Check for access before planning to visit Coconut Island. The pedestrian bridge connecting it to land collapsed earlier this month under the weight of a small excavator. The bridge was closed pending repairs. read more

Coconut Island - Collapsed pedestrian bridge to Coconut Island, Nov. 2025 - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Fun, beautiful hang for the whole family. Definitely a great location for swimming and on my top 5 must visit spots in Hilo town

Delightful place for a walk, or a swim, or even a jump into the ocean. Restrooms available. Free. There is a small boat ramp and a swimmers staircase near the bridge leading to the island. Lots of locals fish here. At low time sandy beaches are exposed. Always worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Cool place to relax for adults and kids. Free parking. Accessible by a walking bridge to get to the little island. Some people had hung hammocks to the trees, others walking their dogs for a leisurely walk, kids playing in the shell and sandy inlet and others napping on the grassy areas. Convenient bathroom located on the island. Highlight of this area is watching the teenagers jumping off the tower (one shorter and one taller but both are still quite high!) and the baby turtle hanging out near the rocks. read more

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Nice little area to walk just over the bridge from the Japanese gardens. We didn't see anyone jumping into the water, but there's 2 small beach areas and plenty of people fishing. It's super close to the airport if you're waiting for delayed arrivals, we saw a turtle swimming around on our first stop. read more

Hilo has quickly turned into one of my favorite places to visit for a long weekend. While the historic town is awesome, I love the natural beauty of the places around: it's so green. Coconut Island is a small place with a great history. It sits in Hilo Bay and is accessible via a walking bridge. It's a park with restrooms, picnic pavilions, beaches, and showers. Basically you could spend a whole day here. The island used to be populated by a small house and buildings to tend to boats going in an out of the harbor, a family lived here for generations. There is a historical plaque about the earthquakes and tsunamis that hit the area complete with tsunami height markers on a nearby tree. Walking to the island offers panoramic views of Hilo Bay, Hilo town, and the mountains above; on a clear day you can see snow. This is one of my favorite places, great for walking and enjoying the fresh ocean air. It's a free activity for families staying in the hotels nearby as well. read more

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This cute little island and park was a neat place to explore. It is not a place that you would necessarily want to hang out all day but it deserves a visit for sure. I liked going out to the concrete stairs and contemplating jumping off. A good spot for a picture. We were lucky to score parking but the area is really busy and finding parking could take a minute read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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If i am a hippie keiki this will surely be on my top 5 playground on my list! This is such a serene welcoming environment for me. Love the vibes and the overall ambiance. It is just a small island located in island bay that is connected to the main island via a footbridge. Since it is just across the hotel where we stayed, we always watch its view from our ocean view room and would always appreciate the serenity and green fields & swaying coconuts every morning. Perfect for picnic with families and friends. At night, loud voices from the parking garage takes place. Shouting from people that seems like arguing and one night homeless or young adults just came here making loud noises e.g. Turning car engines back & forth. Other than that I still love this cozy islet. It offers serenity during daylight and I would highly recommend it to everybody who loves to unwind and take a break from their daily stress. Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps! read more

Adorable man made island/park near the botanical gardens. Great history and surrounded by coconut trees- there are markings on the tree to tell you how high the tree is. The island offers a perfect place for a picnic, to catch some rays, or enjoy the sand, water, and volcanic reefs of Hilo read more

Coconut Island is also known as Mokuola ("Island of Life" or "Healing Island"), and previously was the site of a healing temple. I can see why! It's a very scenic and relaxing spot. It's said that anyone that is feeling sick can be healed by swimming around the island three times. Coconut Island is also the best island because it is where I got to finally see honu/sea turtles in the wild! They were having a lunch date, snacking on some algae on the side of the walls. You cross a bridge to get there and there's a tower that you can go up to see a wide view of the ocean. Apparently people like to jump off that tower into the water for fun, but that was too adventurous for me :) In addition to the honu, I saw some cute colorful birds hop around, also looking for lunchtime treats. I didn't see too many coconuts on Coconut Island but then again, I was on the lookout for honu in the sea! read more

