If you're staying/operating/visiting the Hilo area and are looking for a beach, this one is…read moreprobably as good as it gets. A few things to keep in mind: No such thing as big sandy beaches. They don't exist here. You've got a few patches of sand mixed with a lot of volcanic lava rocks (some smooth but most are different degrees of sharp). We visited twice on weekdays arriving in the late morning time frame. There is a good bit of parking here between along Kalanianaole Street and the main lot on Keauhaha Road. Each time when we arrived overall things weren't that busy but a few hours later, it was quite busy. I can't imagine what a weekend would look like? Trash, toilets and a lifeguard are here. We never saw any turtles but there were plenty of fish hanging out. IME, if you come during high tide and if you're in a deeper part of the water, you can get knocked around a little bit which with all of the jagged rocks... The scene itself is beautiful. The water is crystal clear, you can find some ok shade under one of the trees and overall it's very peaceful and serene. www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-beaches/carlsmith-four-miles/

This Beach park happened by accident when my niece was looking for a place for us to eat lunch in…read moreKona. This happened to be the closest picnic area that we could come to, thanks to a little tik- tok video she watched. If you're looking for a traditional beach with sand, this isn't the place. But what you'll get instead are the famous black lava rock formations Kona is known for that spill into several lagoons full of crystal clear water. As for eating, there are plenty of places to lay down a blanket in the grass, picnic and relax. The park has several trash cans for you to use as well and I did happily notice that the park was clean. I did not have to use the bathroom here so I can't comment on that. What impressed me the most was that they had built in stairs for you to walk into the ocean. In my entire life of traveling, I've never seen a beach park with built in stairwells to walk into the lagoons. This was a treat for me. If I have one big tip, it's to remember to have your water shoes because the rocks are sharp to walk on and can easily cut you if you're not careful. I also did read that they do have outdoor showers but I didn't see them when we were here. Lots of folks brought their own snorkeling gear because there were a lot of fish, not to mention at least 3 turtles that I saw swimming around. As I'm writing this review, I'm already missing Kona and the uniqueness of this island. If you plan on going to Kona, you must come and enjoy this place. It's truly special and I would recommend it to anyone.

Beautiful protected waters, free parking, amazing sunsets…read more While exploring al the beaches in Hilo, I stumbled across this gem. So peaceful. A series of sea walls make up several calm, clear pools of water with the open sea beyond. I found this area enchanting! Easy parking perfect for keikis and older people, or persons with mobility issues.

Lucky me we had the entire beach park to ourself. Not meant for adult swimming or diving deep to…read moresnorkeling but for a families with young kids or those who can't swim this is the best to cool off. Known for the sandy shallow ocean pools and a bountiful tide pools to explore. The natural lava rocks surround the area making protected lava pools blocking the crashing waves. The parking itself was plentiful, but when school is out and the island is at its peak tourist season you never get the seclusion I got today. The park has tables, restrooms and even horseshoe courts. Anytime I can get out and dip in the water is a win!

Small black sand beach and protected swimming area just a ten minute drive from downtown Hilo -…read moreperfect for young families. We stopped by this evening and had a great time. Our girls frolicked on the sand and swam in the water, carefully watched over by a couple of lifeguards on the shore. There were many young families on the beach, and local youth learning to surf, which contributed to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We were told that sea turtles sometimes swim near the shore, but we didn't see any. We did, however, spot lots of little black crabs, jumping from rock to rock! Happy to return!

For more advance swimmers and more open waters this is your spot. Perfect for snorkeling and…read moreexploring the sea life swim past you. The vibrant colors shimmer at you while you take in the magic of the island as you soak up the sunshine and cold waters. During low time the waters are calmer and great for splashing around. Against the lava rocks are some crawling crabs that camouflage with the rocks so you will see them scurrying around. Parking along the road fills up quick and is rare to get the open waters without running into human feet and bodies as you are snorkel around. Added bonus the public restrooms. Remember to take care of the land and leave it better than you saw it and enjoy!

Like others have mentioned, it's a black sand beach. The white sand beaches are on the northern…read moreshores. I lived in the neighborhood (Alae Point) and volunteered for clean-ups on Wednesday mornings with Braddah Skibs!! He's there early, so stop by and say, "Howzit?" What I love about this place is that it feels like "old Hawai'i." I can paddle out and ask, "Pehea 'oe?" and sometimes get an answer back in Hawai'ian. Kaua'i is the only other place where I can get that old Hawai'ian feeling of Aloha. Sometimes the surf is really fun. When it's a big close-out day at Honoli'i, it's usually breaking cleaner at the Bayfront near the light house. If there's too much rain, the waters get dark and cold, so maybe try Pohoiki until it clears up. I've seen whales breach less than 200 yards from the lineup, and the sound is like a canon. When the waves are calm, the honu (sea turtles) come close to shore. Those are good days to take out a Costco foamie. It's bad if you hit a honu with your fins, but on a foamie it's "mo' bettah" for you and for the honu. The kama'aina (locals) are great. Just smile and be happy. Like they say, "Come with your Aloha, or don't come at all." Really, just leave all that c-r-a-p back on the mainland. Slow down, relax, and enjoy the day. You're on a beach on an island. "Planny" people fly by and never see the ripe bananas and papayas at the paka. -- One more thing, a number of stand-up paddle guys and some surfers have been wearing KSO Virbram Five-Fingers to protect their feet. To be honest, I've tried them, and "da bugga ok."

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.

