Spent some time here when visiting Hilo for the day with a friend. Visiting a black sand beach was on our list of things to see in Hawaii, so this seemed a perfect fit. There were plenty of people at the beach, but it didn't take away from just being able to enjoy the scenery and trekking around or climbing the rocks. As others have said, there are usually turtles in the large tide pool...plenty of other fish or marine creatures too. The scenery is pretty wonderful though, and so it's worth making this park a stop. If we had more time there, I'm sure my friend and I would have enjoyed a picnic and a bit more hiking around. And, for what it's worth, the sand isn't entirely black. There are specs of green in the sand as well - a local told us it's jade that's formed through the pressures/chemistry of the volcanic activity. Pretty cool. read more

I grew up here so it has a special place in my heart. If you want to see turtles just bring a mask and snorkel or walk to the ponds at the far end of the beach. Current gets strong during the winter when the waves are up but if you stay well inside of the breaking waves you should be fine. Please do your best to keep this place clean. read more

I love this park (beach) It is beautiful. I like hanging out by the rocks and checking out the turtles and other little fishes. I could hang out here all day. I think this is probably my favorite beach in all of Hawaii....Love it! Alohaz! read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Green turtle - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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My favorite place on the Big Island! Black sand beach you don't have to hike to like Pololu and plenty of turtles and parking. read more

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What a beautiful Park. The kids and I just loved it. The water was very cold. The beach was clean and well maintained. There were a lot of local and a lot of tourist as well. You could see that they all were really enjoying this beach. There were some historical plague to read about the area. At the far end there was a sign about the distant to which you could be to Turtles. To our surprise, there were families of turtles in the water near the rocks. The cove area made a nice snorkeling area. Under the water were so many kinds if fish and the water was clear. My son went out a bit farther to boogie board with the locals. And thank God there were Life Guards available. read more

Our highlight of this small but locally popular black sand beach were its large sea turtles! We saw at least a half dozen turtles relaxing and swimming about (they're quick!). The water is shallow (less than 5ft) and easy to see through in the late evening sun. There were also some neat rock formations that the waves would crash through just beyond the quiet cove the turtles had settled into for the evening. These were neat to explore too. You can see the turtles in flip-flops, though you'll be more comfortable and stable in a more secure shoe (e.g., a simple water shoe). Appropriate for all ages. read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Sea turtle pokes its head up while we quietly observe it from rocks not too far away, - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Great public beach! Very Rocky and surf/waves are somewhat rough. Bring water shoes for sure. If snorkeling, flippers for your feet would be recommended. We arrived on a Tuesday morning about 9:30 and it wasn't too crowded but by 11 a.m. it was pretty packed. There are some Rocky areas where the surf breaks that had turtles sunbathing and areas of calm water with lots of fish. read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Turtles! - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Black sand beach, clean and convenient. Basic services: free parking, restrooms and lifeguard. Several turtles and fishes. read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Oh my gosh, this beach is amazing. If you want to walk through beautiful tide pools surrounded by lush forest, across a gorgeous black sugar beach, into incredible coral reefs teaming with fish and other glorious creatures, this is the place. You can safely swim out as far as you could want, as it is protected by a cove. There are life guards on duty. I went by myself, and felt perfectly safe. I snorkeled here for the first time in years, and the water was incredible. read more

Great beach just outside of downtown Hilo past the airport, with a good mix of locals and tourists. Just about everything you need for an afternoon at the beach: Free parking Bathrooms Showers Lifeguard Picnic benches Trees for shade A few small sandy beaches Beautiful views Surfing Body boarding Snorkeling with sea turtles right off shore Grassy areas Whether your staying in Hilo or in Kona, Richardson's should be on your list of places to visit. read more

It's true! Sea turtles galore 8) being goggles, swim shoes and food and your day will be amazing

