Came here to see the sunset, it's a beautiful beach aside from the parking which was a nightmare. This beach is chill and we enjoyed watching people rock jumping. Although there's no shade, we came towards sunset, so it didn't bother me much. If you're looking for a quiet beach away from Waikiki Beach, this is the place. Not much parking slots, so don't say I didn't warn you. Definitely worth the trip to North Shore! read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

See all

Gorgeous area with fewer people than Waikiki beach, located off the highway near the botanical gardens. There is a large rock that people jump off of that is super fun for those adventurous at heart! This beach also has bathrooms and a rinse station, even though it's a little more out of the way than other beaches. My ONLY qualm/word of caution is the parking situation. I went during peak beach time and had to park down the highway, my friend who had recently had ACL surgery struggled with the walk. If I had kids I wouldn't not have made that walk on the highway. There is a small lot attached to the park, but it was filled by the time I got there ~11:30. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Overview of Waimea Bay - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

We were looking for a scenic and quiet beach to get away from the hustle of waikiki. Even though it was crowded here, the huge stretch of spread out sand makes it so that nobody is really on top of each other. I took a ton of pictures of the rock and kids were jumping off which was cool. I really recommend arriving early as the lot was full by like 7am read more

See all

Clean beach with great family atmosphere. Crystal clear water. Bathroom and showers available. Family had a great time. Lifeguards present read more

Pros: you can jump off a big rock and it's pretty fun if you're into that stuff. Lots of room to sun bathe and relax. Good amount of waves. Cons: parking!!! It's so hard to find parking. Like really really hard. I would uber but an Uber from town is super expensive. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - After jumping off the rock - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

I really like this beach, but the parking is really tough during peak season, and or you have to go early like before 9:00am. The beach doesn't have much shade unless you're sitting in the grassy area under the trees, but it's far from the water. Water is really nice in the summer. The sand bar is short, so floaties are recommended. There are some rocks where you can cliff dive too. When we went, they are doing construction. So the bathrooms weren't available and they had portable potties. read more

When you drive up to the North Shore and see red on your Google maps and wondering if there's an accident on Highway 83, chances are, everybody is trying to find parking at Waimea Bay Beach Park, therefore clogging the entire highway. When I say everybody, it's everyone. My gf patiently waited for parking and it took about 25 minutes of stalking people. She dropped us all off by the grassy picnic area so the kids can start unleashing their wild energy ... they have been stuck in the car for almost an hour coming from HNL. There are clean restrooms here, a couple of showers which is usually in use so you'll have to wait and a makeshift water fountain/faucet. The day we came was prime condition for big waves coming in and it rained heavily that morning as well. Now being an adult and manning 4 kids, I immediately looked for the lifeguard tower first. The flag is red. Meaning, dangerous conditions. Mind you, there were still plenty of people jumping into the ocean. And this beach is known to have a deep drop into the ocean and the waves are powerful enough to suck you in despite of your swimming capabilities. The kids played in the sand for about 10 mins before they started dipping their toes into the water. Of course, it was only natural that they imitate all the other adults fully going in. The strong currents were definitely pulling everyone in the day we came. The lifeguard immediately made an announcement that said " for the family would a few small children, we have a dangerous rips while right now. This is not a recreational beach!" So we grabbed the kiddos and threatened them by saying "no shave ice for you!" They complied and moved their shenanigans over to the lagoon. When my gf finally made it to the beach , she asked: "what did I miss?" The lifeguard just basically kicked us out. It was like that one time at the club that we got kicked out ... read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Not a whole lot of parking, but there are spots along the road that you can park at and walk. The beach has very high waves in the winter, so at times, it will be closed for swimming! Picnic tables and really great lifeguard station, they have warnings for tides and currents! read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Waimea Bay Sign - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

The best beach on Oahu !! More then just jumping off the rock wich is awsome and a must doo !! It's not to rough big enough surf to body float the sun is amazing your gonna get a tan Yes parking sucks you got walk . Easy 5 mins . If you know then you know !! My favorite place !! read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Nice, somewhat sheltered beach area with decent changing rooms. This place is always full especially during the weekends. Parking can be a challenge. A bit of a walk from the parking lot to the changing rooms and the beach. read more

