Spencer State Beach Park

Great little beach for camping with HOT showers and BBQ grills for the family or alone! Security makes it even better to know your safe at night.

Not a good beach for playing in the water. The waves were very small and the beach was riddled with rocks and sinking sand. If you’re looking to camp and spend a lot of time watching a beach this is a great place. If you want to play in the water, go somewhere else.

Camping, snorkeling and a ¼ mile trail south of campsite leads to a great sandy beach.

SPENCER BEACH PARK:
Located on the south side of Puukohola Heiau.
There is a crowded camp site at the park.

A much quieter beach with shade and picnic tables. There is a bit of smooth rock while entering the water.
Not as touristy, but smaller.

Beautiful, calm, and nicely kept beach. Benches, showers, bathrooms, and shade readily available. Can’t wait to go back!

My kids really enjoy being at this beach. My son caught couple of baby sand crabs? At least that’s what i think they look like.
But it did get pretty windy the couple of times we were there. And as always the hubby cut his foot on the corals while snorkeling. But this beach has a lifeguard so that was a plus!
Only 4 stars because it was very windy and the beach is not that big. But other than that this beach is a must try just because you are there.

white sandy beach. kid friendly. gorgeous sunset spot.

We camped here with my boyfriend’s family for a weekend. It was a lot of fun, except for the fact that he got really sick almost as soon as we got there. That aside, it was a lot of fun. I’m not a big fan of camping by the beach, but this is the kind of camping I like. You have a pavilion that gets the best breeze and also has a few power outlets for whatever you need. The view is lovely from there too. Located in the pavilion are also bathrooms (yes!). There is also another set of restrooms across from where we were camped at which has showers. We just ended up using the outdoor shower with our bathing suits on.
I would recommend bringing a quick-​shade or some form of portable shade since there was none where we were. Also be sure to anchor your tent and quick-​shade down. We experienced some very strong freak winds that just picked up randomly.
Bring sunscreen!!! There is a lovely little beach that you can follow a trail to from the park and it is one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been to, other than Shipman Beach in Puna.
Great place with good camping amenities so you’re not roughing it too much.

I started out miserable– but it redeemed itself! Needed a place to camp. I got here late on a Saturday night so the whole neighborhood was there camping and partying. I had nowhere else to go and it was getting dark so we stayed. Worst nights sleep in decades! People were packed in like sardines, noisy as hell and no one had any concept of even basic campsite politeness. Tvs playing loud all night, spitting outside our tent was oddly common… We were ready to run away screaming in the morning. But when we finally rolled out of the tent it Sunday am. it was quiet and calm! We had the whole beach to ourselves. A lovely local man was standing on the balcony of the pavilion and pointed out so many animals to me I would have totally missed. Breeching whales! Sea turtles! Crabs! Fish! Octopus! No one was even watching them but us. Decided to go for a snorkel after all, and it was nice! Saw lots of animals, easy to swim and water was warm and calm. I’m jealous my husband swam with Honu– he evaded me in the water. Good place for kids and adults when its not crowded. Spencer Beach, you fooled me. I’ll be back to swim… I just won’t be back to camp. :)

We stopped by here on our way back from Akaka Falls (back to Kona) because of its reputation for honu swimming here.
As soon as I stepped into the water, got my snorkel on, and dunked my head inside, a big HONU swims right in front of me! YES!!! I swam a little more and found a smaller guy and followed him from the rocks on the south side to the middle of the beach. It was soooo nice.
Unless I was in the wrong place, I would not call it a white sand beach. It was a brown/​tan beach with small pebbles mixed in. The water was calm and shallow pretty far out, and the beach was pretty empty (it was a Tuesday afternoon).
I guess you can camp out here as there were tents to the north side of the beach. Not sure about permits, though. There was plenty of parking, bathrooms were clean, and there was a shower by the beach and some in the bathrooms as well. They also have a bunch of picnic tables so you can bring food and not have to worry about getting sand in it.
Very nice beach. Worth a stop if you’re close by (maybe not worth an hour drive from Kona considering other beaches that are closer).

Spencer Beach is perhaps the best family beach I’ve ever been to.
Copious shade, resort quality dressing rooms and showers, a calm beach with snorkeling, and a small section where you could boogie board. And the locals are friendly.

The beach I want to review is not actually Spencer Beach but one that is nearby. I suppose it’s somewhat interchangeable with Spencer Beach, but I’ve also heard it referred to as «69» beach as it’s right off of mile 69 (where Spencer Beach is located).
In order to get here, you need to go to Spencer Beach first. Once parked, you’ll notice a gate that leads off to a dusty, desert trail near the port-​o-​potties. Walk this trail for ten minutes until you see a small beach clearing. This hidden area looks just like Spencer Beach, but it’s much quieter and more secluded. It almost feels like your own private beach!
Soft, white sand. Calm waters. And very quiet. If you want to upgrade your Spencer Beach experience, take the few minutes to walk over here. Easily one of my favorite beaches on the Big Island.

Beautiful white sand beach! Located on the Kona side off Hwy. 270 it is connected to the Kawaihae Harbor. If my mind serves me correctly, going north, you’ll turn left into the harbor and then keep going all the way down until you can go no farther, reaching a parking lot.
My family came here just before the sun was setting. The waves are very calm. It’s a great place for just relaxing, having a picnic, or wading into the water. Here, you’ll also find more sea turtles relaxing on the beach!