Spencer beach has calm waters. We have camped here before they have showers and bathrooms. There are a lot of sticks and such things in the sand. We try to sift as much as we can when we come watch the sunset. Other than the debris in the sand it is a good place to bring younger kids. (As long as you watch what they pick up from the sand lol) If you are visiting it would be nice and kind of you to help sift the sand. Many hands make light work. You might see mongoose, stray cats, beach chickens, maybe a goat or two here, lots of geckos and spiders of course. read more

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What a clean beautiful spot! Swim, picnic, walk, play ball, bbq with plenty of parking. A really nice beach, nice grassy area! Mahalo read more

Spencer State Beach Park - Beaches Near Me

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Be careful this beach has sea urchins. Not the safest of beaches to swim in. Bathrooms were locked up.

Nice quiet beach with calm and shallow water. Free parking. I'm docking a star because all of the restrooms were closed.

We absolutely loved coming here on our recent trip to Hawaii. There was always tons of parking and there were a few bathrooms on site which was great. They had a ton of picnic benches and there was even a spot for camping. Folks brought their little kiddos and some were snorkeling. It's a very lovely beach! read more

Sand and shade! A visit to the Spencer State Beach is a fun outing for families and tourists alike thanks to a large flat beach (with calm waves) surrounded by large trees protecting guests from the sun. It's not the softest sand or biggest beach, but it's free and in Hawaii, so, yeah, it's cool. Ohai'ula Beach is the main lure to the park. It is a large flat stretch of white somewhat-rough sand with a very gentle underwater slope shielded by the long shallow reef directly offshore and extensive harbor landfill to the north. The protection from offshore winds and waves makes this a fantastic Big Island option for young children or cautious adults. My in-laws were more in love with the shaded areas (some with picnic tables) that gave all of a chance to relax enjoying the breeze in the most calming way possible. Life may not get much better than that. The free parking and location next to the Puukoholā Heiau (famous temple built by Kamehameha I) mean Spencer State Beach Park is easy to find and visit. A lifeguard tower onsite also provides a sense of safety while facilities include restrooms, beach showers, and a pavilion, There are also grassy lawns, a camping area, and tennis courts. Spencer State Beach Park is a good park with safer swimming than many other parks on Hawaii. I'm also a fan of the sand and shade. read more

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Spencer Beach is a great place for a picnic on the beach. There are beautiful shade trees and plenty of picnic benches. There are spots to camp as well. If you're hoping to splash around in the ocean it is not the beach to choose. There is a few feet of sand, a 45 degree drop in the sand and then rocks. You can only go about 6 ft into the water before you get to rocks. Few waves make it nice in general for small children but you can't go far into the water. Nice trees though. read more

Spencer State Beach Park - Shade trees - Beaches Near Me

Park is very nice, it has parking, showers and bathrooms. Good for kids. Turtle sightings!!! Be careful not to step on the reef you could damage it. read more

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We had a few hours to spare during our last trip to Waikoloa, so we took a short 15 minute drive to check out this beach. When we first arrived at around 8:30, there were only a few other people here, but the beach quickly filled up and by mid-day, it was pretty crowded for Big Island standards (but not overly crowded like Waikiki). The water is calm and warm. My boys loved swimming here and also playing in the sand. There are trees which provide shade and also bathrooms and showers. There's also a section where camping is allowed by permit. Lots of parking for beach-goers. read more

Good beach overall with on-site parking, showers, bathrooms, picnic sites, and a wonderful beach. Lots of larger trees and shade. A great place to get away from some of the busier beaches along the Kohala Coast. read more

I was surprised about Spencer State Beach Park. This was not a planned trip, but I got some take out plate lunch and headed for the closest beach in the area. This park is located north of the Kona airport near the seaport. Access and parking are free, although you may have to walk a little to reach the facilities. The beach is rather large for the island. The big island of Hawaii lacks a lot of large beaches, so it was surprising to see such a large beach. It must be fairly unknown since it was rather sparce - although there was a woman being buried by her family. The sand was nice with a decent ocean shore nice for young kids and wading. The park also includes a great covered pavilion right on the rocky shore. It is made of rock and open to the waves with a great back staircase heading right to the water. The pavilion is also next to a large grove of tress for shaded picnic tables and the occasional young man getting a scandalous tan! There are several showers including the feet so you do not need to take home too much sand as a souvenir. Overall, I highly recommend visiting Spencer State Beach Park. It is a very nice beach on the Kona side of Hawaii still relatively unknown to the tourists. Grab some great plate lunch and relax among the trees and waves. read more

