Richardson Ocean Park(Richardson Beach)

Located in the town of Hilo, Richardson Ocean Park has a small, narrow, and black sand beach situated northeast of Hilo International Airport.  Also known as Richardson Beach, Richardson Ocean Park is filled with tourists as well as locals and is an awesome swimming, snorkeling, and surfing spot because of mid-sized waves currents.  

Richardson Ocean Park offers many amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, showers, and picnic tables.

There are many fun activities at Richardson Ocean Park including swimming, snorkeling, surfing, fishing, beachcombing, and paddleboarding. 

Getting to Richardson Ocean Park is very easy – the beach’s free parking lot is situated at 2355 Kalanianaole Street and provides easy access to the beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Richardson Ocean Park, you can drive 35 minutes to many nearby options. Kalahuipua'a Historic Park is an awesome fishing spot with petroglyphs, lava tube dwellings, trails, and fishponds from ancient times. If you like hiking, Holoholokai Beach Park has a long shoreline hiking trail that overlooks the ocean and is home to an excellent beach featuring black lava rocks mixed with white coral. The Village Course at Waikoloa is the second oldest golf course in Hawaii and was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. – it has a clubhouse restaurant and practice range. Another great golf course near Richardson Ocean Park is Hapuna Golf Course, an 18-hole golf course with beautiful Instagram-worthy views of Kohala Coast and Pacific Ocean on the front and Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Kohala Mountains in the back.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within a 15-minute drive of Richardson Ocean Park. The American restaurant Honoka’a Public House offers burgers, sandwiches, steak, salmon, soups, cocktails, desserts, and has a long martini list. If you like Italian food, Café il Mondo serves classic Italian dishes like Chicken Parmigiana and Fettuccine Alfredo, pasta, chicken, and beef dishes. Another good restaurant near Richardson Ocean Park is the Korean restaurant Harmoni Foods that has a nice menu including bulgogi, japchae, bibimbap, hoeddeok, and kimchi.

If you are looking for a hotel near Richardson Ocean Park, you can drive 25 minutes to nearby options. Fairmont Orchid - Hawaii is a 5-Star oceanfront hotel that offers a pool, spa, fitness center, six restaurants, 10 tennis courts, and two 18-hole golf courses. Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection is a luxurious 4-Star hotel that is situated in front of Mauna Kea Beach and has a pool, wine bar, grill, spa, fitness center, an 18-hole golf course, two airy restaurants, and 11 tennis courts. The Islands at Mauna Lani, a Destination by Hyatt Residence is a nice 3-Star hotel with a private beach, pool, bar, spa, gym, an oceanfront restaurant, and two championship golf courses. If you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Richardson Ocean Park, the 2-Star Kamuela Inn is situated in the heart of Parker Ranch, one of America’s largest cattle ranches.