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....

Great spot for laps, or just some low impact aerobic exercise…read more Water can be a bit cool in the winter and spring. Big and Beautiful facility!

Grew up swimming here as a kid and was pleasantly surprised to see it's still well-maintained…read more Can't believe it's a public pool as it's better than some of the paid facilities at gyms that I've used. Great hours, and the staffs are friendly. Not too crowded and although I remembered it always being freezing cold, the temps were actually not too bad. Has a swim area for children and a deeper area, though warning that it is pretty deep. There's a designated lap area with lanes as well. Really love this pool and happy I got a chance to come back and swim here again!

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.

In a new location, the Mokupapapa Discovery Center serves as a museum and educational center for…read morethe Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a huge area of oceans and islands around Hawaii. While most are off limits outside of scientific stations, this is a great way to learn about them and the history of the monument. The center has many events, that can viewed on their website. It's free and open Tuesday through Saturday during the day. A highlight for me was the large aquarium of reef fish at the back, as well as maps and historic photos from the different islands. They also have clean restrooms, which can be hard to find while walking around Hilo. They have free information to take as well. It's worth it to talk to the attendant as they are knowledgeable about the center and monument. This is a worthwhile activity for any visitor to the islands.

The woman at the front desk provided great educational information…read more There is no admission fee and is completely free. They accept donations at the front desk and by the aquarium. It wasn't crowded and has Air Conditioning. You can probably see the whole place in about an hour. There are additional exhibits upstairs, i don't believe there is an elevator. Public restroom is available. Lots of free parking available.

With so many beach parks on the north shore, it is quite difficult to tell where one park starts…read moreand the next door one ends. Such is the relationship between Kealoha and the neighboring Carlsmith parks. I think a fair number of reviews of Carlsmith include the coves that are north of Kealoha property, so you may want to read about that park to for more info. Kealoha is a stretch of public beach near the Hilo Yacht Club and Mahikea Island (to the north). It is long and narrow with a large parking strip off the road between the road and ocean. There is a stretch of green lawn with shade, restrooms, and picnic tables. During our visit, we did see scuba divers training in the nice sized cove that reportedly is an area frequented by sea turtles. It appeared to be about chest deep on the divers, so the bottom is clearly visible. Although we didn't see any turtles on the stormy day of our visit, we did see lots of small fish. Because of the light rain and storm, we really got our attention was the waves smashing into the lava reef that protected the coves. So much power in each wave as it hits that immovable reef, creating an explosive blast of spray as rhythmic as breathing. Very cool for someone who lives in a landlocked state to see. I wonder if the locals ever become bored with it. Anyway, we enjoyed the visit even without climbing down to swim. Maybe I can get back before I'm too old to enjoy it. I think I'd like to. Review #2409

This is the Grand Nanioa Resort Golf Course and our team Golf treasure special Olympics East Hawaii…read moreand have Special Olympics golf practice here and golf is lots of fun playing golf with my friend and athletes friends and just to hang out together!!! Golf is lots of fun and just spend time with athletes and coaches too!!'

If you're a Hilton Honors guest of the Hilton Grand Naniloa, you get a couple of free passes per…read moreday to play here. We brought our own clubs - I think they have some rentals. Carts are extra. We had a third adult with us, and I think he was $12 for nine holes. Carts were $14 each. Staff super friendly and helpful. We just showed up w/o a tee time, I've not noticed any crowding here. Its as laid back as it gets, which I like. Lots of locals play here. Great beginner course. As far as play, well, lets say its a good course if you're not expecting much. I thought it was somewhat challenging. There are a couple holes with water hazards. The greens are just mowed down weeds. The bunkers have long since surrendered their sand to the island and are just depressions. The jungle will swallow your balls, but you're just as likely to find some too. The fairways were ok. Lots of birds, pleasant Hawaiian breezes and flowers. We actually look forward to playing here when we stay at the hilton.

This was a hidden gem and well worth the time to explore. It was a short hike through…read morewooded/vegetative stretch on a trail that was initially paved. There was at least one short side trail down to the shore. The trail eventually led to a wonderfully peaceful cove with a ridge that proveded an overlook. The overlook afforded beautiful views of the water. It was a great alternative to the Tropical Botanical Gardens which seemed way too expensive for what they offered. This, by contrast, was free. The only issue was that parking was tricky. There were some spots for parking by pulling to the side of the narrow road. But these filled up quickly. There is apparently paid parking at the Botanical Gardens that could be an alternative.

Store was very welcoming and colorful. Nice cool spot to hang out for a little. My daughter enjoyed…read moreherself with this experience. Price was reasonable as well. 10/10 RECOMMEND

The owner was very friendly and ended up reaching out to me and tried to resolve the situation. My…read moredaughter enjoyed everything she received from here .