Laupahoehoe Beach County Park

Located along the Hamakua Coast on the eastern side of the Big Island, Laupahoehoe Beach County Park is a peninsula with a rocky shoreline.  This beach features many smooth pāhoehoe lava rocks, steep sea cliffs, and nearby lush green vegetation that offer Instagram-worthy views of the coast, especially during sunset.  The name of the beach, "Laupahoehoe," means "leaf of lava" in the Hawaiian language.  In the 1800s, Lauphoehoe was a sugarcane, taro, and fishing community.  The peaceful village of Lauphoehoe was turned into a bustling plantation town with the establishment of the Ladd & Co. sugar plantation.  Lauphoehoe was a prosperous community with a consolidated railroad and a shipping harbor until April 1, 1946, when three catastrophic tsunamis struck the peninsula in succession.  The tsunami swept away many homes and the schoolhouse.  Unfortunately, the powerful waves killed 159 people, including 23 schoolchildren and four teachers.  A monument has been built on the site of the school in memory of those who lost their lives in this dreadful natural calamity. 

Laupahoehoe Beach County Park does not have lifeguards but offers many other amenities including restrooms, showers, picnic tables, picnic areas, large pavilions, campsites, barbecue grill facilities, drinking water, and a boat ramp.  Dogs are allowed on the beach if they are on a leash, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset. 

Laupahoehoe Beach County Park offers many fun activities including swimming, snorkeling, fishing, surfing, picnicking, boating, tidepooling, flying kites, and camping.  If you are planning to go into the water near the beach, swimming and snorkeling are not recommended, as the water here is known to have pounding waves and unpredictable rip currents.  If you enjoy surfing, the northern part of Laupahoehoe Beach County Park is a great place to go surfing due to its frequently windy weather, and the water is so clear that one can see the reef beneath the surfboard.  Laupahoehoe Beach County Park is an excellent beach for relaxing, flying kites, picnicking, and watching pounding waves.  If you like tidepooling, there are tide pools near the beach that can be explored during low tide.  It is an ideal fishing spot as there is a manmade concrete breakwater that shields a small boat ramp, which offers amazing fishing opportunities.  Visitors can book fishing chartersto enjoy sport fishing, but please make sure that you are in compliance with the local fishing regulations.  It is an ideal camping spot as it offers several amenities, including picnic tables, restrooms, and showers.  There are 45 campsites available for which campers have to obtain a permit.  The cost of camping for Hawaii residents is $6 per person, and a non-resident permit is $21 per person. Camping permits can be purchased online.  In addition, Laupahoehoe Beach County Park is perfect for visitors seeking a quiet experience as this beach sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.

Getting to Laupahoehoe Beach County Park is easy -  the beach has a free paved parking lot located near 36-1047 Lauphoehoe Point Road, which is easily accessible by Mamalahoa Highway 19.  After parking, you will need to walk a few minutes to the beach.

There are many attractions near Laupahoehoe Beach County Park.  Liliuokalani Gardens is a 30-acre park named after Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani.  It was built in 1917 as a tribute to Hawaii's first Japanese immigrants who toiled in the island of Hawaii's sugar cane fields.  This park features Edo-styled gardens, arched bridges over koi ponds, rock gardens, pagodas, Japanese stone lanterns, and a Japanese teahouse.  In addition, it offers Instagram-worthy views of Hilo Bay and Mokuola (Coconut Island).  Hawaiian Tropical Bioreserve & Garden is located on Onomea Bay and features streams, waterfalls, and a boardwalk along the ocean.  It is home to over 2,000 species of tropical native Hawaiian plants and several endangered rainforest species from around the globe, including palms (nearly 200 species), heliconias (more than 80 species), and bromeliads (more than 80 species).  In addition, there are some mango, banana, and coconut palm trees that are over a century old.  If you are looking for another attraction near Laupahoehoe Beach County Park, Laupahoehoe Train Museum offers an interesting insight into the history of the railroads on the island of Hawaii through photographs, railroad artifacts, and related memorabilia.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Laupahoehoe Beach County Park.  Coconut Grill is an upscale American restaurant that serves amazing omelets, sandwiches, waffles, coco moco, French toast, pancakes, salads, steaks, burgers, shrimp, and flatbreads.  Pineapples Island French Cuisine serves incredible sandwiches, burgers, sandwiches, soup, salads, pasta, rib-eye steak, nachos, and dessert.  In addition, it serves gluten-free and vegan dishes.  Gramma’s Kitchen serves amazing hamburgers, eggs, loco moco, french toast, pancakes, katsu, steak, shrimp, pork, and poultry dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Laupahoehoe Beach County Park, the modestly priced Coba serves pizzas, nachos, salas, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales, steak, pork, and poultry dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Laupahoehoe Beach County Park, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for an upscale oceanfront hotel, the 4-Star Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo - a DoubleTree by Hilton is 41 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a golf course, an outdoor pool with a sundeck, a restaurant, and a fitness center.  A more affordable hotel is the 3.5-Star Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel which offers many amenities including an outdoor pool with a fresh water pool with a sundeck, a salon, a fitness center, and a restaurant.  Another moderately priced option is the 3-Star Hilo Reeds Bay Hotel which offers a few amenities including an outdoor pool and a swimming pool.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Laupahoehoe Beach County Park, the modestly priced 2-Star  Wild Ginger Hotel offers a few amenities including a complimentary Hawaiian-style continental breakfast.