The northern end of Kekaha Kai State Park (formerly Kona Coast State Park) on the Island of Hawai’i has a couple of rough access roads that wind through the young (1809) black lava flows down to an area near the shoreline.   The Kua Bay (paved) Road winds past the slopes of Kuili’i, a prominent volcanic cinder cone.   There are short hikes to the top of the cone, a route bearing south through the lava fields to coral beaches and headlands, and a good trail north to Manini’owali Beach at Kua Bay.

We parked at the base of the Pu’u Kuili’i cinder cones and hiked to the top, passing scrubby kiawe trees, then winding to the top on a cinder trail.

Pu’u Kuili

The white sand beach of Kua Bay invited us to head there after hiking back down from the summit of the cones.

The whole area around Kua Bay invites exploration and after hiking in the tropical sun, the beach at Kua Bay calls us for and an afternoon of swimming and beach time. Click on any image for a full-sized photo.

coral and a'a shoreline

kiawe on the cinder cone

Awake'e Bay

boogie boarding at Kua

Kahalowa Point

Mauna Kea 14 000 up

coral beach

kua Bay

The Kua Bay Road bears west off the Highway north of Kailua-Kona near mileage marker 88.   We also accessed the southern end of the Park near Mahai’ula Bay (link).