Spencer State Beach Park - Rocky Beach Area - Beaches Near Me

Beautiful white sand beach! Located on the Kona side off Hwy. 270 it is connected to the Kawaihae Harbor. If my mind serves me correctly, going north, you'll turn left into the harbor and then keep going all the way down until you can go no farther, reaching a parking lot. My family came here just before the sun was setting. The waves are very calm. It's a great place for just relaxing, having a picnic, or wading into the water. Here, you'll also find more sea turtles relaxing on the beach! read more

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This beach is perfect for families with young children, the shoreline is sandy with shallow water. The rocks that were out further had colorful fish that the younger children were delighted with. The beach was sandy and had picnic tables & several were in the shade. Bathrooms were clean, as well as the showers. Anyone just looking for a day at the beach with minimal lava rocks & a life guard on-site, this is your spot. read more

If you like getting bit by sand fleas and stubbing your toes on submerged lava rock, that you can't see, this is the place..... my husband and I felt like we were getting bit everywhere after going in the water and laying on the towel for a few mins.. grabbed our stuff, shook it all out, several times. Didn't trust it enough to dry off after with showering in their bathroom. Left and went to a different beach. Very disappointing. read more

Great Beach good parking and plenty of picnic tables. The waves are calm. They do have rocks in the water in some spots, so wear shoes if you have tender feet read more

A quiet, relaxing beach, with great facilities and typically a moderately sized crowd. Lifeguard, restrooms, body wash stations, picnic tables in the shade, nice swimming beach, and no admission! Need I say more? (I'm getting phone signals here too!) read more

Spencer State Beach Park - Beaches Near Me

Spencers as it's fondly called by locals, is a great family beach with swimming that's protected from the waves by a break wall, there are big pavilions for large groups, picnic tables, basketball courts, barbecue pits, outdoor showers and indoor showers. Permit's are required for over night camping and can be obtained by going in person the the Waimea Parks and Recreation office or calling (808)961-8311. The views are spectacular and an added bonus is that Hawaii County lifeguard are on duty during daylight hours. I really like this beach not only because it's family friendly but it's a nice place for couples or singles to lay out, also a very short walk to MauMae another Beautiful white sand beach that is less populated all day. read more

Spencer State Beach Park - Great place for camping BBQing swimming or just a rest stop - Beaches Near Me

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The beach I want to review is not actually Spencer Beach but one that is nearby. I suppose it's somewhat interchangeable with Spencer Beach, but I've also heard it referred to as "69" beach as it's right off of mile 69 (where Spencer Beach is located). In order to get here, you need to go to Spencer Beach first. Once parked, you'll notice a gate that leads off to a dusty, desert trail near the port-o-potties. Walk this trail for ten minutes until you see a small beach clearing. This hidden area looks just like Spencer Beach, but it's much quieter and more secluded. It almost feels like your own private beach! Soft, white sand. Calm waters. And very quiet. If you want to upgrade your Spencer Beach experience, take the few minutes to walk over here. Easily one of my favorite beaches on the Big Island. read more

Spencer State Beach Park - waves - Beaches Near Me

Gorgeous beach (of course), but it's a bit limiting in comparison to the neighboring Hāpuna Beach. Pros: - camping available - tons of picnic tables for families and groups - Free and plentiful parking - seems to be more of a local vibe, so great if you're looking to get away from tourist Cons: - rocky sand - not very scenic for snorkeling read more

Nice little beach. Local families in tents barbecuing and enjoying Hawaii. Awesome covered patio area with clean bathrooms. Way less crowded than Hapuna beach. Just a few miles up the road. read more

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Gorgeous beach!! I was on my way to a skydive appointment for 6am when I got a text cancelling the appointment due to bad weather. It was 5:30 in the morning and nothing else was open so I yelped beaches in the area so I can watch the sunrise. Omg I am so happy to have found this beach. It was such a peaceful place and the water was so calm! It's a good place for camping and seems very family friendly. read more

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My kids really enjoy being at this beach. My son caught couple of baby sand crabs? At least that's what i think they look like. But it did get pretty windy the couple of times we were there. And as always the hubby cut his foot on the corals while snorkeling. But this beach has a lifeguard so that was a plus! Only 4 stars because it was very windy and the beach is not that big. But other than that this beach is a must try just because you are there. read more

Beautiful, calm, and nicely kept beach. Benches, showers, bathrooms, and shade readily available. Can't wait to go back! read more

Spencer State Beach Park - View of beach - Beaches Near Me

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Spencer beach was recommended by one of the locals, and I'm glad we discovered it! The beach is beautiful, with beautiful tree trunks, trees to sit under if you're avoiding the sun, and the beach with calmer waves. There was a beach house with toilet and changing rooms and showers. Appears to be also great beach to have a larger gathering, as they had a large shelter and grills. It may have even had a concession stand but we didn't walk that far over to see it. Beautiful beach I highly recommend! read more