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I thought that this would be more riveting than it's name let on, but it's just a small inlet with bridge access. There were a few families picnicking on the grass. It's quite small and underwhelming IMO. Bathrooms were ok; Not super clean, but not ravaged with waste. If you have time to burn or looking for a quiet area to sit/eat, this would be an ideal place. Other than that, I don't understand the allure. read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

We love finding free and enjoyable places for the whole family. Great little island to explore and watch sea turtles eating off the rocks. the kids enjoyed swimming and jumping into the deep water. Public bathrooms. read more

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This is such a cute little beach outlet in the area. Crossing the bridge over to it, the spot people jump off in to the water, the little beach area kids can go in and swim. Since Hilo is so filled with rocks and volcanic rock it's nice to find little spaces you can get the kiddos in the water! read more

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Yes!! So pretty and such a good walk. You can park and walk to it over the bridge. It's so beautiful at sunrise or sunset. On the island there are some great swimming spots where kids can jump off a platform in. The water looked very calm and safe. The views are indescribable. So great and very family friendly. There's little gazebos and bathrooms with a rinse sight no restaurant but many near by!! read more

Coconut Island - island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Still a great place. Kids jump off stone tower. Had a great day of a swimming. Then it rained LOL. We walked again from the ship. Only 4 stars this time because the bathrooms were closed? Prob to keep the homeless from camping out? Thus there were none : ) read more

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Every time I come to the big island I stay at the Hilo Seaside hotel. Coconut Island is pretty much walking distance from the hotel yet I've never came til now....hmmmm. Anyways it's really nice, it has like a Japanese garden and a walking path for lots of people talking strolls. It's very peaceful, when I was here in the evening it wasn't very busy at all. Another beautiful place on the big island..... read more

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I could see Coconut Island, AKA Moku Ola "Healing Island", from the Naniloa Hotel where we were staying. I had some time to spare before checking in so I walked over to see what all the fuss was about. THE ISLAND: A leisurely 10-minute walk along Banyan Drive brought me to a small parking lot just past the Queen Liliuokalani Gardens. From there, you walk across a pedestrian bridge that brings you to the tiny island. There wasn't much to see here except for families spending their day at the beach picnicking, and handfuls of tourists. There are a few covered pavilions with cement picnic tables & benches, a small stone "tower" that kids were jumping off of into the ocean, restrooms, and open grassy areas for whatever. The waters were super calm, party due to a man-made rock jetty that protects much of Hilo Bay. Small pockets of sandy and rocky alcoves here and there provide for perfect swimming/wading areas. I thought the place would be full of shady people but it was the total opposite. FACT: An earthquake off of the Aleutian Islands on April 1, 1946 generated a tsunami that destroyed the original bridge over to the island, along with most of Hilo Town. But, the stone "tower" on Coconut Island survived. OVERALL: Nice little park to walk through along with neighboring Queen Liliuokalani Gardens. read more

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Really cute and quiet park area. Walk across the bridge to find a few little sandy swimming areas, complete with outdoor shower areas to make ash the sand off. Wonderful spot to sit on one of the many picnic tables and just look out over the water. There are public restrooms as well read more

Coconut Island - Walking the bridge to coconut island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Our family of five from Texas and Oklahoma visited Oahu and the Big Island for Spring Break! While staying in Hilo, we walked to Coconut Island a couple times. The views from the island are so pretty! We watched several kids jumping off the tower. We even did some geocaching on the island! read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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On the north side of the Queen Liliuokalini Gardens is the Moku Ola Park which features Coconut Island. The Hilo part of the park consists of a banyan tree lined parking area and a sidewalk that leads to the bridge which spans the distance to the southeast side of the small island. The island has a large open area in the middle that is used for activities and picnics. The island's east side has several protected coves where the water is much calmer than the west side which has crashing waves on lava rock boulders. The coves were filled with mostly kids during my visit so I didn't see much wildlife. Plenty of palm trees lined the borders of the island. The tower base that still stands on the north east side was being used as a jumping spot into the ocean. It appeared to be about 15 feet of elevation, so the cove must have been much deeper at that location than the other ones. The park looked nice, but it was definitely crowded and therefore lost some of its appeal as a place to relax. Note that there is a sidewalk path around the small island. Review #2371 read more

