Whittington Beach Park

One of the oddest County parks on the Big Island is a small park called Whitington Beach Park. It is located at the 60 mile marker on the circle island Highway #11 and is a good spot to visit if you are traveling from Kona to visit the Volcanoes National Park. The name is a misnomer at the very least as there is really not a beach here. Where the water does come up to the shoreline it crashes against rocks and the likelihood of any swimming in the area is next to nil and should not be attempted on any occasion. The currents are said to be treacherous here and the pounding surf certainly is not swimmer or snorkeler friendly.

Powerful Ocean Views from Whittington Beach Park
Don’t be entirely dismayed however as Wittington Beach Park is actually a very picturesque location and is an ideal spot to simply stop to enjoy the movements of the ocean in a quite and serene location. In fact, quiet is usually the order of the day at Whittington Beach Park as the place is almost always deserted during the week days but the weekends will fill in with local residents coming in to enjoy it as a wonderful camping location. These weekend excursions are frequently centered around shore fishing and fishing is indeed purported to be quite good here. Whittington also proves to be such a good location for overnighting because it has bathroom areas, great parking, tables, showers and just about everything except potable water.

Facilities and Camping at Whittington Beach
A great curiosity of Whittington Beach Park is the broken down pier that is found there. In 1883 sugar was the major crop throughout most of the islands the the surrounding areas around Whittington were no exception. The pier was created at this time to act as a loading place for ships to fill their holds with the harvest. A railroad line was even built to service the pier and the port that dominated the bay became a real source of commerce until the 1930’s when the transportation system on the island became more modern and allowed for the movement of trucks to haul the cane which ultimately proved to be more efficient. The total demise of the usefulness of the pier came with the devastating tsunami of 1946 which damaged the pier beyond repair. The bare bones of the pier still exist at the bay now as a testament to the heyday of sugar in a previous incarnation of the area. Feeble as it is, the pier still stands amidst the pounding surf and it is often used by local fisherman as a place from which to use their rods and reels, however because of the often large surf this can be a dangerous undertaking at times as well.

Ocean Caution
Be advised that all beaches and ocean locations in Hawaii can be dangerous including this one. Be completely aware of the ocean conditions prior to entering any Hawaiian waters however it is not advised that you enter the water at this location. Also, all shorelines and beaches in Hawaii, including this one, can be frequented by sharks, jellyfish and other sea creatures which can provide potential harm to people entering the water. There are no lifeguard towers at this location.