Another spot that made me homesick for upstate NY. This…read morereminds me of some spots along Lake Ontario, and I love having to hike with a swimming reward at the end! Having a 2.5 mile muddy hike there means the only people who go are respectful outdoorspeople who practice LNT. Not a speck of garbage other than what the sea washed up. I took the flat trail in and hiked the ocean side out. It's a little tough to find your turn to get back to your car from the ocean side- there's a very noticeable 4-wheeler trail that will take you back, but you have to know it's there. A few locals showed it to me and I was grateful. I probably would've been foolish enough to keep hiking to the Point (not a big deal, just a road walk back to your car). I wished like hell that I brought my pack with me here as well as my tent. So many inviting (unofficial) backcountry campsites along the beach! If you have 2 people, and carry in all your water, you could have a great experience there. This has made my work gig in Hawaii well worth it! I may even come back if I have time before I leave:-)

Loved this 5 miles round trip hike to the beach. Huge variety of vegetation and most of the trail…read moretramps through a tree forest. The tree forest is interesting with some abandoned and vegetation encrusted old jeeps and cars, historic rock walls and towards the end, spur trails to the sea cliffs, and a collapsed lava tube. At the end is a gorgeous bay favored by sea turtles. We saw at least 23 turtles on our visit. Please note that this trail is muddy and very muddy in spots even when it has not been raining, and the footing is very uneven so it is not for the casual walker, for flip flops or any shoes that you don't mind getting very muddy. I found that having hiking poles was helpful in order to gage how thick the mud was at various places on the pathway. Go early as it is very humid by late morning or mid day.

Great spot. I Found a clothing made by a small surf brand that I grew up in southern CA that I had…read morenot seen for many years. The person (Casio Watch) that helped me with my shopping was great. Some of the Best customer service I have experienced Post-Covid. I honestly thought she was the owner by how great the service was. The shop was very clean, everything was displayed nicely, and the prices were fair for the quality of the product. Just Get more Kanvas by Katin shorts.

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

Like many other people who come to the big island on holiday, one of the things you do is go in…read moresearch of at least a few of the area waterfalls. Even if the area you come from has some, chances are they/the surroundings don't look like this. We were here a few days before Lala and it was already raining buckets. The upside to that was getting to see the Wailuku River already ticked off/angry/bringing some serious current and water flow. The other good thing is that we had the entire parking lot & grounds to ourselves versus down the road at Rainbow which even in a steady hard drizzle/rain was very busy. If you're so inclined, the below two links give a little history, explain how many people have died on the river both here and down by Rainbow by trying to swim, and that technically, yes, the falls here are no longer free unless you are a resident. www.hvcb.org/listing/pe%E2%80%98epe%E2%80%98e-falls/109461/ dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/hawaii/wailuku-river-state-park/ We did this in reverse compared to most people. We came here first before going down the road to Rainbow. Like others have mentioned, coming here is odd because you drive through a low-key residential area and it feels like nothing is here or that you're almost trespassing in a sort of locals only area. More than enough of a parking lot. The day we came due to the rain, as I mentioned earlier, there was no one here and while there is a sign here about paying, I sure as hell wasn't doing that (technically if you pay at Rainbow it covers this place as well or vice versa but I don't remember the sign here saying that) and there was no one here enforcing things. Decent restroom facilities and it's a very short walk from the parking lot to the viewing platform. The platform has some signage about the history of the falls and the myth/legend/lore behind them along with a reminder not to swim and the death count over the past twenty-ish years. If it seems like deja vu all over again, all of the same placards and signage are at Rainbow Falls. This is by no means a long stop and if you are on the Hilo side of the island, you can definitely knock this one, Rainbow, Akaka, Waiale and a few others out in a few hours easily.

This part of the river and state park was also worth checking out!…read more The river is so fast, and it's such a gorgeous area! You can't get close to the area that is the boiling pots or the falls, but it's a cool little area and observation area. We enjoyed our time there, and took so many pictures. The area wasn't what we were expecting, but it was a cool little day trip!

Must see near Hilo! Super inconspicuous from the road, but very cool spot where you can walk…read morethrough two caves. The entry point is a very steep staircase and the terrain is rugged inside the caves so best to wear closed toe shoes with traction. I'd budget 20-30 minutes to spend here as you can't walk too far into the caves.

Very cool experience to walk through 2 caves…read more Bring a flashlight / headlamp. Your phone flashlight won't be as strong but can work if you have no options. Ideal shoes would be hiking boots but gym shoes will work. There are steep steps going down and then uneven rocks until the cave. The cave is uneven as well. Parking: maybe room for 10 cars, so parking could be difficult. When we went around 1pm on a Saturday, we didn't have a problem. Park and walk across the street to enter. Bathrooms: I did see some. Didn't use them though.

Relaxing and shady area (compared to other places) to take a stroll and take in the views. There's…read morehistory here and there's some historical plaques to read if you're interested. The "Japanese garden" was built to honor the early Japanese sugar cane plantation immigrants who played a massive role in Hawaiʻi's economy and society. I've been to other Japanese gardens (not in Hawai'i) so I was actually a bit shocked at how plain or underwhelming this was. It felt like a simple park with a lake with a couple of architectural Japanese bridges. There's a koi pond too and a couple of lanterns. Overall still a nice place to stroll and to admire and take in nature. We didn't stay too long because it was overly hot thought. We didn't really know where to park but I think there's street parking you can find.

Let's keep it simple…read more The below website link has all the information you could possibly want or need about the history/what you're going to see/map/volunteer information and more for the gardens. www.liliuokalanigardens.org/ The best summary I can give is this. The gardens are free. They are tranquil and they are beautiful. There is little to no issue with parking except for on the weekends when it was definitely busier but overall, there seemed to always be spaces either on Banyan Drive or on Lihiwai Street along the water. The only real small negative would be that some of the trails and walkways do washout and/or flood over due to the excessive amount of rain Hilo has gotten this year (and that was pre-Lala). If you're in the area or staying in Hilo, this is a nice stop whether for ten minutes or an hour.

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.