Kekaha Kai State Park, formerly known as ''Kona Coast State Park'', is a beach park located along the north

Kona coast Kona is a ''moku'' or district on the Hawaii (island), Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii, known for its Kona coffee and the location of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County ...

on the island of

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. The main beach areas are Maniniowali Bay (Kua Bay), Makalawena beach at Puu Alii Bay, and Mahaiula Bay. The park's name originates from the

Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language o ...

words ''ke kaha kai'' which translate to "the shore line" in English.

Park sections

The northern section of the park is on Maniniowali Bay located at coordinates . This beach area is popularly called Kua Bay since it is easier to pronounce. A paved road north of

Kona International Airport Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole is the busiest airport on the Island of Hawaii. It is located in Kalaoa CDP, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, near the town of Kailua-Kona. The airport serves leeward (western) Hawai ...

leads to the beach. Black-necked Stilt

The

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

area behind Makalawena beach was designated a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

in 1972. The

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

is known as Ōpaeula Pond (Hawaiian for "

red shrimp Red Shrimp was an airborne high-bandwidth radar jammer fitted to the Vulcan and Victor. The name was one of the Rainbow Codes, its official name was ARI.18076, for Airborne Radio Installation. Red Shrimp was based on the carcinotron, a new typ ...

") and was the site of a small fishing village that was wiped out in the

1946 tsunami The 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake occurred near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska on April 1, 1946. The shock had a moment magnitude () of 8.6, a tsunami magnitude of 9.3, and a surface-wave magnitude () of only 7.4, and a maximum Mercalli inten ...

. The of wetland provide one of the last remaining nesting grounds of the ''āeo'' (

Hawaiian stilt The Hawaiian stilt (''Himantopus mexicanus knudseni'') is an endangered Hawaiian subspecies of the black-necked stilt (''H. mexicanus'') species. It is a long-legged, slender shorebird with a long, thin beak. Other common names include the Hawai ...

, ''Himantopus mexicanus knudseni''), the ''alae keokeo'' (

Hawaiian coot The Hawaiian coot (''Fulica alai''), also known as the alae ke'oke'o'' in Hawaiian, is a bird in the rail family, Rallidae, that is endemic to Hawaii. In Hawaiian, ''alae'' is a noun and means ''mud hen''. ''Kea'' or its synonym ''keo'' is an ad ...

, ''Fulica alai''), and the only known breeding area for the ''aukuu'' ( black-crowned night heron, ''Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli'') in Hawaii. The pond is located at coordinates in the privately owned area between the two sections of the state park. A151, Hawaii, USA, Kekaha Kai State Park, thru the window, 2007

A151, Hawaii, USA, Kekaha Kai State Park, thru the window, 2007

Mahaiula Bay is accessed by an unpaved lava road which heads west off the main highway a short distance north of the airport. The Mahaiula section is located at coordinates and has a sandy beach with a picnic area. A section of the historic Ala Kahakai coastal trail connects Mahaiula and Kua Bay. A hike up Puu Kuili offers a wide view of the coastline from the summit of the

cinder cone A cinder cone (or scoria cone) is a steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic clinkers, volcanic ash, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are formed by explosive eruptions o ...

. The park is open daily from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm.

External links

Hawaii-Guide.com

References

{{authority control Beaches of Hawaii (island) State parks of Hawaii Protected areas of Hawaii (island) Wetlands of Hawaii Landforms of Hawaii (island) National Natural Landmarks in Hawaii