Took a drive to Hale'iwa today, so made a stop at Ali'i Beach Park. It was certainly better than…read moreWaikiki Beach. Not nearly as many people and lots of empty sand for people to lay their blankets down without being too close to each other. Was so peaceful just sitting on a rock to watch the surfers coming in on the waves (or at least trying to!). There were young ones on their body boards close to the shore, too. I think there must've been folks trying to learn to surf here. There were two groups of people with boards beyond the first few waves. Was wonderful just to sit and watch them! I just wish there were turtles and monk seals there, but we weren't fortunate enough for that!

It's not really alii beach park but a little to the left there's a PRIME spot some people call…read morefresh airs (or so I think lol). If you're lucky you can get a parking at the back gate on Pikai street and walk through straight to the beach! The bathrooms are pretty far from here but you can always drive to the beach park or there's even Kaiaka beach park next door with showers too. ***The one thing about parking here and coming here is to be very respectful as you're in a residential area. Lots of locals but also lots of places are rented out to tourists. You're pretty much at their back yards. It's also the best place for the sunset! Which it gets a little busier at the time with families walking or driving over just to catch the last hour. It's clear and good for children. Sometimes it can be a little choppy so of course still use caution anytime you're at the beach. There's not a lot of shade but still my favorite spot. We recently moved to waialua so this'll be my favorite place to come with my family at least once a week

I came very briefly- I wanted to see sea turtles! But note to self and to all: probably come when…read moreit's cooler in the day! Turtles were probably swimming in the cooler water during the hottest time of the day so didn't see many turtles. Just wanted to observe them- I advise do not bother them! Like Yellowstone park- just observe and do not touch! The beach looked a bit murky and was rockier than other beaches. But there were people paddleboarding out there. Parking was abundant, even on a Sunday. Getting there, you go through the small town. Roads are always busy but you pass by some good food trucks and the infamous Giovannis shrimps truck. If you go passed it towards the beach, there is a park and ride lot. You can park there for free and walk to the town.

North Shore outing, we stopped by here to relax, get some sun and my boys went snorkeling. Perfect…read moreday, water not too high or choppy. My boy saw needlefishes and other small ocean life. Parking is limited. They have showers to rinse off.

I couldn't search for Pohaku Lana'i in Yelp, so I was finally able to find a place where the…read morebalance lock existed. Balance Rock is a historical landmark located at Pohaku Lana'i in Haleiwa, HI. This ancient Hawaiian site for God worship was recently visited by world-famous Japanese baseball great Shohei Ohtani who came to see it because it is known for its "big energy". On a recent visit, it was easy to feel the aura of peace surrounding the unusual natural rock configuration that appears to balance one large rock on top of another. Pohaku Lana'i offers plenty of parking for easy access to the grassy park area where the Balance Rock is located. Close to the ocean, the park is a comfortable place for people to gather, enjoy the beach, and restroom facilities are available as well. Yelp でポハクラナイが検索できなかったので、バランスロックが存在する場所を探してようやく此処に辿り着く事が出来た。 大谷翔平効果で一躍有名になったバランスロックは特に日本人の間でブームなのかも知れない。 この古代ハワイの神崇拝サイトは、その「大きなエネルギー」で知られており、世界的に有名な日本人の偉大なベースボールプレーヤー大谷翔平が訪れた事で一躍注目を浴びる事となったのです。 最近私達が訪問した時も、大きな岩を別の岩の上に、まるで人工的にバランス良く設置したように見える珍しい岩の周りには、とても安定した平和のオーラを容易に感じ取る事が出来ました。 ポハク・ラナイには、バランス・ロックがある芝生の公園エリアに簡単にアクセスできる十分な駐車場があります。海に近い公園は、人々が集まり、ビーチを楽しむのに快適な場所であり、トイレ施設も利用出来るので是非ハワイ訪問の際には此処に来て大きなエネルギーを感じ取ってください！

Being raised on the North Shore of Oahu I would say Kaiaka Bay is the North Shore's version of…read moreMagic Island. When I worked in town (Honolulu) I would run Magic Island on my lunch breaks. Here at Kaiaka Bay - There aren't any paved walking paths but it's still fun to run around the the perimeter of park (dirt) or the paved road. There is plenty of parking. There are clean bathrooms and showers. There are BBQ areas and campground. There are several picnic tables, mostly shaded. I see people surfing and fishing here but have honestly never swam. I have spotted several turtles here. The park is located Haleiwa on Haleiwa Beach road, right next to Haleiwa Elementary School and is a great place to picnic at.

