Lovely, peaceful trails at this park. In this visit we only had time for the nature trail which was…read morewell maintained and had a number of interpretive signs describing the various trees and shrubs. Also near the nature trail is the arboretum of native plants with additional interpretive signs, be sure to visit both areas. If you have more time, do the jeep trail to gulch trail as a loop.

This place is pretty confusing and also empty so we were afraid to explore too much. We checked out…read morethe garden but it seemed a bit under maintained and dead. Seems pretty easy to get lost and no reception so come prepared. Plenty of parking but for some reason gave kind of eerie vibes.

Nice skatepark across from beach. Bring drinks fo hot weatter bruddahs…read more Close to old airport beach

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.

After coming across social media post, Carlsmith Beach Park was a must visit for me! I added it to…read morethe list of places for my uber driver/hubby to take me. We missed it the very first time, the hubby took me to the wrong beach & had to re-route. I remember it is hard to find via GPS if you miss the turn. We found parking after the beach and walked down. When I walked to Carlsmith Beach to finally check it out for the very first time, my heart just melted and just had that Wow, grateful, OMG moments and also feels like DeJaVu. I also asked my husband to pinch me, that I am not dreaming. It was so nice to just experience this live in real life, such tranquil atmosphere, crystal clear waters. I just love the color of the water, the ocean, so beautiful! Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo is a hidden gem for sure! After we took our tons of photos, enjoyed the scenery which I really wanted to stay longer but we had a busy day ahead. For next time I visit, I would love to picnic & enjoy lunch under the coconut, palm trees and go swimming. Although I didn't sea turtles during my visits, hopefully next time.

This was a peaceful stroll around a beautiful Japanese…read more Garden. A gift from Japan as a sister city in 1987. Overcast, very empty today Right on the Harbor.

This beautiful Japanese park and garden is tucked along the shores of Hilo Bay, offering a peaceful…read moreescape filled with towering banyan trees, colorful flowers, and singing birds. Stroll along scenic walking paths lined with decorative pagodas, stone lanterns, charming bridges, and tranquil ponds. Best of all, it's completely free to visit -- a must-see when you're in Hilo!

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.

Best playground equipment in all of Hilo and surrounding areas. This is a convenient playground to…read morevisit when I run errands in town because it's close to grocery and other shopping. Added bonus, I found $12 unclaimed dollars here

Pana'ewa is the go-to gym in Hilo if you want to get a game of pick-up basketball in. With three…read morefull-size covered courts, there's plenty of space for games to run. That said, not all of the courts are always open at the same time, as children's basketball and volleyball practices do take place in the gym later in the afternoon, depending on the time of year. Being that there's not really anywhere else that is open on a regular basis in town, however, you just deal with it and are happy to get a game in when you can. The majority of people who come to play here are really nice and easy to get along with. And as long as you don't act like a jerk, they're pretty accepting as well.

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.

Fun, beautiful hang for the whole family. Definitely a great location for swimming and on my top 5…read moremust visit spots in Hilo town

To echo the same sentiments others have expressed already, I am joining them to give this park a…read moreperfect 5-star review. The heavy rain didn't deter us from exploring the park just yesterday afternoon. This place quietly situates right by the oceanfront. It' could easily be some sort of botanical gardens where they can charge an entrance fee; it's that beautiful and well-maintained. I bet the locals residents and the tourists who stumble upon it truly appreciate and respect the park where there is this peace and harmony that exists. I appreciate everyone's part in leaving the place as is. If you thoroughly walk around it it would easily take a good hour (plus) to fully immerse yourself in its beauty. One should take his/her time to find perfect photo angles and spots to explode his/her phone's memory space; the number of photos will accumulate so quickly! This place is also a good place for photographers. There are so many places to visit in Hilo and yet so far this place easily makes it the top 5 spots list of our favorites. The lush green will entertain your eyes for sure.

What a beautiful serene Japanese garden, largest one in the US…read more I loved the way the landscape artist worked in the lava rock formation into it, using mostly materials available on the island. The peaceful feeling I felt walking around the ponds over volcanic rock bridges cannot even be found in a glass of wine. The park was free to everyone. It was clean and well cared for. When on The Big Island I'd suggest dropping by to decompress from a busy vacation schedule.

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