Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park
4.7(2.8K)google
4.6(94)yelp
National MonumentHistoryCoastWildlife
Overview
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the Kona District on Hawaiʻi Island in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It includes the National Historic Landmarked archaeological site known as the Honokōhau Settlement. The park was established on November 10, 1978, for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional native Hawaiian activities and culture.
Practical Info
Every day8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeThe cooler winter-spring season from November to March is perfect for hiking this rugged coastal terrain. Plan your walk between 3:30 PM and 6:00 PM; this allows you to explore the ancient Hawaiian dry-stack stone fishponds and cultural petroglyphs, and spot basking sea turtles on the black lava sand before dusk.
Getting ThereLocated directly off HI-19 Highway just south of the Kona Airport. Drivers can turn into the main park entrance to access the visitor center free parking lot. For direct access to the cultural fishponds and turtle beach, drive instead to the northern gravel parking spur near the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor.
Travel Tips
- The park utilizes two separate entrance zones; the primary visitor center lot off Highway 19 locks its massive iron security gates precisely at 16:00 daily, trapping any remaining vehicles inside and triggering an automatic after-hours law enforcement callout fee with mandatory processing citations.
- To bypass the long, shadeless volcanic overland trail to Honokohau Beach and its ancient fishponds, drive directly to the northernmost public parking area at Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, which connects via a flat 3-minute walk over packed coral gravel.
- Federal law under the Endangered Species Act strictly mandates maintaining a minimum physical distance of 10 feet (3m) from Hawaiian green sea turtles (Honu) and 50 feet (15m) from Hawaiian monk seals; using artificial camera flashes or approaching them inside water or sand triggers immediate arrest.
Reviews
Positive
- This is a fantastic spot to observe wild Hawaiian green sea turtles basking on the black lava beach; you can spot them up close almost every visit, giving it a perfect score for natural experience.
- It is free to enter and completely devoid of commercial bustle, preserving ancient Hawaiian fishponds and stone wall ruins with high historical, cultural, and archaeological value.
- At sunset, the black lava landscapes, green vegetation, and golden waves interweave, making it one of the most beautiful and stunning sunset viewpoints on the entire Kona coast.
- The staff at the visitor center are highly professional, providing useful trail maps and patiently educating tourists on sea turtle protection laws and safety awareness.
Heads up
- The trail from the parking lot to the beach is entirely made of coarse, crushed lava rocks. The path is extremely uneven, completely unsuited for strollers, and very unfriendly to people with mobility issues.
- There is almost zero shade across the park, making the sun intensely brutal, and there are no trash cans or restrooms along the trails—basic facilities are only at the visitor center.
- Some visitors crowd or get too close to the turtles, and there is a lack of on-site staff for crowd control or immediate intervention, relying entirely on self-discipline.
- If you are unlucky and don't spot turtles, the place is just a vast, desolate field of black stones and broken stone walls, leaving history-indifferent tourists feeling underwhelmed.