Of the three parks we went to, we dubbed this one as "The pirate beach." I imagine it might be a…read moreplace where Captain Jack Sparrow could get some R&R when he's not pillaging and plundering. Tharr be lots o' driftwood, not much sand, but more rocks. There also be a cool lookin' mangrove(?) forest before the beach area. Views arrr still breathtakingly beautiful though!

Lava rocks, locals, ocean, sand, and almost no tourists. Its pretty difficult to get to, but its…read moreworth the drive. Watch the sharp lava rocks, wahine. It'll shred your slippahs. Mahalo.

This beach is the gathering place for the surfers, but it's hard to find parking…read more I wouldn't say it's a place to hang out and chill as it's pretty small and rocky. But if you are a surfer or want to see surfers in action, worth to check it out.

You'll like this beach if you surf or bodyboard. You'll also like this beach if you don't value the…read moreuse of your feet. This is one of the rockiest beaches in existence. Sure, the surf's pretty good here. You just have to run the gauntlet on your way out to the water. If you're willing to risk it however, Honoli'i is actually a nice place. Just watch your step. Pros: secluded spot, good surf, grassy area for laying out or chillaxin', lifeguard on duty, and (duh) you're in Hawai'i. Cons: one way in/one way out entrance/exit, no real parking lot, hiking it to and from the beach, and (duh) lotsa rocks. I still think Honoli'i is worth a check if you're visiting the Big Island.

Small beach park near the port. We stopped by after getting some late takeout for lunch since the…read morerestaurant had no dine-in option. There are a few picnic tables and a few people around but overall not many people there. The place wasn't dirty, but it also didn't seem well upkept. There are a bunch of street parking directly adjacent to the park. There are a few homeless people wandering around, sleeping on benches and digging through trash, though none seemed dangerous. Also some sleeping pads (homeless) near the washroom.

Always a lovely site…read more Early mornings are the best. Listening to the ocean push little ripples ashore are awesome. the soft white sand birds whistling leaves rustling As wind blows through the Banyan trees sun shimmering upon Ice Pond two little canoes floating the little white sailboat too

Visiting many beaches and finding that most are Lava Rock base and the Sandy ones have you in for…read morehikes. Love the beach and views.

Very windy but wonderful set up of bathroom, pavilions, grills, running water etc. The facilities…read morewere pretty clean too.

We were super excited to see the rainbow at this waterfall, but unfortunately, because of weather,…read moreit was pouring like crazy and we did not see it. We were disappointed and obviously can't control the weather. It was still a beautiful! But I highly recommend if it is pouring rain , you don't need to stop here and go to the akaka waterfall instead. (15-30 min from this stop) If you do, make sure to always have rain jacket with you! It also costs $27 for parking and entry to see one waterfall

This is a neat area to check off your bucket list, for sure! The river, and the falls, are massive…read moreand very cool to see! The river is so fast, and I'm sure the current is insanity! This is a tourist spot, so it's not quiet at all. Also, there is a fee for entry and for parking. Just fair warning. The Banyan trees are sooo cool to see! Like, the river is awesome, but those trees are intimidating and amazing!

Wailoa River State Park is a wonder place to walk, fish, or just relax and watch the water. It's a…read morefun little park rain or shine. Today, I took park in a community fun run that had us running all over the park, past ducks and nene. Super fun.

Wailoa State park!!!! YES! The place where we could jam! People brought their guitars, amps,…read morekeyboards, drums and jammed! We used to JAM! Everyone would come down and drink, play, talk, have fun!!!! Parties, dancing and .... even fighting happened at Wailoa state park!!!!!! YES!!!!! And of course this was all free and and fun; who cares whether people at the Lagoon hotel called the cops????? Just shut everything off when the cop cars came along! YEAH!!!!! Then they SHUT OFF the outlets..... WHAT???? NO CAN JAM!!!!! BUT they forgot the lights! ahahahaha Connect to the lights and JAM!!!! hahahahaha Cops still came.... but the cops were really cool! They like music too!!!!!! ............ uhhhhh wait.... Ok, now Wailoa state park is much nicer. I see BBQ areas, they painted the rails on the bridges. Kids are swimming???? Wait, you can swim there? I thought it had barracuda????? Anyway I know they have a turtle! I saw the turtle and it was a nice one! This is a nice place to walk and remember the jam sessions that used to happen and fun everyone used to have! I'm sure people are enjoying it now. Looks like a good place to have a reception after a wedding! And I don't think people at the old Lagoon would mind....