Got an early start and headed towards the north shore. We stopped at the Waimea Bay beach park and because we got there so early we had no problem finding parking.. We had some time before the shops in Haliewa opened so we decided to chill at the beach. We watched people jumping off the rock and enjoyed the water. Waimea Bay beach hosts surf competitions in the winter due to the big waves but this time of year the waters are calm. Definitely a nice stop when you are on the north shore of the island. read more

See all

Waimea Beach on the North Shore is beautiful during sunset. The sky turns into shades of orange and pink and the whole beach feels calm and peaceful. It was quiet and not too crowded which made it the perfect place to relax and take it all in. Parking is limited so it is best to get there early or you might be waiting around for a spot. We had such a great time and I snapped some photos from our visit that really show how magical it felt. read more

See all

Such an awesome and wonderful and clear and calm water beach. My two year old loved it! The cliff jumping was such a great experience as well! Swam with a turtle here! Ive swam at multiple beaches throughout the island but this is my absolute favorite read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

How did I not know how famous Waimea beach is? And I have been right by it a few times. We were not here long but it struck me that I could spend time here just about any day that is not rainy (if I was near)...there are so many quality beaches around this and the other Hawaiian Islands. Gosh I want to be there right now. again. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

One of my favorite beaches on Oahu! This bay is so beautiful and peaceful. It's a huge space with a ton of shoreline so people can be pretty spread out. There's a rock here that everyone loves to jump off as well (great bucket list item for visitors)! The parking lot is free, but limited space. We got here around 9am on a Saturday and the parking lot seemed to be completely full by around 9:30am, so would recommend getting here before the crowds. Otherwise, it looked like there was some street parking, but there was definitely competition for spots when we left in the afternoon! read more

The famous Waimea Bay Beach Park. I call it Sunset Park or the famous surfing beach park. This is where the yearly surf contest happens. The waves get enormous. And break right at the shore. It can get very dangerous for on lookers and people that wanna get in the water. But a certain time of the year the water is very flat and calm. It is a beautiful beach with a lot Sun. They have bathroom, shower and parking parking is limited but if you come with some patient, she'll eventually get some parking. But not on those days where there is surfing contest. read more

See all

We had such an amazing time at Waimea Bay. My teens loved jumping off the lava rock. They literally jumped for hours. There was a pod of dolphins jumping in the distance too which was pretty amazing. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Beautiful beach! One of the top beaches on Oahu island! The water is crystal clear with lots of fishes to see when snorkeling! Parking can be tough to find so try to go as early as possible! I highly recommend visiting this beach in the North Shore of Oahu island! Mahalo! read more

See all

Small parking lot and very difficult to secure a parking spot unless you arrive early. We arrived towards the late afternoon and the free parking lot was already full. Cars were already in line waiting for a spot to open up and were still waiting when we were leaving the beach. We parked about 1/2 mile down the road near the Waimea Falls visitor's center and paid $10 to park there (used to be free). The beach was clean, water crystal clear. They had showers and restrooms. There was also a small cliff where visitors were taking park in cliff jumping. Others brought their own snorkel gear. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Ocean water - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Went on a week day (march) and it was just the right amount of foot traffic, meaning not too crowded. The weather was warm with some breeze. I would def recommend this location. read more

Lots of sand and beach area. The waves were very large and it was fun to watch the local boogie boarders catch the waves. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - A side view of the beach. - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

I don't want to say too many good things because I don't really want crowds to spoil how wonderful this beach area is. It's already tough to get parking unless you get there prior to 8, even on a week day. It's a super wide beach with showers and restrooms and picnic tables. There are lots of areas to sit in the shade on the beach up against the lava rock formations that provide little carve outs like caves to escape the sun. The rock to jump off of has various heights and platforms to launch from, and it's a good little enjoyable jump you can do over and over again. But the best part of all is the snorkeling to the left of the jumping rock. This is the best snorkeling I've ever done in Hawaii, and I've been snorkeling many places on all the islands. This is a hidden gem of sea life and bright coral. One of the few reefs I'd say is still alive. There is shallow snorkeling, deep water snorkeling, and sea wall snorkeling so you can get a bit of it all. I hope this place stays the natural beauty it is. It's a true treasure to visit when the swell isn't in the north. read more