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It is the best place ever I have lived here my whole life and I go all the time I willl never get tired of coming here read more

It's a small island park with a bridge leading over to coconut island. It's a very beautiful setting!! If you have some time to kill definitely come by and check it out. It's a good place to go running or just for a nice walk. read more

While the bridge to get to Coconut Island seems bigger than the island itself, this neat and clean little island with Coconut palms is a fun place to visit to watch the natives jump off the bridge and other structures into the water. This is a good place to bring your camera to take action shots of people having fun. Things I saw: two guys and a girl sitting on the sea wall - one playing his uke. A guy fishing and looking off towards Hilo in the distance, a lone Japanese tourist taking photos - she had a quiet pleasant smile, wore sensible shoes and had a nice skirt - a Hawaiian mother cleaning up her picnic area threw a pan of dirty water into the bay and then gave me a quick look for seeing her do it - three young men sitting on top of a picnic table - one gives me the "whata yu lookin' at?" look - I look away and move on. read more

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My favorite weekend getaway spot, while living in Hawaii. Great place to meditate. I couldn't visit Hilo side of the Big Island, and not visit Coconut Island. This is a great spot to relax, barbecue, walk, yoga, or release your inner child by diving off one of the platforms into the water. Another thing i loved about Hilo side is the sound of Coqui frogs, which I miss a lot! The sound of the Coqui frog gives me peace, and that overall feeling of being in Hilo, Hawaii. I have had the pleasure of visiting Coconut Island during Hilo To Volcano Ultra Marathon, Hilo Marathon, and a birthday weekend getaway from Oahu. This small island is what it is, and if you enjoy peace, it is actually that, with Queen Liliuokalani Gardens, and a park outside to give you extra things to see outside of Coconut Island. Enjoy! read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Coconut Island is something you can see from the plane as you're landing at the Hilo airport. The first distinctive feature is the bridge leading to a little island. I had to check it out!! There is a parking lot near the Liliuokalani Park and Gardens. You walk on the bridge to get to the island. The bridge is pretty short. I had imagined a much longer bridge, it looked long from high up in the air! This spot is a hangout for locals to bbq, swim, have picnics, hangout at the "beach". Hilo is not known for sandy beaches. This area has a couple of small sandy areas, you can call these mini mini beaches. Haha. There is a rock wall that locals go on to jump into the water. A much smaller version of that Waimea Rock on Oahu. You can take a short stroll around the island on the meandering sidewalk. There is also a comfort station here if you need to use the restroom. If you're not planning to do any of the above activities, you don't need to spend more than a few minutes here. If you want to take nice photos, you got more stuff to look at in the Lilouokalani Park next door. read more

