In search of a more “off the beaten path” spot to spend the day? Kīholo Bay is a gem in North Kona. Beautiful black sand beaches, iridescent blue lagoons, slumbering sea turtles, and a freshwater pool. Read on to learn more about visiting Kīholo State Park Preserve.
Photo credit: Travels with Daphne
Getting There
Kīholo State Park Preserve is located near mile marker 82 on highway 19, a 45 minute drive north from My Hawaii Hostel in Kailua-Kona. Note: there is not sign on the highway for Kīholo bay or the preserve. It is located down an unmarked gravel road which is accessible to regular two-wheel drive vehicles, although there are a few rough patches. If you are driving north from Kailua-Kona, do not attempt to turn left onto the gravel road from highway 19. Instead, go past the road to the scenic overlook at mile marker 82 and turn around, then make a right onto the gravel road.
Parking
There are two main recreation areas in Kīholo State Park Preserve, Kīholo Bay to the north, and the campgrounds and beach park to the south. To access the campgrounds and beach park for day use, follow the sign to the left. For the hike to Kīholo Bay, go straight and park at the end of the road.
Hours of Operation:
April 1 to Labor Day: 7 am to 7 pm. Winter: After Labor Day to March 31: 7 am to 6 pm. Gates are locked nightly.
Kīholo Bay Hike
A beautiful aquamarine lagoon, Kīholo Bay is lovely for swimming and snorkeling. The bay is reached by a 2.8 mile round trip hike along the coast. Be sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, and sun protection as there is little shade. On the hike, you’ll pass by a mega mansion and a few other beach homes, including a beautiful Balinese style house and an old beach shack decorated with interesting ocean detritus. As you hike, stay close to the coast and away from private property.
As you approach Kīholo Bay, you’ll pass a few more homes and cross over a stream via a footbridge. Upstream from the bridge you can glimpse Wainanali'i Pond, which is on private property. On the other side of the bridge you’ll encounter the 1859 lava flow from Mauna Loa volcano. The flow destroyed King Kamehameha’s fish pond, Wainanali'i lagoon, an impressive feat of ancient Hawaiian engineering dating to 1810. The fish pond had a two-mile seawall that was six feet tall and twenty feet wide!
Swimming and Snorkeling at Kīholo Bay
A few minutes beyond the footbridge and over the lava flow, you will reach the prime swimming and snorkeling area of Kīholo Bay. Along the trail, you’ll notice little inlets where you can set down your stuff and enter the water. There is a small rocky island in the center of the bay, where, upon closer examination, you’ll notice many of the rocks are actually snoozing sea turtles! Between the shore and the small island is a lovely shallow sand-bottomed channel that is nice for swimming. There is another larger island further out in the bay. Additional coves and pools cut into the lava rock coast nearby make for good snorkeling.
Sit and soak in the scenery. With sweeping coastal and mountain views, stunning blue water and black lava rock, Kīholo truly is a special place.
Keanalele Waterhole
Traditionally used by Hawaiians as a freshwater source, Keanelele is a subterranean aquifer located in a lava tube that links freshwater from Mauka (mountain) to Makai (ocean). As you hike north along the beach toward Kīholo Bay from the parking lot, you will pass Keanalele on the right in a grove of Keawe trees.
Today, many visitors and locals like to jump in for a swim here, resulting in degradation of this pristine spot. If you are going to swim here, do not enter wearing sunscreen, bug spray, or any other chemicals. Do not use it as a toilet. These pollute the freshwater and also run off into the ocean, harming marine life. Treat Keanalele with respect.
Kīholo Black Sand Beach
The best beach for sunbathing and swimming in Kīholo State Park Preserve is on the south side of the park next to the campgrounds. (As you drive into Kīholo, you’ll spot a sign for the campgrounds to the left, turn here.) This beach’s thick black sand gets hot! Burying your legs in it or simply laying on the black sand feels like a natural spa treatment :) It’s easy to get in the water here and swim. You can sometimes spot local canoe paddling clubs launching their outrigger canoes here on the weekends.
Wai ʻōpae, or anchialine pool
Behind the black sand beach on the far south side you will notice an anchialine pool - where fresh water mixes with saltwater. This is a restoration area with a fragile ecosystem, entering the water or fishing isn’t permitted here. However, you can spot many colorful damselflies (an endemic species) flitting about over the surface of the water and fish swimming beneath. Hawaiʻi’s tiny endemic red shrimp, ʻōpae ula, are also found in anchialine pools. Learn more about the natural environment of Kīholo from the non-profit organization Hui Aloha Kīholo.
Camping at Kīholo State Park Preserve
Weekend camping is available at Kīholo State Park Preserve with a permit. Permits must be purchased ahead of time online here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii/kiholo-state-park-reserve/ Camping without a reservation is not allowed.
The permitted camping spots can be booked up to 30 days ahead of time. If you wanted to reserve a spot for June 8th, the spot would become available to reserve on May 8th, at 12:00 am. The competition for the limited spots here can get fierce especially in the winter and summer months, so we recommend getting up early to reserve online. There are only 8 camping sites total. Site #8 is the most private.
The only facilities are portable toilets. There are no showers or drinking water. There are fire pits and picnic tables at each camping spot. While rustic, the camping spots are beautiful, set on a black sand beach front where you can swim and fish. The star gazing is incredible here at night!
Have you hiked to Kīholo Bay or spent the day at the black sand beach? Don’t forget to tag @myhawaiihostel in your Kīholo adventures!