Kiholo Bay

My husband and I decided to check this out on a whim and we are so glad we did!
This is a hidden gem just 15 minutes away from the resorts by Mauna Lani. It’s off a hidden drive right off highway 19.
We wanted to see the black sand beaches on the big island but were sad to find out that it would have been a five hour round trip to get to and from them from where we were staying. This was the perfect solution.
This state park shows off Kiholo Bay and the rugged black sand shores. We hiked along the right side of the bay and came across so much marine life! We saw lots of fish, 4 sea turtles, crabs, whales, and lots of birds. The beaches aren’t the smooth black sand beaches on the other side of the island but they are still beautiful. There are a lot of lagoons that the sea turtles love to graze in and they sun themselves on the shore.
There was also a hidden pool made from what I believe to be a caved in lava tube.
There are private residences off the beach so be careful you stay on the beach which is open to the public.
You should definitely wear closed toe shoes so you can climb along the lava rock that makes up the shore.

As far as we could tell when we arrived (and from what we read elsewhere on a few recent updated sites), they have closed the road for tourists to drive down from the main highway, so you have to walk the whole way. Whereas older blogs and guides say it’s only a mile each way, truly it is quite a bit farther with this road closing if you actually want to see the turtles. Both my husband and I enjoy hiking and are in good enough shape for this hike (now in our late 20’s — my hubby ran 4 miles before breakfast that morning), but the added length (and time) was not really what we had prepared for, so that was disappointing and exhausting. If you are well prepared and bring lots of water, you may enjoy it more.
On the one hand, the hiking does not require any major elevation change and is therefore not too hard on the heart and lungs. However, due the heat and sand-​walking (which gets tiring), it can feel long and exhausting. There were about a dozen turtles swimming and sunning themselves when we got to the lagoon, and the water was a beautiful turquoise, but for maybe 4 – 5 miles round trip (~2 — 2.5 miles each way or ~40 minutes each way) in the searing heat, I was not sure it was worth it. It depends how much you love turtles.
The specifics of the hike /​how to get there: It’s probably a 1 — 1.5 mile walk to the beach (a fairly easy walk mostly on a gravel road that people used to actually drive down but now you have to walk down if you don’t live there, and it was VERY hot — bring lots of water. We went when it was super windy, and that was our saving grace, but there is very little shade on the walk). To find the trail head, you will want to park along the road near mile marker 81 on Highway 19. (Note: there is also a cool view at mile marker 82 that you should go see for a few minutes with your camera, but that’s not how you walk down.) After you follow the trail and turn off into a short woodsy part where it says «beach access», you arrive at a nice rocky beach. Then once you hit the beach, you have to turn right and walk about another 1 mile. You will pass all of the sand, a few homes, and some rocks and lava (over which you have to carefully scramble), to get to a lagoon where the turtles hang out. For this part, you will definitely be better off with sneakers /​tennis shoes.
When we arrived, we wished we had worn bathing suits, because the water in the lagoon was calm and beautiful, and by then we were really hot, so it would have been nice to cool off. Then again, you would have to walk back in wet clothes, so that’s a tough call to make. We were very happy to see many turtles but then got a lot less happy when we realized we had a long hot trek back to our car. If your expectations are set right, I think this could be a fun hike. Just be prepared! :-)

Cool spot! Just appreciating the rocks and all of a sudden, a sea turtle bobs up below me! Great place to walk around and soak some ocean breeze. Beware — the shore is rocky and the rocks could get slippery. 2WD vehicle can get all the way near the end of the parking lot. Not ideal for ocean swimming. Peaceful yet accessible, not many people here by sunset.

5 star for he simple fact of seeing plenty of see turtles. There are about three different entrances to this place. If you want to see sea turtles enter then go to the right until you reach the «lagoon» which is very calm and pretty water. The lagoon was not good for snorkeling. This is quite a hike. Tennis shoes definitely. If you go to the left its a great place to boogie board. Most of all this place is mostly secluded and not a lot of traffic due to the simple fact of the hike to reach it and there aren’t really any road signs.

Amazing beach and well worth the hike. Be sure to find the lagoon for safer swimming and the opportunity to see sea turtles!

Great little area to explore, Kiholo Bay is not for the casual beach goer! We parked at a small lot past Mile Maker 81 and from there you hike through lava rocks towards the bay. For this part you definitely need sturdy hiking sneakers-​there is a path cutting through but you are walking over and on sharp rocks for much of the time.
Once getting towards the bay, you’ll notice private property marked by signs and barbed wire. Go around that to the right for access to the beach area, which then is public property again.
So worth the 10 – 15 trek out to the bay! The water was a clear turquoise blue, and while not suitable for swimming, it’s a great area to clamor around on the rocks for some tide pooling. We walked the length of the bay and saw one turtle sunning himself on the rocks. The contrast of the dark rocks on the beach with the amazingly blue and clear water was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen on the island so far. We spent about 90 minutes total, exploring the beach and the mini-​hike to and from the lot. Highly recommended if you are up for a short adventure!
We stopped here on our way up the Kohala coast, but if you aren’t heading up that far, you can also tack on some time in the Waikoloa area. Have fun, be safe and respect the private property boundaries. Enjoy!

Great location to get away from it all.

Beautiful. Secluded. Turtles. That is all I can say about this place. How can you not love that?

A bit of a ways from the parking area. Pack light! The turquoise blue lagoon water is a little cloudy for optimum snorkelling but so many turtles! Absolutely worth the trek to the lagoon.
Note: no bathrooms, just a Porta-​potty at the parking area. Also no shade by the lava lined lagoon, although some shade spots along the lava and dark sand beach between the parking area and the lagoon.

Can you sunbathe here? Yes
Can you see sea turtles occasionally sunbathe here? Yes
Hidden fresh water lagoon? Yes
More privacy? Yes
Bathrooms? No
Showers? No
Public trash bins? No
Side Notes: When I went here the tides seemed pretty aggressive so I did not venture father than getting up to my ankles wet in the water. The water was nice though, and the beach itself is pretty rocky, with parts that have a mix of white/​black sand. I explored ok in flip flops but probably would have been easier in some closed toed sneakers.
The road to this beach is not paved with concrete and is a bit bumpy but we were able to find parking not too far from the park entrance. I saw 2 sea turtles sunbathing and 1 swimming in the shallows probably getting its lunch on.
The queen’s bath/​fresh water lagoon thing is pretty cool, and the water is colder than the ocean water. A little step ladder is there to help you get in and the area is shaded with some trees. The most I saw people were families using the lagoon, but other than that, I barely saw anyone exploring or sunbathing on the beach.
If you want a soft white sand beach, this really isn’t it. But if you want to maybe see a turtle and check out a small fresh water lagoon and explore a little, this is a cool spot to spend an hour or two.