A man-made island about the size of football field, Coconut Island doesn't seem to have much to offer at first glance. However, this is a great place to eat a meal, hold a small party, swim, dive, fish, view green sea turtles, or set off fireworks (if you're from the city of Hilo and it happens to be the Fourth of July). When the tide's right, the "beach" areas are peppered with keiki (kids). To another side of the island, there's a rock tower that's been a popular jump-off spot for years. While traversing the bridge that connects the "little" island to the Big Island, honu (turtles) can occasionally be spotted as they come up for air or (if you look closely) feeding on the algae below the surface. Several seating areas are available for picnics or small parties. I've even seen people set up small volleyball courts in the central grassy area. Surprisingly, they even have a bathroom on the island. Since we were in town for the Fourth of July weekend, we had the fortune of viewing the local fireworks show from the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel (literally across from Coconut Island). Don't try to bring your own fireworks though. Anyway, the show was good (for Hilo) and drew a good crowd along with many cheers. All in all, Coconut Island is a good place to visit in Hilo. If you've got little ones, I'm sure they'll find something to do on this quaint island. read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Came in on a cruise ship and didn't want to do the touristy stuff or rent a car for the day. The island was an easy 20 minute walk from the ship. A very nicely kept park. Clean rest rooms. A couple of small areas to swim in or wade in from any side of the island for a little snorkeling or swimming. Shade is a little lacking so bring the sunscreen. And the spot wasn't crowded at all for a Friday. read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Came here on a Sunday evening and it was crowded but oh man it was beautiful. We enjoyed walking around the part and looking at all the beautiful Japanese art. Also the tress were amazing. read more

Coconut Island - Japanese statues and the beautiful trees. - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I was a long time resident of Hilo before moving to the mainland. Coconut Island is surrounded by heavily polluted water. They release raw effluent into the Bay when the need arises. I once saw a fully intact size piece of poop floating by while canoeing. In fact, the entire bay is polluted. The Hilo Medical Center receives 65 cases a year of sepsis, all from swimming in areas like this. As a matter of fact, it is not just Hilo that has a problem with pollution but all of the beaches on the east side of the Island. Especially if you have a cut or open sore, do not enter the water there. Beautiful, yes. Safe? No. Most residents who care know, the rest are just tourists, who cares? read more

Before coming to Hilo, I had about 5 things that I really wanted to do/see because of all of the excitement my bf had shared with me. Coconut Island was definitely on that top 5 list. Coconut Island (Mokuola) is located across from Hilo's major hotels. There is a good sized parking area where you can leave your car and walk across a quick bridge to Coconut Island. I'm told that it's often filled with groups and families picnicking but on the day we went, there were only a handful of folks fishing off the sides. Now why is this particular area so special? (Other than in ancient Hawai'i, the water was believed to have curative powers.) Simple for us....it was because of the Two Towers. No, this isn't a Tolkien thing. The two towers refer to large cement platforms....one tower is about 10-12 feet high and the other tower is about 20 feet high. I read somewhere it was used to train WWII sailors to learn how to jump off their ships in emergencies. As for us? We used it for the exhilarating rush of jumping off high towers into warm waters. SO FUN! I hope that next time we're in Hilo; we'll have some time to picnic at Coconut Island so that we can jump off the towers at our own leisure. In case you're planning to take the leap, be careful and jump forward away from the towers! Also, don't be surprised if the guests from the hotel across the water begin watching you from their patios! read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

If Coconut Island was in a large city, it would be said that it is one of those little getaway places where everything in life slows down so you can take a deep breath. In actuality, it's located in Hilo, so there are tons of places to slow down. From the island you have a great view looking back at the Hilo waterfront. The island is fairly small, but if you're a kid it's a great place to explore. Local kids jump off an old structure into the ocean, there are plenty of little tide pools to look into, from the bridge you can look at fish swimming around the water, and kids always seem to enjoy seeing an actual coconut and coconut tree. I would bring a plate lunch here and spend some time just taking in the tropical breeze and smell of the ocean. There is nothing here to "wow" you like lava flows and the volcano, but it's just a easy park to get lost in your thoughts. Parking should be pretty easy and Queen Liliuokalani Gardens is actually really close. read more

Coconut Island (CI) is a great place to picnic and enjoy the day (with the weather permitting of course). There is a tiny parking lot, which fills up rather quickly, so you may have to park on Banyan Drive and hoof it. Think of CI as a park but with a gorgeous ocean front view all around you. It doesn't get any better than that! read more

