Heeia State Park

Located in Kaneohe on the windward shore of the island of Oahu, He’eia State Park - also known as Keʻalohi Point or Ka Lae O Kealohi - is an 18-acre state park that has a beige sand beach. He’eia State Park is situated on an elevated peninsula overlooking the calm waters of Kaneohe Bay, between the Heʻeia Fish Pond and Heʻeia Kea small boat harbor, and offers an Instagram-worthy view of the Koolau Mountains. Ancient Hawaiians named this park "Ka Lae O Kealohi", which means "the point of shimmering light" in the Hawaiian language. Interestingly, in traditional Hawaiian culture, He'eia State Park was regarded as a "leaping point," a sacred place where the souls of the deceased were thought to leap into the afterlife. He'eia State Park is managed by a local non-profit called Kama'aina Kids.

Although He’eia State Park does not have lifeguards, it offers many other amenities including picnic tables, picnic pavilions, benches, restrooms, drinking water fountains, paved walking paths, and trash cans. In addition, the park has an oceanfront banquet hall that hosts cultural and social events on a rental basis and can accommodate up to 300 guests. Dogs are not allowed here, but He’eia State Park is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 

He’eia State Park offers many fun activities including sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, canoeing, paddling, and scuba diving. If you are planning to go in the water near the beach, He’eia State Park has a large coral reef that forms a shallow lagoon offshore, and the warm temperature and calm conditions make it an ideal spot for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Snorkelers can explore coral reefs, and see a large variety of colorful tropical fish, as well as Hawaiian marine life. The He'eia State Park is open to the public for self-guided walking tours and also offers a free guided tour by calling 808-235-6509 or emailing info@heeiastatepark.org. The tour takes around 30 minutes and offers a unique insight into the local biodiversity. He’eia State Park is a great place for visitors to unwind and enjoy the tranquil surroundings, especially at sunset. In addition, He’eia State Park offers watersports programs including kayak tours, catamaran tours, snorkel tours, or combination tours certified by the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaii. Another popular activity is paddling to the Kaneohe Bay Sandbar, also known as Ahu O Laka - which is a three-acre ridge of sand built up by currents in coastal waters that are almost always between waist and ankle-deep and are located a few miles offshore. Visitors can book a tour with Captain Bob’s Picnic Sail, which offers boat tours to the sandbar.

Getting to He’eia State Park is easy - the park has a paid parking lot located at 46-465 Kamehameha Highway and provides easy access to the beach.

There are many attractions near He’eia State Park. Byodo-In-Temple is a Buddhist temple located at the foot of the Ko'olau Mountains that is a replica of the Byodo-in Temple in Uji, Japan. It welcomes people of all faiths to worship, meditate, or simply appreciate its beauty. The temple is surrounded by lush green grounds and is home to wild peacocks and hundreds of Japanese koi carp. The beautiful grounds include a large reflecting pond, meditation niches, and small waterfalls. The temple is featured in many TV series, and in 2019, National Geographic featured the Byodo-In Temple in "20 of the World’s Most Beautiful Buddhist Temples.” Kualoa Ranch is a 4,000-acre private nature reserve with a working cattle ranch and a popular filming location. It offers many guided tours and experiences including Hollywood movie site tours, multi-passenger ATV Raptor tours, horseback riding tours, Jurassic jungle expeditions, secret island beach adventures, Jurassic valley zip lines, electric mountain biking, ocean voyage adventure rides, and the Aloha Aina tour. The ranch has forests, grasslands, and mountainous trails that offer amazing views of the landscape. If you are looking for another attraction near He’eia State Park, Ala Moana Regional Park - also known as Ala Moana Beach Park - is a 100-acre park that has a golden sand beach - the park has many amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, beach showers, a yacht club, picnic tables, benches, barbeque grills, tennis courts, three concession stands, a music pavilion stage, grassy areas, walking paths, and a free parking lot. The park also offers many fun activities including surfing, beachcombing, swimming, fishing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing, picnicking, and tennis.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near He’eia State Park, Haleiwa Joe's Haiku Gardens is an upscale seafood restaurant that serves incredible waffles, biscuits and gravy, burgers, salads, shrimp, barbecued ribs, teriyaki, and dessert. Chile Relleno serves incredible Mexican dishes including enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, salsa, fajitas, burritos, tacos, tamales, tortillas, and steaks. Kualoa Grill serves lunch and breakfast dishes including omelettes, eggs, pancakes, loco moco, sandwiches, burgers, shrimp, and poultry dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near He’eia State Park, the modestly priced Uncle Bobo’s serves amazing soups, salads, sandwiches, teriyaki, steaks, quesadillas, burritos, barbecued ribs, and smoothies.

If you are looking for a hotel near He’eia State Park, there are many great nearby options. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Aston Waikiki Sunset is 28 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a pool, a convenience store, laundry facilities, a sauna, a tennis court, a picnic area with barbecue grills, and a complimentary DVD library. A more affordable hotel is the 3.5 Star Paradise Bay Resort which offers many amenities including a fitness center, a hot tub, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, and complimentary yoga classes. Another moderately priced option is the 3-Star Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach which offers many amenities including a 24-hour cafe, a fitness center, a pool, a laundry service, lei making sessions, complimentary breakfast, and beach equipment and water sporting equipment rental facility. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near He’eia State Park, the modestly priced 2-Star Best Western The Plaza Hotel offers an outdoor pool, a hot tub, a fitness center, an American restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.