Ho'okena Beach Park, a true camping adventure!


Ho'okena County Beach park, a camper's oasis resides along the ocean in the original steamship hub of Ho'okena,dating back to the 1800's when ships were the main focus of travel. The beach park lies nestled among a cliff face at the bottom of a scenic road, approximately 20 miles past Kailua Kona. Tourists and locals alike flock to this beautiful location to swim, sight see dolphins and Honu and to camp along the sandy beach. The park was the location for our last camping adventure, in which we were ready to try out our new inflatable kayaks, camp along the ocean and play for hours among the waves. Our keiki especially love the water and have been avid swimmers since our recent move to the Big Island a year and a half ago. Ho'okena is perfect for all ages as it is a sandy beach, easy access to the park and the water and offers a breathtaking view of the ocean and marine wildlife. Famous for the dolphins which one may view at sunrise, the beach park is also a non profit organization run by the local kamaaiina in efforts to restore this location to the main focus of Ho'okena as originally placed. For campers such as ourselves, the online reservation system was a smooth operation, in which I was able to book us at resident rates for only 27 dollars for two nights! Once one completes the booking system, they wait to receive confirmation of their reservation, as it is a privately owned camping spot. This especially appeals to families, as the park closes its' gates at nine pm and is a safe spot to enjoy a night or more under the stars.

The first day was spent mainly swimming and body boarding in the waves, which while mostly sandy, there are a few places where rocks may be encountered so caution is advised. As our kids get up at the crack of dawn, my husband decided to inflate our new kayaks and we embarked on our first journey onto the water at this location, a mile offshore. There was a magical feeling as the light began to filter through the darkness of day break and especially once we were sitting far off the shoreline and had jumped into the water! Our keiki could spend hours playing in the water, which here was a perfect temperature, not too warm and not too cold. They were eager to go back to shore to gather their body boards so we spent no more than an hour before heading back rather reluctantly. To kayak offshore, one gains an avid view of the Kona shoreline, rocky, wild and bashed by endless foaming waves. The drier portion of the Big Island has more of a desert resemblance, but with beautiful, sandy beaches as opposed to lava rock on the Hilo side. Each side of the island boasts its' own beauty, however, for those residing on the Hilo side, a visit to Kona is welcome for a sandier swimming experience.

We spent the next couple of days swimming and kayaking and I would recommend this campground to anyone looking for a front country camping adventure. Although the campsites are a tight knit layout and people camp closer together, the sense of community and aloha was imminent! We gained new friends from a couple of different families and the location, reservation system and overall environment was friendly and easy to navigate.

To reach Ho'okena coming from Hilo, head north on Hwy 11 (Hawai'i Belt Rd/Kuakini Hwy) and turn left after mile marker 101 and Kealia Ranch store on Ho'okena Beach Road. Continue downhill until reaching your destination at the very bottom, and turning left on a one lane road. This leads directly to the parking lot, where you will be required to check in with a 10 dollar deposit, your information on file and your photo ID. Most importantly, don't forget your swimsuit, your snorkel gear and an attitude of aloha and malama pono (to take care of), packing in and packing out! Enjoy the adventure and for more information visit the reservation and information site I have included below. Life is an ocean, now go explore!!
http://hookena.org/index.html

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