We stopped by here on our way back from Akaka Falls (back to Kona) because of its reputation for honu swimming here. As soon as I stepped into the water, got my snorkel on, and dunked my head inside, a big HONU swims right in front of me! YES!!! I swam a little more and found a smaller guy and followed him from the rocks on the south side to the middle of the beach. It was soooo nice. Unless I was in the wrong place, I would not call it a white sand beach. It was a brown/tan beach with small pebbles mixed in. The water was calm and shallow pretty far out, and the beach was pretty empty (it was a Tuesday afternoon). I guess you can camp out here as there were tents to the north side of the beach. Not sure about permits, though. There was plenty of parking, bathrooms were clean, and there was a shower by the beach and some in the bathrooms as well. They also have a bunch of picnic tables so you can bring food and not have to worry about getting sand in it. Very nice beach. Worth a stop if you're close by (maybe not worth an hour drive from Kona considering other beaches that are closer). read more

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Public access to beaches is wonderful in Hawaii. This place has free parking, restroom facilities, and some shady spots to sit in the sand. It's a very nice beach to come and hang out, and the snorkeling is okay here but not as good as some of the other reviews would lead you to believe. The sandy part of the water ends very quickly and there are lots of sea urchins in the rocks. The reef is very shallow and it was actually a bit scary to snorkel over the sea urchins so close below me. There were many times where I thought I would scrape them even just floating over the top. My aunt ended up getting spiked by some sea urchins despite being very careful around the rocks. Overall, it's a lovely place but requires some caution. There are better snorkeling spots nearby, but the sand and shade here are great. Be careful if you bring kids here so that they don't step on sea urchins read more

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A much quieter beach with shade and picnic tables. There is a bit of smooth rock while entering the water. Not as touristy, but smaller. read more

Spencer State Beach Park - Beaches Near Me

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Nice beach with a few sets of restrooms. There were some folks camping too. We went to many beaches on the Big Island and this was one of the more calmer ones that seems very family friendly. read more

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Spencer State Beach Park is a locals beach with camping and restrooms. Beach and water were fine but nothing special. Would not go out of my way to come here again. read more

I didn't like this beach. There were no waves and it was kinda dirty to me. I tried to snorkel but could not get over how cloudy it was. I got out right away. The sunset was nice on this side though. There weren't a lot of people here which was nice, so we just relaxed and tanned a bit. I wouldn't come back here thought. read more

Spencer Beach is perhaps the best family beach I've ever been to. Copious shade, resort quality dressing rooms and showers, a calm beach with snorkeling, and a small section where you could boogie board. And the locals are friendly. read more

Quiet & not crowded. Bathrooms are clean. There's shade on the beach & a bunch of picnic tables. But not my favorite beach. It's probably because it's not white sand & the water is not as clear as other beaches I've been in the Big Island. read more

We are new to Hawaii, so we are still just learning places to be and go but this was such a win for us! We hadn't found a beach to go to that wasn't over crowded and right near buildings. This was an hour drive from our resort but it was so stunning. When we got here there was no people! Which was so cool! it was gorgeous, the water was nice, bathrooms were amazing and super clean! We had a great beach day that was actually relaxing with an incredible view! We will back! read more

SPENCER BEACH PARK: Located on the south side of Puukohola Heiau. There is a crowded camp site at the park. read more

Went camping here for two days and it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The stalled showers and nice beach was definitely a huge plus. There were lots of people clearly living in this park. There was also loud music played every night all the way up until quiet hours. Staff was super nice and the park was clean though! read more

We camped here with my boyfriend's family for a weekend. It was a lot of fun, except for the fact that he got really sick almost as soon as we got there. That aside, it was a lot of fun. I'm not a big fan of camping by the beach, but this is the kind of camping I like. You have a pavilion that gets the best breeze and also has a few power outlets for whatever you need. The view is lovely from there too. Located in the pavilion are also bathrooms (yes!). There is also another set of restrooms across from where we were camped at which has showers. We just ended up using the outdoor shower with our bathing suits on. I would recommend bringing a quick-shade or some form of portable shade since there was none where we were. Also be sure to anchor your tent and quick-shade down. We experienced some very strong freak winds that just picked up randomly. Bring sunscreen!!! There is a lovely little beach that you can follow a trail to from the park and it is one of the most beautiful beaches I've been to, other than Shipman Beach in Puna. Great place with good camping amenities so you're not roughing it too much. read more

Beautiful beach! The water is calm. This park is pleasant and peaceful. I will definitely visit again.

Reminded me more of a lake setting. The ocean is super rocky and the sand wasn't very soft. It was close to our house so that's why we checked it out. read more

white sandy beach. kid friendly. gorgeous sunset spot.

Great beach. It had nice sand and not very crowded, clean and quiet. The water was much calmer than other nearby beaches.