I love adventuring around and finding new little beach parks. This beach park is in Wailua on the…read moreNorth Shore. Although there isn't a parking lot (the only thing that makes it a 4/5 stars), this is a great public beach park. There is a basketball court and a playground that has a swing set. All steps away from the ocean. I'm such a sucker for swings on the beach, it's absolutely epic. They even have a public bathroom ( I didn't check them out though). This feels more like a neighborhood beach with a decent amount of people but not too crowded.

Fun, sun, sand, and a slice of North Shore charm, Aweoweo Beach Park is a perfect addition to stop…read moreto your day. Tucked away in the town of Waialua, this beach park has it all. With a playground for the children, a basketball court for a quick game, and the beach steps away, it is a perfect stop for any day of the week. Whether it's a beach date, grilling with friends, playing with your fur baby, or taking a quick dip, this spot is one of my new favorite spots that I have found. The calm, shallow waters are perfect for cooling off after a run. The best thing is that there is plenty of street parking, bathroom facilities, and an outdoor shower. Pro tip: You need to stay for sunset. Each one I have seen is even better than the last. I'm here almost every week for my afternoon run followed by a dip, and I have to stay every time to see the sun light up the evening sky.

Always a great stop while on the Northshore to hopefully sight turtles either resting on the beach…read moreor tumbling in the waves. In January we came by 2x in a week and did not see turtles on the first day but enjoyed the beautiful views. On the second day, we lucked out and got to see a large turtle laying on the beach and then enjoyed the beautoful sunset. There is usually a volunteer at the beach and they are so helpful to answer any questions and protect the turtles. We learned that there are more turtles in the summer there, and that the waves wash away the sand in the winter and then return the sand in the summer.

It's hard to believe that it's been over thirteen years since my 1st visit here. I've been back a…read morevariety of times, bringing travel companions to experience this. As the years went by, the traffic and parking situation became a nightmare for all. After parking your vehicle across the road, you start the video game Frogger in trying to navigate and dodge passing cars to cross the road. Coming this year with another 1st timer, we found a dedicated spot to park ((https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=vvIKqY2lR0itJ69ZUlXhJA).) where even the sanctuary volunteers leave their vehicles. The best part is that they installed a marked crosswalk (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=N7ZkG2n7jMLelhcy1vzRdQ) for people to cross in a more safe manner; do still exercise caution in crossing the Kam Highway. On the Tuesday early afternoon we went, the waters were rough with 30 to 40 ft waves. As a result, the beach was taped off as a safety measure. I walked to the primary beach section were the sanctuary volunteers monitored the situation to make sure visitors do not bother the wildlife here. As I spoke with a volunteer originally from St. Louis, she pointed out a seal (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=U6UBzjIUZhr2lFKcMbobiA) that made it's way to the beach to find a resting spot. As my friend and I walked back towards the open area across the parking section, we stared with other visitors towards the break line and saw smaller turtles struggling to make their way in, often catching their bobbing heads out of the water or the outline of their bodies contrasting to the clear waters. None made it to the beach, what little sand space there was, while we were there. The key to seeing the turtles is to check the tide times and trying to come when it is close to high tide. We'll see how things on my next visit, whether we have time or interest to see the turtles.

A little run down for a park but not too bad. There's a cool breeze In the evening. And I believe…read morethere's a working restroom.

We really love this playground. Its small park at the end of a cul-de-sac. New playground…read moreequipment. Nice basketball court. One picnic table and some rubbish cans. No bathroom. Street parking.

Win-dy! But what a…read morebeautiful, scenic beach. There weren't a lot of people out on the sand; maybe because the beach was a little too rocky? Parking is free and was quite empty when we stopped by. I imagine this place gets more crowded during peak tourist season.

