Beach Community Map and Access in Pāhoa, HI

We are a unique residential community on the Big Island in that the road from Route 137 (Red Road) to the gate and all the roads and land within the gate and to Kapoho Bay are privately owned. There is no County or State-owned public access to the shoreline within our community. Although the public has the right to traverse the shoreline and access the shoreline via public access paths, the public does not have the right to access the shoreline over private property.

The shoreline is defined as the highest wash of the waves at high tide as evidenced by the vegetation and the debris line, and there is little actual shoreline along Kapoho Bay as the bay was extensively developed with man made ramps, stairs, landings, retaining walls, and sea walls generations ago. Since these structures are man-made and privately owned, the public has no right to traverse the shoreline using them. Likewise, fishing and camping along these structures constitute a trespass. Traditional Hawaiian hunting and gathering rights, including fishing, apply to undeveloped land and waters and do not apply to the developed and occupied land and private fish ponds along Kapoho Bay.  

There are NO community-owned ocean access paths from Alapai Point Road along the southern shore of the bay. Three accesses only link the community roads to the State-owned lava accretion land along the eastern border of the community; one of these is from Malulani Circle, two from the loop end of Kapoho Beach Road, and you must hike across the lava accretion to access the shoreline. The access at the end of Alapaki Lane is considered UNSAFE as it was damaged in high surf on New Year's 2013 and terminates in a sea wall. There is no easy access over the rocks and vegetation to the sea wall or for water entry and exit from the sea wall. The walls on either side are private property and are not to be trespassed upon. The access at the end of Ewa Lane is also considered UNSAFE as it is covered in algae and creates a very precarious water entry and exit.  

As for Champagne Pond, the community-owned access runs along the lava rock and iron bar wall of the Champagne Pond Cottage rental property and terminates at the water. Water entry and exit should occur there, as the walls and landings on either side are private property and are not to be trespassed upon. The gravel area along Laimana Ave. and next to this access is actually the private driveway of the fronting property and is NOT A PARKING AREA for residents, renters, guests, or the public wishing to access Champagne Pond.  

The nearest public access to Kapoho Bay would be at the "Four Corners" intersection of Routes 132 & 137 via the dirt road to the lighthouse and via four-wheel drive over illegally bulldozed paths across the State owned lava accretion land hugging the eastern border of the Beach Lots community and extending to the bay. There are NO facilities on either the State accretion land or private properties along the bay for the use of bathrooms or trash collection—please leave nothing behind.  

Please print a copy of this page and the map to provide to your renters and guests so everyone will be properly educated as to the use of our community-owned ocean accesses!  

The ocean access map linked below was revised and updated in October 2013 to reflect the current state of the accesses within the Beach lots—that only 3 of them actually provide easier access to the water.

Select the link below to view, save, or print a map of access to Kapoho Bay:

Map of Access to Kapoho Bay