Pohoiki Warm Ponds (Isaac Kepoʻokalani Hale Beach Park)

What to expect

Pohoiki is what is left of the Big Island’s warm-pond culture after the 2018 eruption, and it is entirely a product of that eruption. In mid-2018, lava from Kīlauea’s lower East Rift Zone poured into the sea along the Puna coast, buried the much-loved ʻAhalanui warm pond and the Kapoho tide pools, and stopped just short of Isaac Kepoʻokalani Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki Bay. The ocean then piled up a new black-sand beach across the old bay and boat ramp. Behind that beach, groundwater heated by the volcano now collects in ponds instead of flowing straight into the sea.

When the county reopened the park in December 2018, it reported four of these natural ocean thermal ponds. A 2020 USGS survey, as summarized by local guides, mapped five warm spots, including one by the old boat ramp and one in the forest edge. Most visitors head for the main pond just behind the beach, where you sit in warm, brackish, slightly cloudy water surrounded by fresh black sand, young lava and coconut palms.

The water is warm rather than hot. It varies across each pond and with the tide, and the warmest patches are over the springs themselves. Think of a long, slow float in bath-warm water, not a 104°F40°C hot tub. There are no tiled edges, steps or rails: the bottom is sand and rock, and the ponds are shared with whoever else turned up.

The beach park around the ponds has restrooms and picnic spots, and it is a popular surf and fishing spot for Puna locals.

Getting there

The park is at the junction of Pohoiki Road and Highway 137 (the Kalapana-Kapoho Road, often called the Red Road) on the lower Puna coast, about an hour from Hilo and around 2.5 hours from Kona.

From Hilo, drive south on Highway 11 to Keaʻau, then follow Highway 130 toward Pāhoa. From Pāhoa, continue down to the coast and follow the signs and Highway 137 to Pohoiki. The roads near the park were rebuilt or reopened after the 2018 flows, and some older routes north of Pohoiki are still under lava, so use a current map rather than an old guidebook.

The park has a paved parking lot. From the lot it is a short walk over sand and rough lava rock to the ponds. Wear water shoes or sturdy sandals.

When to go

The ponds are usable year-round in Hawaiʻi’s warm climate. Weekday mornings are the quietest. Weekends bring local families and surfers.

Hours and closures: The park is open daily from 7 am to 8 pm. It closes on the third Thursday of every month for maintenance and reopens at 9 am the following day. Remaining 2026 dates are Nov. 19 and Dec. 17; 2027 starts with Jan. 21 and Feb. 18. Check the county’s closures page for the full list.

Recent closure: The county closed the park on Sept. 2, 2025, so the state could use a crane to dredge lava debris and sand from the buried Pohoiki boat ramp channel. The dredging failed in October 2025 when the channel filled in again. The park stayed closed while the Department of Health and the state boating division checked that the pond water was safe. It reopened in mid-November 2025; the county’s announcement gave Nov. 12. The county’s closures list, updated in October 2026, shows no Puna closures. Any new attempt to reopen the boat ramp could close the park again, so check before a long drive.

Rules and etiquette

• Free entry. There is no fee for the park or the parking lot.
• Swimsuits. This is a public county beach park used by families. Nudity is not acceptable here.
• No soap or sunscreen in the ponds. The water is still and shared; rinse off lotions first.
• No camping. The county ended camping at the park after the 2018 eruption and we could not confirm it has returned.
• Respect the place. Pohoiki was a fishing village for centuries and is still a community gathering spot. Pack out your trash and do not dig or build up the pond edges.

Where to stay nearby

There is no lodging at the park.

• Pāhoa, the nearest town, has small vacation rentals, a few inns, cafes and a grocery store.
• Hilo, about an hour away, has the main hotel choice on the east side of the island, plus supermarkets and the airport.
• Volcano Village, near the entrance to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, has cabins and B&Bs if you want to combine Pohoiki with the park.

Safety notes

• Water quality: The ponds are not disinfected and are not routinely tested. The Department of Health has warned since 2018 that people with open wounds should stay out because of the risk of bacterial infection. Cover or skip it if you have cuts, coral scrapes or fresh tattoos.
• Keep your head up: As with any warm, untreated fresh or brackish water, do not dunk your head or swallow water.
• The ocean is not the pond: Pohoiki Bay is known for strong currents and big surf, and the 2018 eruption buried the old protected swimming area. Stay in the ponds unless you are an experienced ocean swimmer.
• Lava rock: Fresh lava is glass-sharp. Wear shoes on the walk in and watch children closely.
• Sun and heat: Shade is limited on the new black sand. Bring water and a hat.
• Volcanic activity: Kīlauea remains active. Check the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and county Civil Defense for alerts before visiting lower Puna.

History

Pohoiki Bay was one of the few places on Puna’s rugged southeastern coast where boats could land, and a fishing village stood here for centuries. The county park, named for Private Isaac Kepoʻokalani Hale, a soldier killed in the Korean War in 1951, was expanded in 2006 and had the area’s main boat ramp. Lava never fully reached the park in 2018, but the new beach swallowed the boat ramp and the old protected bay. Efforts to clear the ramp have continued since, including the failed 2025 dredging.

Nearby stops worth adding

The coastline north of Pohoiki is now a lava field, but the drive toward Kalapana passes MacKenzie State Recreation Area, a stand of ironwood trees on sea cliffs, and the black-sand and lava-flow viewpoints around Kaimū and Kalapana. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a little over an hour away via Pāhoa, Highway 130 and Highway 11.