Richardson is another great beach on the beach road in Hilo. Nice black sand beach, easy entry and GREAT snorkeling. Water is about 6-15 feet deep, so perfect for novice snorkelers too. Water may be a little chilly at the entry, but go further out, it's way warmer. Snorkel around, in from of the lifeguard tower (about 40-60 meters out) and look for the "ALOHA" on the bottom of the sand! Beach area is not huge but plenty of room to lay out, have a picnic, or let kids play in the sand. Turtles frequent Richardson, look for their heads popping up for air. Park has a few picnic tables, lifeguard, good parking, and clean restrooms. Favorite spot for locals and visitors! Make sure valuables are in the car and out of sight/locked up. read more

Hilo isn't the prettiest of the islands, but Richardson beach is a beaut! The sand is black as promised and hot as hell, make sure you bring a beach towel and wear water shoes, not only for the hot sand but for the water too. If you want to go for a swim and check out the reef below this is the place to do it there are a bunch of little critters swimming around. The bottom is rocky hence why I mentioned wearing water shoes. The sand is exfoliating so make sure you get those feet, legs, and arms submerged in the sand! The views are great too as much of Hawaii is filled with fantastic views no matter where you go. The beach itself isn't too large, but there are places to hang around either on the sand, at the picnic tables, or on the rocks. There is a lifeguard on duty, bathrooms, and showers. DO NOT TAKE THE SAND! I've been told this several times it is very bad luck to take the black sand back home, so as bad as you may want to bottle some sand up don't do it!! read more

Richardson beach became a favorite spot of mine for peace, solitude, and sea turtle company. Black sand, lava rocks, beautiful trees, and more. read more

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Great fun for the whole family here. I even got to swim with a turtle! I would recommend going at low tide as the waves were much more mellow. Hey there early or it may be packed with people. There's a bathroom and showers if needed read more

Richardson Ocean Park - View from the platform of the large tide pool area - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Didn't see any turtles but still nice to walk around this beautiful ocean park. Stop by Carlsmith afterwards for some more beautiful views.

Great place for a family picnic (lots of local on the Saturday we visited) and great for snorkeling. Saw sea turtles just of the park, and one more while snorkeling. We were there around 10am and it was already filling up, be there early if you want a good parking spot read more

Richardson Ocean Park - View from the park into the shallow section, easy assess - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Loved this beach! We spent most of our time in the beaches around Kona and Kohala because they were sandier. It's true that this black sand beach is predominantly rocky, but there is so much to offer here I believe it makes up for the lack of big stretches of sand. From the parking lot, if you go straight, it would appear that there is only a tiny beach and bay. However, walk to your right. There is another stretch of sand and where you will find most of the sunbathers. Where the rocks are is the sheltered tide area where there are a ton of fish and coral. I swam with two sea turtles when I went snorkeling here. I came around 3pm and stayed until the sunset. The view is gorgeous. You have Mauna Kea in the back as a backdrop. The waves are pretty big here too. If you walk even further to the right, there are isolated tide pools. I found four sea turtles trapped in one of these, awaiting the high tide to take them back to the ocean. Amazing photo opportunity. I didn't go to the other beaches, but found this one to be absolutely picture perfect. read more

Great place for snorkeling in Hilo, HI.... Hilo has never been known for snorkeling, heck that whole side of the island is not typically known for their snorkeling, but when we did some research and found Richardson Ocean Park we thought we'd check it out and boy are we happy we did! Parking was pretty easy and it seemed to be a spot that is frequented often by locals. There were a lot of swimmers in the water and others out snorkeling so you could definitely hit the water on your own and not be worried. The water was perfect for us CA tourist and the visibility was amazing. There was quite a current so you needed to pay attention and be a decent swimmer the farther you got out, but the animal life was awesome. Our highlight of our trip was snorkeling at Richardson Ocean Park and being able to swim with a beautiful, giant, and graceful sea turtle. He practically ran into my wife as he was coming up to the surface, so we gave him his room and enjoyed our time swimming with him as long as he allowed us. I've been snorkeling in Hawaii many times and have never had the change to swim with a sea turtle like this before, so it was amazing! The park was clean, the bathrooms were reasonable, and they gave you enough room to change in. They had outdoor showers to wash the salt water off and allow you to change into your dry clothes. We are definitely keeping Richardson Ocean Park on our list of to do's on our return visits to Hilo. read more

