Kahana Bay Beach Park
Kahana Bay Beach Park
4.5
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A jungle-style park with many streams.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles58 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
17
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
2

TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN3,475 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Solo
Beautiful spot along the windward coast of Oahu just north of Kualoa Regional Park. Scenic cove with a sandy beach. It felt more like the Pacific Northwest coast in some ways. Not many people on the beach and this would be a great place to visit if you wanted some beach time without the crowds. Nearby is the well-regarded Crouching Lion hiking trail that is quite steep and challenging but offers amazing views at the top.
Written January 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

May_EXL
Winnipeg, Canada561 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
Beautiful scenery and not crowded. Public beach, free parking, picnic area and porto potty available. Long, nice sandy beach. It looks like a safe place to swim. Lots of chickens and roosters to greet you in the parking lot.
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grant Welsh
Burnaby, Canada46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Family
We drove around the entire island of Oahu in a Jeep Wrangler and said that we were gonna stop at a beach somewhere to swim at and throw a frisbee. Beautiful beach after beautiful beach we finally stopped at Kahana Bay and spent a couple hours. There was barely anyone there and it felt like a private beach. My family and I are coming back to Oahu next year and are definitely stopping here!
Written March 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SnorkelGang
Los Angeles, CA87 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Family
Trailhead is in the rear of the park past the small group of houses that locals still live in that pre-date the state park. Car parking is before entry to the local community. The locals were friendly and our car was undamaged upon return from our hike. Our 7 and 8 year old kids zoomed around the entire 2.5 mile loop trail with ease. It was a bit more of a slog for my wife and I. We did it in tennis shoes. Trail shoes would have been better. BRING BUG SPRAY!!!! There is a great swimming hole halfway around the loop with a "shoot the rapids" sort of feature that was fun for all. Head DOWNHILL through the mosquito-laden bamboo forest to get to this swimming hole. Finishing the loop counterclockwise and you get to the river with the rope swing into the swimming hole. Check the hole first for boulders and debris that may have washed over the dam. If the hole is clear of dangerous hidden items, test the rope. It is a very thick manila rope, but you never know. If is is strong, swing away. Cowabunga!. Oh...BIG HINT: if you go around the loop clockwise you would get to the rope swing and river within two minutes of easy hiking. Also, the hike up and around clockwise to the second swimming hole and "shoot the rapids" area would have been far easier, too. The other part of the loop (the western leg -- see map at hawaii state park internet site) has lots of switchbacks, tree roots, tree trunks and tree branches to maneuver around, and was far muddier. Inexperienced hikers might want to skip that leg of the loop entirely. Trail markings are easy to spot but infrequent. Bring water. Wear decent shoes. Long pants also recommended, with swimsuit underneath. We only saw two other people on this trail and we were there swimming over half the day. Warning: even the "easier" (clockwise first half) leg of this trail might be nasty after a heavy rain. Check the weather report on the day you plan to hike. It seems, however, that someone (thankfully) helps manage the trail by laying down palm fronds to make it less of a mud slog. Mahalos!
Written September 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David C
177 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Couples
Our favorite beach of the several we visited while on Oahu. A crescent-shaped beach surrounded by mountains. As peaceful as it is beautiful. A great place to walk the beach, swim, or sun bath. There is a restroom and tree swing. We were there on a weekday morning, but I imagine parking can be a problem since there is more beach than parking area.
Written April 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JohnGray-LingYai
Phuket, Thailand57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2013 • Friends
Kahana Bay State Park is far more than just a beautiful Bay and Beach - it is one of the major Ahu'pu'a'a' (land district from the top of the cliffs to the edge of the reef) on O'ahu and in all of Hawai'i. Kahana is an amphitheater valley formed by waterfall and stream erosion. DO NOT climb the cliffs, but hiking in the valley is quite spectacular. If youenjoy camping, join with locals on the beach every week-end. During the week, there are few campers. If you bring your dog beware that Kam Highway backs the beach so keep your dog on a leash unless they are swimming

Kahana maintained a large Hawaiian population in pre-contact days and into the early 20th Century. Westerners arrived in the early 1800's and early graves at the historical Punalu'u Catholic church about 2K from the boat ramp - date back to the early 1800's.

The valley is extremely fertile, so the Hawaiian pre-contact community enjoyed bountiful crops nourished by a virtually endless water supply. A small brackish stream runs under the Kam Highway bridge for two meters into the valley. A traditional Hawaiian rock fish farm is a few hundred meters up the coast. It may just look like rocks in the sea but this farm nourished the population. .

Of course, the beach is spectacular and safe (most of the time). The rule of thumb for tourists is if you can stay standing up in big waves (relatively speaking) it's safe for swimming. If your feet are on the sand and you get knocked over - don't go swimming to far. Winter waves break on the outer reefs but can still be dangerous for unaware tourists. Two meter waves can break on the sand, creating a dangerous rip tide.