Love visiting Waimea when we're in Hawaii! The last couple of visits the waves have been really strong so the kids haven't been able to really go into the water but my husband always jumps right in. Just make sure you are a strong swimmer! read more

Great sunset views! We didn't go into the water here. The waves were high and strong. We spent about an hour overlooking the water and watching the sun set. read more

See all

One of my favorite spots on the island. Usually it isn't too busy early or late. Great beach. With a gardens up behind. The beach has the iconic rock to jump from. And amazing blue waters to swim in. Every once in a while you'll see a ship anchored but not often. The sand is really nice and the beach is great for a dip or swim. But be careful of the riptide. Also it gets deep really quick. Better for snorkeling. Such a chill beach and very different from Waikiki. Definitely worth the visit. Parking is free but there isn't much. Down the road is the Waimea valley with additional parking and a great short hike up to the Waimea falls. But it does cost to enter the valley since there is a state park here with botanical gardens. Enjoy Aloha read more

See all

Honestly, Waimea Bay Beach Park looked so fun in the photos. But I think there are also dangers people should be aware of. First, people will go to the cliff side and jump off into the ocean. If you plan on doing this, please exercise caution and think about potential risk. The beach is more of a small hill, so every time the waves go back down, they will take the person with them into the water. You should not swim at this beach unless you are a strong swimer, or have a life jacket (not a swimming jacket, as that may not be enough). The plus is that the scenery is quite amazing. However, parking logistically is quite horrid, so it is not an ideal place to just "stop by" for a while and them move on. Expect to stay for longer periods of time. read more

See all

Finally made my way to the North Shore on my third trip to Oahu, so I had to find an appropriate beach to spend some time on. After doing a bit of research, I settled on Waimea Bay Beach Park. It did not disappoint! Unlike my previous beach visit the other day, the vibe here was way more chill. it was pretty clear that the highlight of coming here was to be able to see the sunset. The waters were really calm and the sky was perfect! Everyone here was chilling and have a great time. There are also amenities here like the shower and the bathroom. The parking situation is pretty difficult though. It's not a huge lot and there's always someone trying to grab a spot. Luckily, we were able to take the spot of someone leaving pretty quickly. Anyways, really happy I picked this beach for my first North Shore beach. A great time was definitely had here! read more

See all

"Waimea Bay Beach Park" is located off of Kamehameha Highway (Hwy 83) about 5 miles north of Haleiwa Town. You can get to this location using public transportation, but most people arrive by car. When you exit the highway, you enter a nicely configured parking lot. The area between the parking lot and the beach has restrooms, showers and picnic areas. The beach is wide and offers a panoramic view. There's a large rock outcrop; when conditions are "safer", people like to jump from it into the sea. There are lifeguards on duty. During winter the beaches on the north shore and west side are pretty much off-limits and always red-flagged because of dangerous surf. Stay out of the water and watch a surf completion if one is taking place. During the summer months, this location offers a nice location for swimming and snorkeling. If you have water shoes, bring those. If the sand gets hot, or if you want to walk on rocky surfaces, these offer more stability than flip flops. Waimea Bay Beach Park is my favorite beach on the North Shore. But this beach's popularity also creates the biggest complaint: there isn't enough parking. read more

See all

Parking: Parking is a bit rough, the lot is small. We went on a Wednesday afternoon in June, got there around 130ish-2pm. Either you have to wait around until someone leaves or park across the street at the Waimea Valley garden lot for $20. Beach: This beach is beautiful with clear turquoise water, but it can get pretty windy out here in North Shore. Don't forget to secure your umbrellas and towels because it can get blown away. The sand was SUPER HOT to walk on, I had to walk in my flip flop , but the sand cools down towards the late afternoon. There was a dip when you walk into the water. The waves can be a bit rough at times but then it calms down. This might not be ideal for toddlers because of the dip and the occasional rough waves. The waves are not bad at this time of the year (June). During late fall/winter, there will be huge swells and bigger waves. We saw tons of people jumping off the cliffs , but I heard they don't allow it during the winter time because of the huge waves. There is a shower area where you can rinse off by the parking lot. There is a lifeguard station , with a cute nice garden around it. I have to say , it's the prettiest lifeguard station I've seen. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