Bottom line - I snorkeled here with a pair of sea turtles. It deserves five stars on that alone. I will say, the black sand beach is fairly small so even though it isn't nearly as crowded here as many of the other beaches on the Big Island it still feels pretty crowded. The surf was also fairly rough when we were here. But the snorkeling was awesome! Coral close to the beach harbored a ton of cool fish and the aforementioned sea turtles were a huge plus. The snorkel spots are also really shallow which I enjoy. read more

It wasn't a beautiful sunny beach day. It was cold. It was windy. It was crowded. I'm from Oahu so this was my first time coming to this beach. My group decided to go to the beach across the street of the rental we were staying at. It was my lucky day that it just so happened to be the famous black sand beach I've heard so much about! Say what?! Bonus points! My daughter was bored at the beach. It was too cold to go in and the waves were rough. The wind was blowing and she just wanted to go to the house. So I told her that we should go exploring. To the right of the beach we found numerous tide pools. Several large enough to swim in. One of them even had a couple of turtles! We spent a while exploring every corner of that beach. Climbing up and down lava paths and finding all sorts of sea creatures. By the end of our time there she said, "this is the best beach ever". read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Exploring some tide pools - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Great black sand beach just a little bit outside of hilo. The best part of this one is the old lava flow and rock areas just past the main beach. They have a good overlook area for tourists thats well maintained and the water was very clear and beautiful. It was a little packed when i went and the park still wasnt to bad. read more

I cannot believe I never reviewed this place! Hopefully it doesn't get too crowded and discovered! I am about to move to Hilo, but until then I have regularly snorkeled here when in Hilo. The east coast of Hawaii isn't known for their beaches, however ROP has some of the most diverse ocean life that I have seen and I have seen GIGANTIC turtles in there nearly every time that I have snorkeled here. I have been to the recommended areas of Kauai, Kona, Maui, and Oahu has well. You will see fish of all different colors and sizes, turtles, and I heard sometimes dolphins. Hilo (especially ROP) is a best kept "secret" since there are no fine resorts in the area and I am looking forward to spending time here as a resident. I'm someone who typically snorkels alone, but you are never really alone here. There has always been others in the water, and there is regularly a lifeguard watching. It's a little beach and has only been somewhat crowded on days when the cruise ships are in, but most people go to Volcano for the day. You usually can get parking in the lot, but otherwise you can park within a few minutes away by walking. I'm not the strongest swimmer and have snorkeled here in the summer and winter and never had a problem. I don't go in though if I see that the current is strong. IMO ROP has better snorkeling than in the tidepools. read more

If this beach was in Southern California, it would be top rated. We snorkeled all day. Easy access, free ample parking, Tons of marine life and warm and clear waters. Life guards - while not friendly to mainlanders - was on duty and at the ready. Great crowd of all ages. Pack a lunch or be willing to drive back into town for snacks and drinks. I saw eels, turtles, colorful fish, sea urchins and things I never have seen before. If you are in Hilo and need to get your snorkel or swim on, this is the place. Several other park/beaches nearby. read more

Lifeguards and shower/bathroom facilities. Lots of friendly locals. Black sand. Rocky underwater, lots of snorkelers. Lots of street parking, too. The shaved ice truck was hanging around for anyone to grab a snack. Will definitely return. Great for kids, since the open ocean is blocked by lots of reef and rock outcroppings. read more

Maybe the best "beach" area in Hilo. No white sand, plenty of rocks but a lifeguard is usually stationed there to treat the cuts on your poor feet. Good place to swim or snorkel in the normally calm inner bay, and an OK place to surf at the point. Plenty of fish and other sea life live in the bay, spinner dolphins sometimes pass by offshore, and turtles pass the time along the rocky coast. There are some grassy areas and a small somewhat gray sandy cove to lay down on and relax. Generally a more adult crowd tends to gather here, so it could be a good place to meet people on a sunny weekend. But, if beaches are what you are looking for, you are on the wrong side of the island. read more

