Kualoa Regional Park

Stopped by here on recent visit to Oahu. Like everyone says, it’s a beautiful park… great spot for picnic.
I do have a question though, I have heard that this is a great place to fly kites but I thought I saw a sign there that said ‘No Kiting’. For sure there were no kites the day I was there. Does anyone know if there indeed kite restrictions? Maybe it meant kitesurfing.

Beach was beyond beautiful. Even when we visited it while is was extremely windy; it was still pleasant. It’s more like a hidden gem if you want to get away from the touristy beaches. Bit of s drive so be sure to rent s car. From what our tour guide stated the bus is never on time out in those parts.

This was a really nice stop on our trip around the island. The views are just amazing. I could not imagine living near here and waking up every day to see these amazing views. Now that would be Living the Dream! The stop is really convenient as the parking is plentiful. We did a short walk up to take in the view from the parking area.
We were all just amazed at the beauty that lay before us. Being a former sailor I have had the pleasure of seeing many beautiful Islands and amazing views but this was still very impressive. Hawaii is a special place and Kualoa plays a large part in adding to the mystique of Oahu. I hadn’t been this north on the windward side of Oahu before, The furthest I had been previously was Bellows AF base. The drive up was pleasant and kind of cool as we passed by the local community just south of Kualoa setting up for the Christmas parade. The streets were lined with kids and parents anxiously awaiting the start of the parade. We got lucky and passed through just before the start of the parade.
Living in the dessert truly makes me appreciate the beauty the coasts have to offer. Seeing all of the water and cool sights that go along with the beautiful Hawaiian coastline was a special treat. I did the driving and was truly happy with taking in this unique location. Well worth the trip up on the way to the North Shore. Not the most direct route to the North Shore but it gives you a chance to take more things in heading this direction.

This park is absolutely beautiful. If you have time this side of the island is a must see. Every time we come to Oahu we make sure to come out here. And it’s so huge with tons of parking that it still feels like you have your space and aren’t overcrowded with tourists. At least in the winter.

Kualoa Regional Park was one of my favorite spots on the entire island. Plenty of parking and lots of space to roam. Be sure to snap the obligitory photo with «Chinaman’s Hat» in the background (everyone is doing it don’t ya know)? If you’re heading to the North Shore, be sure to add Kualoa to the itinerary.

This park is mainly known for being a great camp site. It is also a tourist attraction because of its proximity to the landmark, «Chinaman’s Hat», which is also known as Mokoli’i Island. (Mokoli’i is «little lizard» in the Hawaiian language.) Chinaman’s Hat used to be a part of the island of Oahu, but because of erosion, it has become a separate entity. It’s name comes from the cone-​shaped straw hat that some laborers wear as protection from the sun.
Kualoa Park, in the Kaaawa area, is about a 45 minute drive from Honolulu, so it’s in a rather rural area. You would be driving through heavily vegetated (and sometimes narrow) winding roads at water’s edge to get to this remote park. It’s very spacious, green, and flat with a sandy beach at the border. There’s lots of free parking and some picnic tables with benches. Hours of Operation are usually from 7am — 8pm if you do not have a camping permit.
Swimming is not encouraged as there are signs posted to warn visitors of the strong ocean currents. However, at low tide, people have waded in waist deep water to get to Chinaman’s Hat. Other people kayak to Mokoli’i Island and go hiking there.
Personally, I just go to this park for the serenity and the cool photo ops! (See attached pictures.) So, if you want some peace and quiet, this is your place — enjoy!

Kualoa is a beautiful spot for tent camping. You can get permits on
for any of the state parks. We used area 25: right on the beach with clear water and a fabulous view of chinaman’s hat.
There are bathrooms and water available there as well as places to dispose of your trash.
As with many outdoor areas in HI, there were definitely people who didn’t clean up after themselves and you saw trash around. C’mon people: take care of your beaches!
During low tide, a sandy area of beach is exposed– perfect for laying around or for kids to play on. Bring boards and you can easily paddle out to Chinaman’s hat.
There were people having fun at night but no one was too loud… The perfect camping environment!

Stopped by for a few hours on the drive to Waialua. Spent most of the time stalking the beautiful birds to try and get the perfect picture. Then watched the miniature crabs run away from the tide and dig a hole to hide. Found a few campsite’s with grass along the shore. However I’d prefer to camp in a mini RV (not sure if they allow them) as the trash cans smelled and the restrooms were closed. If they cleaned up the place on a regular basis it would definitely be a 5 star place.
Looks like it’s a popular scenic stop, as I look around and see numerous people posing for and taking loads of pictures like me.
This park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role as a training ground for chiefs in ancient times. Just offshore of Kualoa Beach Park is the islet of Mokolii (Little Lizard), which is also known s Chinaman’s Hat and is now a bird preserve. During low tide when conditions are calm you can swim or wade out to its small beach. According to Hawaiian legend Mokolii islet was formed when the goddess Hiiaka conquered the lizard Mokolii whose tail became the islet, which was later called Papale Pake (China Hat) by Chinese immigrants who arrived in Hawaii to work on sugar plantations.
Aloha Hawaii
The site is popular with watchers of wetland birds, such as the Japanese white-​eye, Red-​crested cardinal, White-​rumped shama, Black-​crowned night heron, Black-​necked stilt, Nutmeg mannikin, Black noddy, Wedge-​tailed shearwater, White-​tailed tropicbird, Red-​tailed tropicbird, Common myna, Common waxbill, Cattle egret and a variety of others.
Wikipedia

Water’s murky so I’m curious about another Unilocaler’s comments about the «sapphire blue water». Yeah, it’s blue but always murky. So much so that while snorkeling here (which sux due to the shallowness and murkiness) me and a ginormous turtle almost swam into each other. He boogied as soon as he saw me. But, decent beach, nice grounds, dirty toilets but there is a shower. Great location to walk to Chinaman’s Hat (for a later review). Lots of parking and other than the weekend campers, this place isn’t too crowded on the beach. Beware, the water is really shallow, hence why you can (and I did) walk to Chinaman’s Hat island, so swimming and snorkeling aren’t recommended here.