See all

Tuesday October 8 2024 : North shore is no joke. The day they shut down north shore beaches is the day we went. I had no idea, no signs. I went in the water and was immediately taken under. Nothing I could do to get me out of it, no joke I thought that was it for me, l screamed for help no one came at all . The life guard was in the parking lot the entire time and not even looking at the ocean. It took everything I had to get out clawing my way up. When I finally reached the surface it took me down again !!! I thought this was it ! I put my hands and feet in the sand at the bottom and literally clawed my way to the beach I barely made it !!! Becareful ! I'm looking to get a lawyer the life guard on duty the entire time was up in the parking lot hanging out ! read more

Located on Kamehameha Hwy, everyone knows where this place is. This is for sure a 5 star place. You know there will be problems with parking, especially in the Winter when everyone is there to see the big surf. Almost no chance to get a spot in the lot. You can park along the Hwy. There is also a short residential street Iliohu Pl which is located about 1/4 mile before the parking lot entrance. If you are lucky you can get a spot on that street. It is a short walk but not a problem. There is a large rock to the left of the beach where everyone jumps off in the Summer (see photo). If you go further to the left, away from the main beach, there is a small cove. In that area we ran into a few turtles who were just hanging out all day. When walking from the Hwy there are several paths down to the beach before you get to the main entrance so you can take a short cut to get down to the beach. Just be careful in the Winter, even strong swimmers can get taken down by the current. The lifeguards are very good about judging who can go in and who should not. Sometimes it's funny because they will shout, "hey you in the blue shorts stay out of the water! I don't want to have to go save you today!" If they say this you best be listening. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Summer fun - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Beautiful 360° scenery. Be aware that this beach is not shallow. The water drops as soon as you get it. So if you're not a strong swimmer or uncomfortable with deep waters just be extra cautious. But it makes a perfect area for cliff diving, which they have on the further left side as you're approaching the beach. The walk in the sand is pretty steep so get your legs ready for a good workout. But the scenery and calm is worth it! read more

See all

Five Stars because I didn't die. Sure thought I was going to, though. Passed by this beach dozens of times, but never stopped by for anything more than a quick look-see before this visit. Even though it has a sizeable parking lot, it fills up fast. You have to get here early or you will be parking up on K Hwy and lugging your gear down to the beach. I pass by all the time because I'm usually going to Three Tables, Shark's Cove or Chun's Reef. But we had already visited those places this trip and I was kinda tired from snorkeling and needed a day to just chill on the beach or whatever. So we got the idea to hit up Long's, buy some of those foam noodles and just float all around the bay. So that's what we did. It was a solid plan and we implemented it perfectly. We got here way early and got a great parking spot. You can't help but notice there's a lot of action at this beach. I mean, this is like Party Central of the North Shore. Hipsters and random miscreants can reliably be found towards the left side of the beach, where there is a big rock cliff people jump off of. Which is to say, the left side is the Phil Zone. Accordingly, we headed directly to the right side of the beach, or as I call it, the Jerry Side. We found a great place to lay down our towels and then lickety split, we were in the water. Oh baby, let me tell you that water was so warm. Wasn't sure I would like it, but I loved floating on the noodle. It was every bit as relaxing as anticipated. Relaxing because there were not many people out as far as we were. The beach itself was noisy as hell, lame ass music blasting, kids shreiking. But the further you drift out onto the bay, the quieter it gets. My wife was floating a couple feet away from me. We weren't really talking or anything, I mean, there wasn't anything that needed to be said. It was just a pure groove. Then I heard my wife say, What's that in the water? I quickly looked in her direction, then down into the water. We saw this huge dark creature rising through the water, straight for us. I knew it was a shark. Of course it was going to be a shark. Every time I go in the ocean, every time, I'm worried about sharks. I'm so fat, I'd be like that super expensive Japanese beef to a shark. So much marbling! I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before one got me. Now, apparently this was it. They finally found me. It happened so fast there was no time to react. The creature turned its body slightly so it was lined up prefectly with me. It swam right up to me and broke the surface about two feet away. It all happened so fast I couldn barely process what was going down. My heart was pounding so hard I wouldn't be surprised if the people on the beach heard it. For about ten seconds I was pretty sure I was going to die. But it wasn't a shark, it was a huge ass seal. For a moment I was like face to face with this gnarly, impressively whiskered, creature. He sized me up and then slid back under the water and swam away. My wife and I looked at each other. I was like, whoa, what the hell just happened? My wife said, wow, that seal swam right up to you like he knew you. Then she gratuitously added: You probably look like a seal underwater. Ouch. She's right, of course, but, ouch! I said, OK, well all I know is I thought for sure that was a shark. That freaked me the hell out! Then I had a thought. What animal eats seals? Sharks, right? So why am I floating around in the same body of water with seals? Suddenly it seemed like the perfect time to get the out of the water. Mikey C says: thankfully, NOT as seen on Shark Week. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Nice sized parking lot, good restrooms and showers. Lifeguard tower too. - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

