Richardson's Beach is a small black sand beach that I struggle to call a beach. Its mostly a local hangout. If you want a nice swimming beach with white sand drive over to the other side of the island and visit Hapuuna Beach State Park - now that is a beach!

This is a great place for swimming with kids. There are many shallow sandy bottom areas that are not too deep for kids, and often turtles will come and swim right with the kids and grownups too. I have seen 3 at one time. There is deeper water for snorkeling, distance swimming, all inside a set of rocks outside that... More

My mom and I visited Richardson Beach Park to see the sea turtles and sure enough, we saw two babies that were hanging out in the rocky pools just beyond the beach. The beach is a public beach which is nice since there's a combination of locals and tourists there. There's a small sandy swimming area and then beyond there... More

Turtles and black sand beaches. Can picnic or swim while you watch or swim with the turtles yourself

There is not many places to go snorkeling around Hilo but Richardson Beach has some great areas to see tropical fish. It is not as good as the Kona side beaches but it is well protected and you can see a nice variety. Plus it is fun to be on the water and not so crowded that you feel confined.... More

It is a beautiful park. It would be a great picnic spot, besides the great snorkeling and turtles that you can see from the shore.

We were very happy a local told us to go to Richardson. Tricky to find since there are several beaches along Kalanianaole Ave. Almost at the end of the road. Parking is tight since this place is popular with the locals. A little rocky in spots but you will find sea turtles here. Trees, shade and restrooms nearby. Bring food... More

We stopped by Richardson's Beach Park late one afternoon in March. There were surfers, paddleboarders and people picnicing. They have bathrooms. The beach is rocky with a small area of sand. There is a grassy area where people were setting up a tent to grill and eat under. It was a local and friendly crowd.

Very small black sand beach area. Lifeguard on duty. Lots of tide pools and rocks/lava to climb around on. We saw some green sea turtles feeding.