you can save about 5 miles of hiking, by taking the wide dirt path that goes east, about 1/4 mile before South Point Road ends. Don't try it in a 2WD vehicle, you'll likely get stuck.

We LOVED South Point and the treck out to GSB. fdecarlo is exactly right about the 4WD... we had a jeep wrangler and drove right up the cliff over GSB... it would've been a long walk. I wouldn't miss it! Have a great time!

We also loved Green Sand Beach. We did the hike across, and then climbed the cliff face down. It looks worse from the top than it actually is. After our hike back, we were covered in red sand. We took pictures of some white skin next to the areas that had been exposed to the sand. Pretty funny!

The hike to the green sand beach is lovely with the ocean crashing next to you the whole way. We made the trip with our two daughters with no problem--and our youngest was only 10 at the time. It's a flat hike and fairly effortless. Definitely worth the trip.