This is a great little beach. I am really surprised to be the first to review it! The day we went was a little choppy, so not ideal, but the vis was still pretty good and there were plenty of fish. We also got my Happy Birthday Honu (it was my birthday when we went). I was so thrilled to be able to swim with him/her. Mr/Ms Honu came in pretty close. I was respectful and didn't pursue but just enjoyed a beautiful creature in a beautiful environment. It isn't much of a beach by Kona side standards, but pretty typical for Hilo area. The sand is pretty much teeny tiny lava chunks, a smidge rough on the feet. There is a lifeguard on duty and restrooms/ an outside shower. read more

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My husband and I must be the only tourists to visit Hilo and Richardson Ocean Beach Park on three different trips without enduring rain. The park itself is at the end of a long road with numerous beaches along the way and seems to be frequented by locals and visitors alike. The current can be strong but it's protected by a cove and is a great place to study the skills of a few talented SUP surfers at adjacent beaches. The beach is small with a combo of black and white sand and we always make a point to visit as part of our pilgrimage to the Volcano. In addition to the beach there are lava formations to crawl over and observe sea turtles basking in a little lagoon or a grassy area with picnic tables next to a pond. read more

Great for snorkeling and sea turtle viewing. Bring some good water shoes because it's very rocky read more

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Love this place!!! One of my most favorite places on the whole island!! Everything about this place is pretty much perfect! The only complaints I have is -parking is tight and not much of it -Life guard closes up and leaves right when people are there to see the turtles. (Turtles come into the cove about 5pm) for the protection of both the turtles and the kids I wish they worked longer. read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

One of my favorite beaches close to me. I ocean swim here as well as BBQ with friends. Has some excellent reefs for snorkeling and a couple of lifeguard stands to make sure all are safe. Showers and bathrooms to boot. read more

Gorgeous beach sooooo many sea turtles. There's no complains about this place at all easy to get to parking, easy to find. Yep I'll recommend this place to everyone. read more

Whoa! Turtles and black sand...how could it get any better than that??? I wish we had more time to spend here - I enjoyed looking at the fish ponds, the view from the beach was amazing, and there was a gorgeous basalt outcrop bordering the beach. read more

Beautiful place! We saw four huge turtles hanging out in a shallow area, there's nice spots to hang out and sunbathe. There are also little crevices around the rocks where you can do some light swimming or wading. Parking lot is available and there is a street that you can park at across the street. Also close to the Hilo Homemade ice cream store. read more

So0o beautiful!! I lived 0.6 mi away and ran along it multiple times a week! The snorkeling is surprisingly good out in the ocean but be careful the ocean can be string there!! I once snorkeled there with 5 sea turtles! A great place to spot them if you're on the lookout! Bathrooms & showers. read more

We went here for summer vacation and it was beautiful. The water was beautiful, and at the entrance there are palm trees with small ponds around it that makes it looks gorgeous. The sand is indeed black which was pretty cool, it's also a great place to snorkel. I'd give it 4.5 stars, the only small small thing I noticed was that the entrance to the water on the beach is small, and gets crowded very easily but it's not a big deal because as you swim out there's so much space. Great place to visit in Hilo overall!! read more

The turtles and fish to the far right when looking at the ocean were incredible. So many turtles swimming and beautiful fish! Waves were rough so we couldn't get in but great park to sit and watch the wildlife. Definitely going back there on our next trip. Free parking too. read more

I'm from Hilo and Richardsons is a very special place to me. I've spent many hours swimming there and just chilling on the beach and reflecting about this and that. I highly recommend it for the average visitor to Hilo. It's very safe near the beach for kids and snorkelers and for more experienced water people you can go further out. read more

Richardson Ocean Park - Underwater photo at Richardsons, nearer the right side of the beach in front of the Lifeguard tower. - Beaches Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Saw turtles which was fantastic! Not really a good snorkel spot, rough waters atleast when we went.

It is a very popular snorkeling destination in Hilo. It is a common sight to see honu (green sea turtles) near the beach shores. It is the closest black sand beach to Hilo. When you take a close look at the sand, you can see green particles that were formed by lava; thought that was pretty interesting. read more