See all

Waimea Bay on the North Shore is one of the most iconic beaches on O'ahu. It's located off of Kamehameha Hwy and is about a 8-10 minute drive without traffic from Haleiwa town. There is a parking lot but finding a spot on your first go-around is considered a blessing, especially on the weekends. There are other parking options for a fee or long walk. If you are down for public transportation, there's a bus stop really close by! In high school, I used to take the bus down here and it was honestly really convenient. There are bathrooms and outdoor showers for public use. Also, during the busy season- often people selling drinks, snacks, or shave ice. Waimea in the summer is magical, with the bay being more lake-like with crystal clear waters and minimal waves. Swimming at Waimea in the summer is one of my favorite things and a top tier human experience in general. In the winter, the waves come in and it becomes magical but in a different way. The waves can get up to 30 ft (by Hawaiian measurement) and is a spectacle to watch. Only the most experienced surfers go out during the high wave days at Waimea. Shout out to all the amazing lifeguards here and everywhere around the North shore and O'ahu. read more

Beautiful beach; huge powerful waves. Limited parking, but when it started to rain, we were able to grab a spot, and then the sun came out. Really enjoyed it. Bathrooms/changing rooms avdvfoot-washing station, plus picnic tables. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

See all

Beautiful beach with crazy waves. Not really ideal for swimming but nice to watch people in the water getting rocked. Haha! There is also a cliff there that you can jump off. There is some picnic tables and showers as well as restrooms. The parking lot is not very big so if you come on the weekends or later on in the day it's gonna be hard to find parking...... read more

I came to this beach again as the first time I went 9 years ago was memorable. I don't remember it being so crowded and it was definitely more crowded than I remembered but more peaceful than Waikiki beaches. Parking is tough like others mentioned as it's a small parking lot, but we were able to find parking on the street right next to the beach. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

Definitely one of the coolest, prettiest beach parks on the North Shore. This is a very small beach park located on the bay. Normally the water is flat as a lake, but when there's a huge swell it could be breaking outside with faces as big as 40 feet. Cute small parking lot that is always super busy and very hard to find a parking spot. Especially on the weekends. There is a bathroom and showers and a lifeguard tower that is probably the coolest feature in this whole park. You can park in this parking lot and walk across the street and hike the Waimea Falls Trail. read more

See all

Lovely beach park will full facilities. They have restrooms and outdoor shower station. Parking is decent, but it's better to go after lunch when the first wave of people clear out. There's a giant rock that is fondly called "jump rock" where people will climb and jump off into the water. There are signs for no climbing and the lifeguards warn against it, but there was a small crowd participating anyways. Jump at your own risk, I suppose. Beautiful views and strong waves for surfers and boogie boarders. Be ware of the strong current though. read more

Waimea Bay Beach Park - Jump rock - Parks Near Me - Haleiwa, Hawaii

This was our favorite beach on the island! I did almost give it fewer stars due to the parking which is a nightmare, but the beach is incredible. Great sand, crystal blue water, and a cliff you can dive off of. The vibe is great and I will definitely be back! HIGHLY recommend! read more