Locals love this Ahu'pu'a'a' and are usually friendly, and its a great break from the expensive and transparent hotels on the other side of the island.
Written June 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shutterbug317
Mililani, HI241 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2013 • Couples
Kahana Bay is not one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii nor is it ideal for swimming. But it is a great out of the way spot that is quiet and peaceful- 2 things not easy to find on this island- and it was the perfect spot for a weekend of camping and relaxation. The beach is a stones throw from the gorgeous and crowded beaches of the north shore but it feels a world away. Though the beach is littered with branches and coconut shells, it is still quite picturesque. The beach is long and flat and is protected on both sides but huge green mountains. I've visited this beach a handful of times when the campgrounds were closed and hardly ever encountered another soul. The campgrounds are open 5 days a week but there are only 10 campsites that are reasonably spread apart so even when all the sites were full it was still a quiet and relaxing place to be. We booked site #6 which is the most private. We set up our tent right at the back of the beach, under the trees for shade, and fell asleep to the sound of the waves each night. The only downside to camping here is they only have outdoor beach showers and the "comfort station" was not all that clean or comfortable. But the porta-potties were clean and adequate for the weekend so we made due just fine.

There are some local bums that hang around this park and one asked if they could share our campsite. We kindly declined and were not bothered otherwise during our stay. But as with all spots on the island, don't leave valuables in your car.

Across Kam highway there is a state park with 2 hiking trails. The Kapa‘ele‘ele Trail is just over a mile long. When you reach the stream, turn to your left and follow the trail up for some amazing views of Kahana Bay. That was the highlight of this trail for me. We also hiked the Nakoa Trail which is a 3.5 mile loop from the parking area. I was a little disappointed in the trail overall, the valley views were not quite as amazing as expected, but we did see some bunkers that the military used for training during WWII. We didn't hike up to the pools. When hiking this park be sure to put on a lot of bug spray and carry it with you as it is heavily infested with mosquitoes.

Overall we had a great weekend camping trip at Kahana Bay and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something off the beaten path on this crowded island. If you are coming or going in the direction of the North Shore, be sure to stop and Fumi's shrimp shack near Kahuku for some garlic butter shrimp. I'm a native NYer and am generally disappointed with the food here but Fumi's is a huge exception and definitely shouldn't be missed.
Written September 29, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Spideybriefs
19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2012 • Couples
Took a drive up HI1 to this little beach. Super quiet, not many visitors frequent this beach which makes it a perfect "get away" from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki or Waimea Bay. When my husband and I visited this beach, it was almost empty of people and it felt like we had our own little private beach. Drive about 15 minutes north and get a bite at Shrimp Shack after you've had your fill of soaking up the sun.
Written November 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lanette L
Hawaii159 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Family
I camped at Kahana Bay every year with my Family as a Child. We camped for an entire MONTH at a time. Back then, there were NO FEES, and NO PARK CLOSURES, and you could camp anywhere along the Beach Park. Today, all of that has changed.
ALL CAMPING on the Island of O'ahu only consists of 5 days. No One is allowed to camp for an entire week. Camping Parks close on Wednesday and Thursday for Park Cleaning. This was also implemented to keep homeless people from camping all year round on the beach.
Today, if you want to camp, you need to make a reservation, and pay for a permit. Residents of Hawaii Fees are $12, and Non-Resident Fees are $18 PER DAY. Each person staying at the Campsite has to be listed on the permit. This includes Children as well. A Maximum of 10 people are allowed per site. The Initial Camping Fee covers up to 6 people, and then there is an ADDITIONAL FEE for each person after that.... Maximum 10 people per site. Overnight Parking does require an OVERNIGHT PERMIT, and is included in the FEE of the Campsite. Weekend Permits are almost IMPOSSIBLE if you don't make a reservation some months in advance. During the week, however, is usually pretty open..... My Family camped from Sunday to Wednesday. The Beach was WIDE OPEN. Not too many campers at all. Literally had the Beach to ourselves. The Ocean Water here is NOT CLEAR. There is a good amount of Debris..... HOWEVER, the water is WARM, and calm enough for young children to enjoy. Each site has access to a Water Faucet, Shower Stall, and a Sani-can (Toilet) is close by. Also, there are Restroom Facilities at the Far end of the Park, and across the street. You can visit several Websites that are very informational. 1- http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/ahupuaa-o-kahana-state-park, and 2- https://camping.ehawaii.gov/campin/all,details,1679.html, to name just 2..... This park is very safe, we had no problems here. I do have to mention that after 6 pm, the Homeless people do come out of the WOOD-WORKS. There were only a FEW local men that I saw. Mostly, there were WHITE people, several were COUPLES living out of their cars, and they tended to CLUSTER with each other. They parked their cars in the parking lot, and set up their small dome tents further in right off the beach along campsite 5 & 6. It's further in, dark, and no one can really see them from the road. Makes me wonder why a person would go through the proper steps of securing permits and parking passes when NO ENFORCEMENT was present. Which is probably why this type of activities take place..... Luckily, we did not encounter any Hassles or Trouble. We camped at Campsite #3. It was an Open Area, and right off the Parking Lot, so that we could keep an eye on our Vehicle. All in All, we had a wonderful time, and will be returning again. Keep in mind, that, when you camp at a park, you are not allowed to return to the same park for 30 days.
Written August 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LiketoeatCincinnati
Cincinnati, OH2,527 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
This beach is attached to a state park so there are plenty of services, yet it is still somewhat isolated and secluded. There are plenty of shady areas and beautiful beach. Take some time and relax there.
Written September 27, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Kahana Bay Beach Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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