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Yokohama Bay 0:0

Address

http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/par...
Highway # 930, The Farrington Hwy
Waialua , HI 96792

Review

The drive up the Leeward Coast of Oahu is good preparation for a pleasant day at the beach. Leaving the modern industrial complex around Pearl you will follow the increasingly less substantial highway as it passes through seaside residential communities and hillside resorts. Past Makaha your drive becomes a scenic byway; with lush green mountains rising abruptly on one side and the endless blue ocean close by. Just as you’re about to run out of paved highway, a great curving white-sand beach appears; the last such beach before Kaena Point juts out into the Pacific Ocean dividing the Leeward Coast from the North Shore.

Here you will find a beautiful soft sanded beach fringed with low-lying flowering ground cover. A seasonal lifeguard station and restrooms are conveniently located near the main parking lot. Both are a good place to check in upon your arrival. The ocean swells and the topography of the land can provide exciting surf conditions, often enjoyed by the experts. Winter time can bring massive waves while summer tends to be gentler. Some beachgoers especially enjoy the swimming and snorkeling when the wind is calm and the water is clear but these can change rapidly and unseen rip currents are always a concern. Beach walking conditions are ideal here. The coral content of the sand not only makes it soft on the bare feet, but when conditions have been just right, you may experience the "barking sands." These occur when water drains out of the sand and leaves it in a fragile house-of-cards structure that when walked on, "woofs" as the air is forced out of it. This is one time that a person could honestly say that their feet are barking.

Sea life abounds in this area. Bordered by a military reserve to the north, Kaena Point State Park and Nature Preserve to the west, and aided by deep close-shore ocean waters; seabirds, shorebirds, seals, spinner dolphins and even whales are often visible excitingly close to the beach. The dolphins are most active in the morning, and the beach treasures haven’t been picked over yet, but there is always a lot of bird action any time of the day.

Known originally as Keawalua Beach, meaning "red harbor" this name was derived from the apparent red color of the water when massive schools of cuttlefish swam into the shallow water. The more recent name of Yokohama is a reference to the city of origin of Japanese workers who came to Hawaii to work in the cane fields and frequently visited this bay for the fishing. The bay is also considered one of Oahu’s sacred locations and is the source of many legends. Not the least of these are the ones related to Kaneana, the cave of the god Kane, known today as Makua Cave. You passed this cave on your way to Yokohama Beach but on the way home, it’ll be much more visible on the roadside at the base of a cliff just south of the Bay. Also along the road you would have passed a classic military guard tower. At its base on the public side of the fence you can read the tribute to heroic Medal of Honor recipient Herbert K. Pililaau to whom the Arms Course behind the fence is dedicated.

Despite driving up a paved highway, you’ll feel as if you’ve taken a journey off-the-beaten path; and you have. Enjoy this beautiful, isolated, and natural setting on the Leeward Coast of Oahu.
Written By: Bud Hardwick
On: 5/8/2009

Directions

Highway H1 west from Honolulu, in about 14 miles past Pearl City, becomes Farrington Highway, #93. Continue north, past Makaha, continue to follow paved highway which is now designated #930. Yokohama Beach is the last white-sand beach before pavement ends.

Features

Lifeguard | Parking | Restrooms

Map

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