Heʻeia State Park


This park on Kealohi Point has picnic potential and views of Heʻeia Fishpond to the south. This location was sacred to ancient Hawaiians as a place of final judgment at life’s end. Some believe that there is still a portal to the spirit world here, but the heiau (temple) on this site was destroyed in the 1800s and the park office and community hall were subsequently built over it.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Heʻeia Pier

0.16 MILES

Just north of He‘eia State Park, off the Kamehameha Hwy, is one of the Windward Coast’s only small-boat harbors. Watch the comings and goings of local…

2. Moku o Loʻe Island

1.46 MILES

Offshore in Kaneʻohe Bay, Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island), southeast of Heʻeia State Park, was a royal playground, named for the coconut trees planted there…

3. Gyotaku by Naoki

1.68 MILES

You'll probably have seen Naoki's magnificent gyotaku (Japanese-style fish prints) all over Oʻahu in galleries, restaurants and bars, but there's nothing…

4. Valley of the Temples & Byōdō-In

1.72 MILES

It's so peaceful and parklike that it might take you a minute to realize that Valley of the Temples is an interdenominational cemetery. Up at the base of…

5. Senator Fong's Plantation & Gardens

3.46 MILES

A labor of love by Hiram Fong (1907–2004), the first Asian American elected to the US Senate, these flowering gardens aim to preserve Hawaii’s plant life…

6. Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden

3.81 MILES

The dramatic ridged cliffs of the Koʻolau Range are arrayed in front of you like an Imax screen at Oʻahu’s largest botanical garden. It encompasses 400…

7. Kawai Nui Marsh

4.2 MILES

One of Hawaii’s largest freshwater marshes, Kawai Nui provides flood protection for the town and a habitat for endangered waterbirds, and is also one of…

8. Mokoliʻi Island

4.84 MILES

That eye-catching islet you see offshore from Kualoa Regional Park is called Mokoliʻi (Little Lizard). In ancient Hawaiian legend, it’s said to be the…