Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Guided tours
No
Backcountry camping
No
Lodging
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Wawaloli Beach Park is a long scenic stretch of beachfront area just south of the Kona Airport.

The beach park is operated by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, who oversee a mix of industrial projects and buildings along the drive in and just past Wawaloli. The park itself tends to not see to many visitors, and the spacious stretch of shore is more than enough room.

The landscape is a mix of sandy beach with lava shelf. These rocks continue out into the water, so while Wawaloli is not great to go swimming at, there are numerous tide pools that can be explored along the shelf. 

One large feature of the park is a large sandy pool area protected from the waves by this expanse of lava shelf and boulders, resulting in a large shallow sand bottom wading area with calm waters that is great for children and families.

Across the park, there are several picnic tables and grills in the sand. There are a few trees around them for shade. 

Visitors can walk a sandy trail along the shore or drive slightly further down the access road to reach the beachfront fronting some of the industrial buildings, which include a sea animal rehabilitation center and seahorse conservation center, both of which offer tours.

Wawaloli Beach Park is open daily from 6am until 8pm. There are no lifeguards here. Showers and flush toilets are available, however there is no drinking water available here.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Few crowds. Child-friendly wading.

Cons

Airplane noise.

Features

ADA accessible
Flushing toilets
Family friendly
Picnic tables

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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