Beach is clean. Has showers and bathrooms. Great place to bring some food and watch sunset.read more

Is there such a thing as a hidden gem in Hawaii?…read more This place comes very close to it. While Wifey and I were exploring North Shore after having crossed off Giovanni's Shrimp Truck and Matsumoto's Shave Ice from our bucket list, we needed a place to wind down and relax. We drove along Kamehameha Highway and pulled into Kahalewai Place and found a parking spot along the side road. One thing we noticed right away that it seems to a a local spot and there weren't too many tourists around, even though we were up in North Shore. We walked towards the beach and followed some people with surfboards in tow. I could see a bunch of locals out by the beach on their paddle boards and surfboards, and most of them were kids and young adults. It seems to be the local surf spot for beginners as the waves were pretty tame, but it was consistent with the North Shore winds behind them. It also seems to a be a good fishing spot for locals as there was a Filipino family enjoying themselves having a picnic. I got into a conversation with one of the local fisherman (P. Sherman), who told me what types of fish he was catching and how to cook 'em. He showed me his bucket of his catches of the day, and they were enough to feed his family. He didn't have to, but he was nice enough to let me take photos of him as he was more than accommodating. I thanked him for his time and appreciated his hospitality with my intrusion on his daily life. We explored the area some more as there were trails to follow, but there were also "Private Property" signs posted everywhere. I was beginning to wonder if Mark Zuckerberg bought half of this place with all those signs around. But we skirted around it as we went around the beach and enjoyed the relaxed vibe and energy of the beach. We also liked that it wasn't very crowded compared to the hustle and bustle on the main strip of Haleiwa as it felt like a cocoon shielded us from that source. We could have spent more time on this beach, but we wanted to see and experience as much as possible on the North Shore of Hawaii. Definitely a place you could spend a day at if you were a local.

Great beach to learn to surf. Lessons from Sand n Sea were here; waves about 3-5' when we were…read morethere. A few other surfboard rental n lesson places are set up in the parking lot. Each place has a different number of surfboards in different sizes. Reservations are best if you have specific board needs.

I was looking for a trail appropriate for 9 year olds, and Nadia K recommended this trail, which…read moreturned out to be perfect for my friend and our kids! The trail was very easy to find, just search for the trail on google maps and the map will lead you to the parking lot next to Dillingham Airfield (look for "West Gate). After parking, head towards the mountain to get to the trailhead. It took us 1 1/2 hours to the covered picnic table, mostly because we were pausing for water breaks and photos with the kids. Tips: wear plenty of sunscreen, a hat, and bring LOTS of water. It gets hot!

Nice little trail on the north shore…read more You park at the dillingham airport and the trailhead is across the street. Not hard to find. The first half mile is shaded switchbacks. The mile after that is exposed. It sort of reminded me of hikes in SoCal. The gradient isn't too bad because of the switchbacks but you are going up about 1000' in like 1.5 miles. So the climbing can feel a bit relentless. No scrambling over rocks and other obstacles like some other Oahu hikes. I thought it was fairly easy. I think anyone in decent shape won't have any issues. For those who are just beginning your fitness journey, this would probably be a good workout. The trail is easy to follow. Very little chance of you getting lost (at least to the picnic table which was my turn around point). It's very rocky but walking/hiking isn't an issue. Trail Runners: I saw some other trail runners but this wouldn't be my first choice trail on the north shore. The switch backs don't go on long enough to get any sort of rhythm after the half mile point. And while I wouldn't say this is the most technical of runs, you definitely have to pay attention. I went super slow on the decent for my first time. I may go back and go past the picnic table to see what's up there but I'd say skip this if you're a runner. Hikers will like it I think. And it wasn't too crowded. I saw a handful of people on my run. The views are ok. There are definitely much more scenic views on Oahu but these weren't bad by any means.

Lots of parking around. Pleasant and quiet area. Has 2 portable toilets that usually has toilet…read morepaper. To be safe, use the beach car and dont leave valuables in the car.

Not a good spot for swimming, but pretty quiet even on the weekend. Great place to relax on the…read morebeach, but you'll cut up your feet if you get in that water.