To address the parking situation:…read more You can park across the street from Pinky's Convenience store at the abandoned bakery, next to the propane tanks. Be careful not to block off the parking lot. There are houses behind that lot and people do go in and out. I also wanted to mention after several outings to this beach that it's decent for surfing, but make sure you're a strong swimmer. The bottom is rocky and the current is strong.

I live in the area, know some of the residents and would like to clear up any misguided information…read moreabout this property, it's access & the beach. First things first...and I really can't stress this enough. -NO PARKING OR DRIVING DOWN MILL ROAD... here's why. The ENTIRE paved road from Pinky's property on Mill, all the way to the end is a PRIVATE ROAD/DRIVEWAY and meant for the property owners to gain access to their house on the Mill. They paved Mill Road for easier access for themselves, Mill Road residents, resident guests, deliveries and utilities ONLY. It is not state maintained and it is not a public road, repeat; NOT A PUBLIC ROAD. There are signs at the top of the hill stating it's a private road. There are ZERO turnaround areas at the end of that road. It is apparent with all the chains and signs around, the residents do not want their driveways used as a turn around or parking of any kind on their property. SO, unless you want to make a 20 point turn and chance scrapping against big lava boulders, don't even bother driving down. Parking is across the highway, walk down from there. Pedestrian crosswalk provided. You can not be a lazy person to get to this beach, it's a nice long walk from the parking area. And even longer on the way back because it's all up hill. This beach has had quite the history and there are a few locals that are unhappy about this situation. But it is what it is... Most residents of Mill Road that I've spoken to are happier with the current set up of the beach access and feel the area is much safer since private ownership at the Mill. That said, this beach is NOT "public access" nor a "public beach". It was never public. It is called "permitted access". That land is completely privately owned. It's always been privately owned and wasn't accessed "publicly" until the Mill closed and was no longer being maintained. There was no safe access to that beach, it was illegally trespassed upon by entering through the old mill, luring down to the beach by ropes and chains and sketchy pathways. The new property owners made the current access to the beach and it's now a beautiful path down to the beach. Moving on and moving forward... The hours you are allowed access are from 6:30am to 6:30pm. The property owners run a tight ship but as long as you follow the rules, you're all good. It's a great place to body board and surf but only if you have skills. I've seen ppl fishing too. This area is a fresh water feeder to the ocean. The beach itself is black iki pebbles, cobbles and boulders with green sand. It's littered with debris from the old mill such as rusted metal and bricks and choke amounts of deposited drift wood. I would consider this beach kinda dangerous with all the rusted exposed Mill remnants and debris, so not really sure it's suitable for the little ones. Definitely watch your feet when walking around, lots of glass and metal. The Mill itself is completely off limits and super dangerous. It's condemned for good reason and looks on the verge of collapse. No dogs(they have guard dogs and the beach is dangerous for their feet), No wheels of any kind, No alcohol, No fires, No fruit picking. Absolutely NO PARKING on Mill road...EVER...you will be towed. I love it there but I'm also really close by and can walk down. I go often but hear lots of fake news about this place. Trying to get the truth out so everyone is on the same page and has a good time instead of a bad one. Take out what you take in and don't be asshat, walk down from the highway.

Wai'olena Beach Park 2151 Kalanianaole St, Hilo, HI 96720…read moreThis is one of a string of parks along Kalanianaole St. from Hilo out ending at Lehia Beach Park. This one has a small parking lot (8-10 spots), with a small covered area and a couple of picnic tables. Its quite pretty, but I dont think its much of a spot to try and swim. I did see a spear-fishermen out beyond the breakers. Nice spot to eat your take-away orders if there is an empty picnic table.