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This spot is a mixture of locals and tourists. It's a great spot to get out of the heat and humidity that envelopes Kea'au (where my dad lives). There's a nice, gentle breeze that sweeps through the island. During the daytime, especially on the weekends, most local families are here, picnicking, swimming, fishing, jumping off the tower, etc. In the evening, people are taking an evening stroll through the park. Beautiful spot to just sit and relax and enjoy the view of either the moon shining brightly or the sun setting, casting brilliant colors over the bay. read more

Abounding with views of Hilo Bay, this tiny black lava island was my favorite place in Hilo. A simple walk across a pedestrian bridge from the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel's backyard where we stayed, the island was a better location to watch the sunrise or sunset than the hotel. In April, sunrise came over the passenger cruise line port and set over Papaikou. Despite the warning signs of falling coconuts, I didn't see any coconuts on the palm trees but the island is somewhat shaped like a coconut. On three visits, we didn't find any sea turtles like other people but definitely heard the noisy coqui (Puerto Rican frogs) at night. Located inside the breakwater, the water is calm. The remnant ruins created an unintentional diving platform for swimmers but black lava rock can cut if swimming. Showers are available. read more

Cool little place we happened to find while visiting Hilo for the day! It's a little island right in the main bay there, and it seems to be a great little hang-out place for the locals to spend the day. They have picnic benches, bathrooms, showers, and a couple little swimming spots - including a jumping rock!! This island used to be less under-water.. apparently it's been wiped out by several hurricanes, and at this point they've given up on re-building it. As you walk over the bridge to get here, you can see several underwater concrete foundations. One of the remaining structures now serves as a jumping pier! The kids (and even a few Dads) were all lined up to jump while we were there. Water seems deep enough to accommodate. My son climbed up and jumped. Gotta be careful though, the rock is partially lava rock and my son cut his foot climbing back up the stairs to get out. There's a couple signs on the property that give some history of the island, which we found fascinating. And on one of the trees or poles there are signs to indicate how far under the water the island has been during different years. Very interesting. There's a very small beachy area for little ones, but it appears to drop-off quickly, so i would definitely not go far. Highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area. Not only is it pretty, and a fun little swimming (fishing) spot - but it's got some cool history. And actually, I dont remember if it was here or on Trip Advisor, but someone was giving some ghostly history about the island - definitely an interesting read. The locals have some very strong feelings and folklore, that's not to be made fun of. They take it very serious, so respect it. Mahalo. read more

OMG FANTASTIC DAY l If you go there ider jump or try to swim at least once you will not regret it and is one on your live oriencke..ollollollo read more

Located next to the Hilo Hawaiian and Liliuokulani Gardens is Coconut Island. It is this small piece of man-made land fronting Hilo Bay. You cross a small bridge to get onto it. From here, you can view far off into the Pacific Ocean. It is kind of a beachy area, but waters are kind of choppy. There are restrooms and showers here which are good if you are getting in the water. This would be an ideal place to get some picture taking done when you are on the Hilo bayfront. read more

Pretty, a medium size island park As a tourist, there is nothing much to do but maybe a picnic but if i lived there in Hilo i would probably do some bbq or beach potluck :) There is this tower where you can jump however we didn't wanted to jump because the water looks kinnda dirty but overall we like the spot because it wasn't too crowded~ Would give this place a 4 star if the water is better~ but it is a nice place to take a rest ~~~ read more

Coconut Island - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great place for a weekend or afternoon hang out with family. Great family picnic area. Coconut trees are maintained so you don't have to worry about any coconut or leaf frond to hit your face or food. Parking is a biznitch during the three day weekend, afternoons, and sunny days. Duh, expect everyone and their moms to be tanning. Bottom line: it's free, clean, and a beautiful park! read more

Coconut trees, beware of falling coconuts. One coconut tree shows tsunami and how many feet up with the year it hit. Little picnic areas and bathrooms. Quiet and soothing sounds of water being a small island. Across from the Japanese garden. read more

Coconut Island - Such vibrant green colors. - Parks Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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