Sand Island State Beach Park

Located on a very small island named Sand Island, Sand Island State Recreation Area – also called Sand Island Beach Park - is a state-managed recreational area that has two unnamed light brown sand beaches.  One of the beaches in Sand Island State Recreation is long and has some rocky portions, while the other beach is relatively smaller and crescent-shaped.  Sand Island State Recreation Area is situated near the Honolulu Harbor in the city of Honolulu. The smaller beach in Sand Island State Recreation Area has rocky breakwaters in the water near it.  Sand Island State Recreation Area was used as a coastal defense military installation during World War Two, and it still has remnants of concrete bunkers and lookout towers.  In addition, Sand Island was also used as a temporary internment spot for Japanese-American citizens during World War II.  The beaches on Sand Island are known to have significant deposits of sea glass. 

Although Sand Island State Recreation Area does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including picnic pavilions, picnic tables, restrooms, showers, walking paths, nearby baseball fields, and water fountains.  Dogs are not allowed in the Sand Island State Recreation Area. 

Sand Island State Recreation Area offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, wildlife watching, snorkeling, fishing,  swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, canoeing, water-skiing, surf-skiing, paddleboarding, jet-skiing, and boating.  The water near Sand Island State Recreation Area offers fairly manageable waves, which makes it ideal for less experienced swimmers - the water near the smaller beach in Sand Island State Recreation Area is more ideal for complete beginner swimmers as the nearby breakwaters ensure that the water is calm.  The water near Sand Island State Recreation Area also offers fun surfing waves, usually during summers.  However, if you are planning to swim or surf in the water near Sand Island State Recreation Area, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have a rocky bottom, along with unpredictable rip currents and rogue waves.  The water near Sand Island State Recreation Area also has sewer pipelines, and the water here is also frequently used by boats, which makes water activities unsafe here.  It is also important to note that swimming is prohibited in certain parts of the water near Sand Island State Recreation Area.  The water near Sand Island State Recreation Area is a great fishing spot and you can see many local fishermen fishing here.  However, if you are planning to fish at Sand Island State Recreation Area, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations – these regulations can be found on the website of the Division of Aquatic Resources (which is a part of the State of Hawai’i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources). 

The beaches in Sand Island State Recreation Area also offer excellent Instagram-worthy views of the nearby neighborhood of Waikiki, a nearby volcanic crater named Diamond Head, and the Honolulu International Airport.  In addition, you can also view large watercraft entering and exiting the nearby Honolulu Harbor.  If you like beachcombing, you can comb the beaches in Sand Island State Recreation Area for interesting and beautiful sea glass pieces.  Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Sand Island State Recreation Area including sea turtles and migrating whales - sea turtles are protected under a law named the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and harming them can result in a fine of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment.  Sand Island State Recreation Area also has campgrounds visitors can camp between Fridays and Sundays. If you are planning to camp in Sand Island State Recreation Area, you can visit the recreation area’s webpage on the website of the Division of State Parks (which is a part of the state of Hawaii’s  Department of Land and Natural Resources) for more information regarding camping charges and rules.  You can also explore the World War II - era military installations in Sand Island State Recreation Area, which offer a unique insight into the local history.  However, it is important to note that climbing atop these military structures is forbidden and unsafe due to their dilapidated condition and historical status

Getting to Sand Island State Recreation Area is easy – from Interstate H-1, you need to turn towards another two-lane highway called North Nimitz Highway (a part of Hawaii Route 92).  From North Nimitz Highway, you need to turn towards Sand Island Access Road.  Sand Island Access Road will eventually merge into Sand Island Parkway.  Sand Island Parkway will lead you to the entrance to Sand Island State Recreation Area.  A free parking lot is also available in Sand Island State Recreation Area, and you can easily walk to both of the state-managed recreational area’s beaches from the parking lot.  Sand Island State Recreation Area is open between 7:00 am to 6:45 pm.  

There are many attractions near Sand Island State Recreation Area.  ‘Iolani Palace is a National Historic Landmark and is the only official state residence of royalty in the United States - this beautiful 19tcentury palace has unique European architectural influences.  The palace offers a unique insight into the history of Hawaii and it also has regalia belonging to Hawaiian nobility - you can explore the palace’s premises via guided and self-guided tours.  Foster Botanical Garden is a 14-acre botanical garden that has a wide variety of plants including orchards, plants species used for economic purposes (including dyes and poisons), palms, and heliconias and it also has a descendant of the Bodhi Tree (the tree under which the Buddha meditated to gain inspiration) - the garden also has many memorials and scultipes including the Daibutsu of Kamakura (which commemorates 100 years of Japanese immigration into Hawaii) and a 1977 abstract ceramic sculpture named 'Sandwich Isle'  that was made by artist Bob Flint.  The garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Hawaii (it is also a part of the United States National Register of Historic Places) and you can also see many kinds of birds here including Brazilian cardinals, red-vented bulbul, and zebra doves.  If you are looking for another attraction near Sand Island State Recreation Area, Aloha Tower is an immensely popular tower that is 10 stories tall and was initially built as a lighthouse tower in the 1920s.  This beautiful tower is built in the Hawaiian-gothic architectural style and its tenth floor has an observation deck, which offers visitors an amazing view of the Oahu shoreline.  The area around this tower has the Aloha Tower Marketplace, which offers many fun restaurants and shopping stores.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Sand Island State Recreation Area.  Senia is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing dishes which reflect a combination of Hawaiian, Regional American, and International culinary influences.  Fête is another upscale restaurant that serves amazing New American dishes with local Hawaiian culinary influences - the restaurant’s dishes are prepared from fresh and locally sourced ingredients.  The restaurant has also been praised by many publications including the HONOLULU magazine and the New York Times and it has also been praised by the James Beard Foundation. Helena’s Hawaiian Food is a popular restaurant that serves amazing Hawaiian dishes including pipikaula-style ribs, lomi-lomi salmon, and kalua pork.  This restaurant has also won the America’s Classics award for regional restaurants from the James Beard Foundation in 2000.   If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Sand Island State Recreation Area, Maria Bonita Restaurant offers amazing Mexican dishes including tacos and burritos.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sand Island State Recreation Area, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach is a 20-minute drive away and offers many amenities including a spa, three eateries, a 24-hour fitness center, and an 8th-floor infinity pool and private cabanas.  As another upscale hotel, the 4-Star Aston at the Executive Centre Hotel offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, a cocktail lounge, and a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Ala Moana Honolulu by Mantra which offers many amenities including multiple restaurants, a nightclub, a pool with a sundeck, a gym, a sauna, and a steam room.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Sand Island State Recreation Area, the 2-Star Pacific Marina Inn offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, a lobby lounge offering cocktails and appetizers, laundry facilities, complimentary morning coffee, and complimentary 24/7 airport shuttle service.  As another modestly priced hotel, the 2-Star Pagoda Waikiki offers a plant-filled central courtyard that has a pool and a sundeck.