We absolutely love this park. We haven’t found another one on Oahu that has both, a mountain backdrop and a beach. Additionally you get a remarkable view of the Mokoli’i Island (aka Chinaman’s Hat). We like to take our dog and let her romp throughout the park. Pack sandwiches and enjoy the awesome view, but you’ll have to decide: mountains or beach. Hmmm? What a nice problem to have. See you at the park.

So pretty!
Not a lot of tourists. Really chill place to enjoy the scenery and beautiful water. Check out the «Chinaman’s Hat.» Plenty of parking is available and there are restrooms, however they are not all that clean. Just sit back and enjoy the view.

I do love visiting my favorite beaches on the Island; however, this was my first time here and I think it’s a nice place. It is a ways out of the way for us to go to, so I don’t see it so special to make another trip there in the near future though once we have our baby, we will be taking trips everywhere with the baby and this is one of them.

Five stars for the view of the sapphire blue water and sandy beach, not to mention China Man’s Hat and Turtle Rock islands. One star for beach upkeep. Homeless tents, busted bathrooms, scattering of trash.
A definite must-​see if visiting Oahu. Great place for panoramic views (and photo ops) and also quiet beach space for lounging, conversation, picnics, and lazy days beside the shore.
My favorite beach next to Makapu’u. Gentle shore waves also make it family-​friendly.

Decided to stop here for a swim but quickly realized that the beach is rocky. Beautiful water but didn’t get to enjoy it.

Fav place for picnics, camping and partying.
The view of Chinaman’s hat is classic, so relaxing and a fond childhood memory. Sandy beach and great grassy areas!
Oh and remember to face the majestic mountains for a breathtaking view.
Egrets galore (white, tall birds).
Kualoa ranch across the way.
We enjoy the fun vibe on the weekends and serenity on the weekdays.

From the bus this place looked incredible so we had to stop!
PROS:
— vast green fields
— plenty of parking
— restrooms
— showers
— nice view of mountains
— great view of «Chinaman’s hat»
— doesn’t get too crowded
— HUGE!
CONS
— rocky ocean floor
— murky water
— pokey grass
— dirty restrooms
— rusty showers
I like this place just not for swimming. Too rocky for me. I might head back to swim to Chinaman’s hat though!
If you’re looking for a quiet beach to have a romantic picnic alone but still be within an earshot of some people this is your spot! If you want a nice soft sand beach to swim, maybe try Waimea Bay or Kailua. If you want a beach to be alone alone, go to a secret beach of your choosing. ;-)

Gray spot whenever I crave going to chinamans hat for a view. We have camped here a couple of times and it’s always been pleasant at our campsite! The people are all pretty friendly and nice and the bathrooms are usually stocked with toilet paper and doesn’t get a gross as the other places.
The water is pretty rocky and not as pretty as other places but it’s quite peaceful and I rather enjoy camping here! oh yeah, and you will want water shoes. In the morning it’s usually calmest so you can even walk to Chinamans Hat but for the sake of the coral please don’t just snorkel instead.
The site gate closes at 8 so if you don’t get out before 8 you will be camping whether you like it or not.

My go-​to beach.
It’s a great place to bring the dog (on a leash), and children. My kid loves it because there aren’t any waves making it easy to run in & out of the water.
One can easily kayak or paddle board from the shore to Chinamans Hat (the interesting island easily seen from the shoreline). I have kayaked there from the far right corner of the beach park before sunset, climbed to the top & back down of the Hat (barefoot — not recommended!), & kayaked back all within 1.5 hours.
A monk seal has even swam right up to us, while we were floating in the water. It popped his head up to check us out & continued swimming. Then he beached himself for a quick nap. It was an amazing sight!

Kualoa Park is a must to stop over when driving around the island. Parking is plenty early in the day and you get to view Chinaman’s Hat. Its a fun photo op of the views and posing with Chinaman’s Hat.
The beach is clean and bathrooms are available. I hear camping is also available at this park.

So I never venture to this side of the island because it seems every time I do, it rains and it’s windy and it makes me cold, brrr! However, I do have a Hawaii bucket list and China Man’s Hat was on that list. Of course it rained, and it was windy, and I got cold, but I was fortunate that we were blessed with periodic moments of sun. It’s so different from the Leeward side of the island. It’s very green and the mountain ranges are a site to behold. This is an excellent place to take pictures because of the aforementioned. In fact, while we were there, there were many «photo sessions» going on and several tourists stopping by getting off of their busses and rental cars to take a quixkie shot in front of the «hat».
The park itself is very spacious with a lot of parking and grass to run around. There’s not much beach due to erosion and the water is somewhat murky. I’ve heard that during low tide you can walk over to the hat, but you definitely want to get your timing right so you don’t get stuck when the tide comes in. I saw a lot of people kayaking or paddle boarding over. The water wasn’t rough at all, but my kids had more fun climbing the nearby trees than playing in the water. Maybe that’s because there are a lot of rocks and debris on the shoreline. There are bathrooms with showers nearby. So glad I got to check this one off, because it was definitely worth taking the drive out to Kaneohe.