The most cinematically stunning beach park on Oahu's windward side, right on Kamehameha Highway in Kaneohe. Chinaman's Hat (Mokoli'i Island) sits just offshore with the dramatic Ko'olau Mountains as your backdrop — this is literally the postcard view of Hawaii. The long stretch of beach has calm, warm water that's perfect for families, plus tons of grassy space and picnic tables under shade trees. Fair warning: this isn't white sand like Lanikai, and you'll find some debris and dead reef areas, but the epic mountain-meets-ocean scenery more than makes up for it. At low tide, you can wade the quarter-mile out to Mokoli'i Island — the water only gets chest-deep.
💡 Insider Tip
Check tide charts before wading to Mokoli'i Island and wear reef shoes for the crossing. The pavilion areas have BBQ grills and this place is made for local-style cookouts — bring food and claim a shaded picnic table early on weekends when camping gets busy.
7 AM – 8 PM
Free
Free lot
Morning for best light, low tide for Chinaman's Hat walk
