Kehena black sand beach 🌴 Trail to this hidden beach on the Big Island 🌴 Hawaii travel blog

ALOHA!

 

If you want to see a black sand beach on the Big Island, Kehena Beach can be an easy stop to make when you’re doing the scenic drive on Red Road along the Puna coast!

 

👆 Map of where Kehena black sand beach is located on the Big Island. Explore the Big Island tourist map. Explore more things to do in Puna! Explore more things to do on the Big Island!

 

Red Road (aka route 137 aka Kapoho Kalapana Road) can be a worthy drive to make.

 

 

You might consider doing this drive on the Puna coast as a day trip when you are staying near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, when you’re staying in Puna, or even as a slight detour when you’re making your way up north from the national park towards Hilo (or in the opposite direction).

The road itself from point to point with no stops can be a 30 minute drive.

Puna can also be a perfect part of a one week circle island Big Island drive!

 

 

The important thing to know about Kehena Beach

So if you decide to do this Red Road drive, the important thing to know before making a stop at Kehena Beach is that this is a clothing optional beach.

It’s totally fine to go to this beach and take in the waves in your swimsuit or swim clothes.

 

 

But just know that when you visit this beach, some people may have on less clothes than you.

If you go without knowing this, you might be in for a shock!

But, now you know!

There will likely be less people at the beach during the week compared to weekends.

 

Like other black sand beaches on the Puna coast, Kehena Beach is a black sand beach that can look very black.

 

 

So how is it that one of the best black sand beaches on the Big Island (and in Hawaii!) became a clothing optional beach?

The town of Pahoa, which is kind of near this beach, has been known as a town of hippies. So that may have something to do with it.

And this beach is also a bit hidden, as it requires a steep trail to get down to. So this might be another reason.

 

If you can ignore (or are comfortable with) the people who are beach lazing or swimming without swimsuits on, then this can be a nice little beach with really black sand.

 

 

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So now…

If you’ve decided that you want to go to Kehena Beach, another thing to know is about getting down to it! Because, you are going DOWN to it!

 

 

 

The trail down to Kehena Beach

 

There is a short but steep trail down to the beach.

You’ll find this right along the side of the road.

 

 

First…

Parking for Kehena Beach

There’s a small little parking lot that you can park at near the start of the trail.

 

 

This can also make for a nice stop along Red Road even if you won’t be going down to the beach, as the parking lot area can serve as a scenic overlook.

 

 

There’s what appears to be a small little path.

 

 

Although it’s really basically just a very short path that’s hardly a path. You take a few steps here to get better views of the coast.

 

 

Aside from this parking lot, you can also park along the side of the road.

 

 

 

The start of the trail down to the black sand beach

Then once you’ve parked, you’ll look for a trail leading down, located to the left of the parking lot when you are facing the ocean. (Basically in the area of the parked cars on the side of the road in the picture above.)

 

 

This trail is not long at all, and it’s basically just to get you straight down to sea level.

It is like a 5 minute hike.

 

BUT…

It is a little steep.

And a little rocky.

 

 

 

And once you get to the bottom, it might require a bit of patience for those final steps of setting foot onto the black sand beach!

That’s because where the trail meets the beach, ocean waves can come crashing onto.

 

 

This can also mean pulling yourself up when you’re ready to leave the beach too.

 

 

More black sand beaches near Kehena Beach

If you’re not sure how you feel about going to a clothing optional beach, then Kehena Beach is not the only beach in the area with really black sand so you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out if you don’t go here.

On the Puna coast, there’s also the Kaimu black sand beach and the Pohoiki black sand beach, both of which will allow you to see super black sand.

And then a little further to the south of the Big Island, there’s the most famous black sand beach on the Big Island, Punaluu black sand beach, which is also a beach that you have a good chance to see turtles resting on the beach or swimming in the water!

 

HAPPY SEEING A BLACK SAND BEACH ON THE BIG ISLAND!