Facility Overview
Situated along the rugged volcanic shoreline of North Kona, the Public Beach Parking lot at Kohanaiki Beach Park (popularly known to locals and surfers as \'Pine Trees\') offers direct, convenient shoreline access in Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. This open-air surface parking lot provides organized stalls surrounded by native coastal vegetation, restored anchialine ponds, and dramatic black lava fields. Because the facility is entirely open-sky with no multi-level decks or overhead canopies, it features unlimited vertical clearance. This makes it an ideal stop for standard passenger sedans, lifted 4x4 pickup trucks, full-size SUVs loaded with beach gear, conversion vans, and vehicles equipped with roof-mounted surfboards or kayak racks.
Prime Location & Nearby Attractions
This coastal parking facility serves as the primary gateway to several natural, cultural, and recreational highlights along the West Hawaii coastline:
- Kohanaiki Beach Park & \'Pine Trees\' Surf Break: Steps away from the parking stalls, renowned among local surfers, bodyboarders, and ocean enthusiasts for consistent reef breaks and tide pools.
- Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail: A historic 175-mile coastal trail corridor that traverses right past the beach park, perfect for shoreline hiking and observing preserved cultural petroglyphs and heiau sites.
- Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park: Located just a 5-minute drive south, offering rich glimpses of ancient Hawaiian aquaculture, sacred temples, and sea turtle basking grounds.
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA): Situated approximately 10 minutes (under 5 miles) north along Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway, making this lot a favorite scenic first or last stop for island travelers.
- Historic Kailua Village (Aliʻi Drive): About 10 to 12 minutes south, featuring oceanfront dining, craft breweries, shopping centers, and Kailua Pier.
Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity
Reaching the parking area is straightforward from Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway (Route 19), the primary north-south arterial corridor of West Hawaii. Motorists turn makai (toward the ocean) onto Hulikoa Drive, descending through the lava landscape along a smooth, paved public access road that leads directly to the shoreline turnaround and parking bays. Ingress and egress are wide and clearly signposted. While regional Hele-On Bus transit routes service Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway, beachgoers primarily rely on personal cars, rental vehicles, or rideshare pickups due to the distance from the highway down to the water\'s edge.
Facility Amenities & Key Features
- Spacious, paved open-air surface parking bays with unobstructed vertical clearance.
- Dedicated accessible (ADA) parking spaces with paved ramp pathways to shoreline facilities.
- Modern public restrooms with outdoor freshwater showers and foot-rinse stations.
- Shaded picnic pavilions, tables, and oceanfront community gathering benches.
- Waste disposal bins and recycling receptacles to support reef and beach preservation.
- Direct trail access to coastal pathways and protected anchialine pond ecosystems.
- 100% free public parking provided through county and public shoreline access agreements.
Ideal For
- Surfers & Watersport Lovers: Easy unloading of longboards, shortboards, and snorkeling equipment within seconds of the waterline.
- Airport Transit Visitors: Travelers heading to or from KOA Airport who want an authentic, scenic Kona beach break without driving deep into downtown traffic.
- Hikers & Trail Walkers: Those walking sections of the historic Ala Kahakai Trail.
- Sunset Enthusiasts: Visitors and local families seeking pristine, panoramic ocean views of Kona\'s world-famous golden hour.
Visitor & Driver Tips
The access road and park are secured by gates that open around 5:30 AM and lock promptly at 9:00 PM; be sure to exit before closing time to avoid being gated in overnight. Parking spaces fill rapidly on weekends, holidays, and days with strong ocean swells, so arriving before 9:00 AM or in the late afternoon is recommended. As with all public shoreline lots across Hawaii, always secure personal belongings, keep valuables out of plain view inside locked vehicles, and use reef-safe mineral sunscreen to protect the fragile marine habitat.
