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Places & parks in Hawaiʻi

23 checked entries, each with sources and the date it was last checked.

Hawaiʻi Island

• Hāpuna Beach State Recreation AreaHawaiʻi Island · One of Hawaiʻi Island's widest white-sand beaches, on the Kohala Coast about 30 minutes north of the Kona airport. It has lifeguards, but...
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National ParkHawaiʻi Island · Home of Kīlauea, which has been erupting in episodes of lava fountaining inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater since December 23, 2024 (Episode 55 was...
• ʻAkaka Falls State ParkHawaiʻi Island · An easy 0.4-mile rainforest loop north of Hilo to 442-foot ʻAkaka Falls. Open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; non-residents pay $5 per person and $10...
• Kahaluʻu Beach Park (Kona snorkeling)Hawaiʻi Island · Kona's easiest beginner snorkel spot, on Aliʻi Drive about 5 miles south of Kailua-Kona. A shallow reef keeps the bay calm most days and...
• Mauna Kea summit and Visitor Information StationHawaiʻi Island · Mauna Kea's free Visitor Information Station sits at 9,200 feet, open about 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. You need 4WD to drive past it, the summit...
• Punaluʻu Black Sand BeachHawaiʻi Island · Hawaiʻi Island's best-known black-sand beach, in Kaʻū between Volcano and South Point. Green sea turtles often rest on the sand: stay at...
• Richardson Ocean Park (Hilo snorkeling and swimming)Hawaiʻi Island · The Hilo side's most reliable snorkel and swim spot: a black-sand cove sheltered by a lava breakwater, about four miles east of downtown on...
• Two Step (Hōnaunau Bay) snorkelingHawaiʻi Island · One of Hawaiʻi Island's best snorkel spots: a lava-shelf entry at the Hōnaunau Bay boat ramp, next to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National...
• Waipiʻo Valley: lookout and access rulesHawaiʻi Island · The road into Waipiʻo Valley has been closed to visitors since February 2022, and an emergency rule signed July 1, 2026 keeps it limited to...

Kauaʻi

• Hāʻena State Park and the Kalalau TrailKauaʻi · North Shore park with Keʻe Beach and the Kalalau Trailhead. Out-of-state visitors must reserve day passes at gohaena.com. It reopened in...
• Waimea Canyon State ParkKauaʻi · West Kauaʻi's huge red-rock canyon. After Hurricane Lowell, only the Waimea Canyon Lookout reopened (from October 24, 2026, daylight...

Lānaʻi

• Hulopoʻe Bay and Puʻu Pehe (Sweetheart Rock), LānaʻiLānaʻi · Lānaʻi's best beach, Hulopoʻe Bay, is a protected marine area with clear water and reef for snorkeling, right near the Mānele ferry dock. A...
• Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods) and Polihua, LānaʻiLānaʻi · Keahiakawelo is a field of red, orange and purple rock formations about 4 miles from Lānaʻi City on Polihua Road. The first 1.3 miles are...

Maui

• Haleakalā sunrise reservationsMaui · Watching sunrise from Haleakalā National Park (3:00 to 7:00 a.m. entry) requires a vehicle reservation on Recreation.gov, plus a park...
• ʻĪao Valley State MonumentMaui · Home of the ʻĪao Needle in Central Maui. Out-of-state visitors need advance reservations for entry and parking. Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Waiʻānapanapa State ParkMaui · Black-sand beach park on the Road to Hāna. Non-residents must reserve a time slot in advance or they will be turned away. Opens 7 a.m...

Molokaʻi

• Kalaupapa: the lookout and the paused toursMolokaʻi · Kalaupapa is the remote peninsula below Molokaʻi's sea cliffs where thousands of people with Hansen's disease (leprosy) were forcibly...

Oʻahu

• Diamond Head State Monument (Lēʻahi)Oʻahu · Popular crater hike in Honolulu. Non-residents must reserve entry and parking in advance; Hawaiʻi residents with ID enter free. Open 6 a.m...
• Hanauma Bay Nature PreserveOʻahu · Protected marine preserve and popular snorkeling bay in East Oʻahu. Advance reservations are required, it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays...
• Honolulu ZooOʻahu · No reservation is needed for the Honolulu Zoo; just arrive between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (grounds close at 4 p.m.). It's at Kapahulu and...
• Pearl Harbor National Memorial and USS Arizona MemorialOʻahu · Admission is free, but USS Arizona Memorial program tickets should be reserved on Recreation.gov ($1 reservation fee). No bags are allowed...
• Sandy Beach ParkOʻahu · Southeast Oʻahu beach known for a powerful shorebreak, nicknamed "Broke Neck Beach" because waves breaking in shallow water cause serious...
• Waikīkī AquariumOʻahu · No reservation is needed: buy tickets at the door or online. The Waikīkī Aquarium, run by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is open daily...