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Hookena Beach Park, Big Island

Hookena Beach Park, located on the Big Island’s east shore, was once an important inter-island steamship landing site. In the early 1880s, Hookena grew into a busy trading village. It had a wharf, a school, courthouse and even a jail. Eventually, cars and trucks replaced steamers and by the mid-1930s, storms and high surf had destroyed the landing at Hookena and most villagers moved away from the shoreline and closer to the highway further inland.

Hookena Beach is located at the northern end of Kauhako Bay, which is bordered by sea cliffs. The beach itself has fine, black detrital sand mixed with white sand, giving it a gray color. The shoreline is rocky, but there are a few sandy entry and exit points to get in and out of the water. The waters are generally calm here, but strong currents can occur during times of high surf.

On the shore, there are a number of trails that lead to tree groves, boulder formations and other interesting features. The area is a good spot for a picnic since there is a small coconut grove and a number of trees that provide shade.