White Sands – Magic Sands Beach Park
Home to the annual Magic Sands Bodysurfing Championship, White Sands Beach Park is a versatile Hawaiian beach with easy access to surfing, swimming, and snorkeling opportunities.
Hookena Beach Park Overview
Located South of Kailua-Kona, on the west side of the Big Island, Hookena Beach Park is a favorite beach to many locals. Due to community efforts and management, Hookena Beach Park is regarded as one of the island’s best beaches for camping, swimming, snorkeling and boogie boarding. Set at the northern end of Kauhako Bay, Hookena Beach is bordered by sea cliffs. Its beach is comprised of fine fragments of black and white sand, blending to a dark steel-gray tone, which can get warm so make sure to bring flip-flops. There is good snorkeling on both ends of the beach and good swimming on the south end, where the bottom is sandier.
Hookena History
During the 1880’s Hookena Beach Park, was an important inter-island steamship mooring site progressing into a busy trading village, with a wharf, school, courthouse, livery stable and even jail. With the advancement of cars and trucks, the inter-island steamers became obsolete. Later in the 1930’s when storms and high surf destroyed the landing at Hookena, many villagers moved away from the unpredictable shoreline and settled upland for better highway access.
Friends of Hookena Beach Park
Today local residents have united on the preservation of cultural and natural resources of this area through a non-profit organization called the Friends of Hookena Beach Park (FOHBP). Their primary objective is to develop a sustainable micro-enterprise that provides employment opportunities for community members, returning management of Hookena Beach Park to the community. With that mission, in May 2007, the County of Hawaii signed an agreement to transfer management supervision of the park to FOHBP. The agreement required that the revenues be used to maintain the park and park security via the “Aloha Patrol”.
Camping Information
Camp Hookena offers clean and spacious sites on the beach for tent camping (by permit only). Bookings must be made at least 72 hours in advance of the reservation. Adult camping rates for residents is $6 and for visitors is $21. To receive Hawaii Resident Rates, each person in the party will be required to show proof of Hawaii residency (Hawaii Drivers’ License or Hawaii State ID), or out of State visitor rates will be payable at that time.
Directions to the Beach Park
Drive south on Hwy 11 from Kailua-Kona for about 20 miles until you pass the 102 mile marker. Look for Ho’okena Beach Road on the right side of the highway and turn right when you reach it. You will follow this road for about 2.5 miles before you reach the park. When you near the end of the road, take a left down the narrow one lane road, to the dirt parking lot.
Hookena Beach Park Amenities
Concession Stand with ice, food, cold drinks, ice cream, camping and beach supplies (credit cards accepted)
Outdoor showers
County restroom facilities
Camping
Parking
Picnic tables
No pets allowed
