Bellows Field Beach Park
Bellows Field Beach Park
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
421 reviews
Excellent
329
Very good
69
Average
17
Poor
5
Terrible
1
SCLucy
South Carolina56 contributions
Jul 2022
Such a gorgeous beach. Definitely worth the drive from Honolulu. The water is a beautiful shade of blue and we were amazed by the beauty of it. There is public and military only access. We were able to access the military part but be sure all adults in the car have an ID as they are doing 100% ID checks right now. There was a problem with jellyfish while we were here so be mindful of that. The weekends tend to get very crowded. Also, there are several food trucks at the entrance of Bellows if you want to grab a bite to eat. There is no seating though. Overall, the beach was the most beautiful we saw on Oahu!
Written August 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David C
Wadsworth, OH3,154 contributions
May 2021 • Family
We tried to go earlier in the week and found it was only open on the weekend. We early Saturday morning at 7:45. Not much traffic and an empty beach. This has to be one of the nicest beaches we’ve been to anywhere: great sand, scenery, bathrooms, water, waves, and breezes. We spent from
7:45-10:30 and it was perfect. Starts getting crowded around 11.
7:45-10:30 and it was perfect. Starts getting crowded around 11.
Written May 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DougLikes2Travel
Arlington, WA50 contributions
Dec 2019
We bought Boogie Boards at Costco and went to Bellows Beach twice during our time on Oahu. First day was too choppy and we couldn't catch a good wave or even bob around in the water much. Second time was the same day they had record waves on the North Shore and we got the tail end of that system which made for some seriousy fun boarding. The beach is BIG and sandy without too many people so easy to find your own spot for fun. Afterwards, we drove up the North Shore and got to watch the HUGE WAVES until sunset which was a great capper for a fun day. Get your Boogie Board and Go...you won't be disappointed
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ITRT
Virginia38,539 contributions
Mar 2022
This is a family friendly beach located in Waimanalo, on Bellows Air Force Station. Hawaii. It offers air-conditioned lodging units a well as 50 camp sites. The campsites are in an area filled with ironwood trees. If you are looking for a secluded campground, then this is probably not for you. Facilities include restrooms, showers, and picnic tables. The beach has clear waters and white sand. Keep in mind the area is open on weekends and holidays for civilian personnel. Military personnel and families are allowed to use it any day. The Bellows Air Force Station is an active military training facility and may have to close without notice.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kressa T
Severn, MD11 contributions
Jan 2020
This beach is spectacular!!! The water is amazingly beautiful and aqua blue, ive never seen water this color ever. The sand was soft and white. The beach was not crowded This is a really good beach for anyone in the military to enjoy! I was so happy that i went to this beach so beautiful highly recommended for anyone in the military and retired military.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cris S
Denver, CO38 contributions
Dec 2019
This beach is first of all one of the most beautiful. The turquoise waters which are typically only viewable from arial photos or in pictures but the water is still turquoise from where you stand. Open to the public only on weekends and guest of military all week. The waves are perfect for boogie boarding and body surfing and the sand is the softest. No rocks anywhere. You have to make sure the moon phase is right or you will encounter jellyfish. This beach blows away Waikiki or any other on Oahu in my opinion.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer M
5 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
The drive is open to the public on the weekends. We went mid day on a Sunday and had no issues finding parking. Beautiful sandy beach with fun boogie boarding. There was plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the beach. Life guards were present as well.
Written April 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorenzo P
Vancouver, Canada111 contributions
Dec 2012 • Couples
With a title like this I know that I am bound to invite some controversy. Let me start by saying that I grew up on O'ahu and have visited most beaches as a result and that while I body surf and boogie board that i am not a surfer. It should also be noted that this beach is only open on weekends due to its location near a US Military base.
Why do I love this beach:
- its not too crowded due to its distance from Waikiki
- nice beach with perfect white fine sand
- stunning colour of water
- you can walk out about 300 feet and there is no coral in the water the whole way
- great waves to play in, surf in, or boogie board in
- family friendly
- incredible views of the ocean in front and the dramatic east coast mountain range behind you
For the record, my favorite beaches on this island include (in no particular order):
1) Sandy Beach (please dont go in the water unless you are local or a very strong swimmer as there is a magnificent but very violent break right at the shoreline)
2) Bellows
3) Yokohama Bay
4) Makapu'u
5) Waimea Bay
6) Lanikai (avoid when windy)
Why do I love this beach:
- its not too crowded due to its distance from Waikiki
- nice beach with perfect white fine sand
- stunning colour of water
- you can walk out about 300 feet and there is no coral in the water the whole way
- great waves to play in, surf in, or boogie board in
- family friendly
- incredible views of the ocean in front and the dramatic east coast mountain range behind you
For the record, my favorite beaches on this island include (in no particular order):
1) Sandy Beach (please dont go in the water unless you are local or a very strong swimmer as there is a magnificent but very violent break right at the shoreline)
2) Bellows
3) Yokohama Bay
4) Makapu'u
5) Waimea Bay
6) Lanikai (avoid when windy)
Written December 31, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
blackeldo
Kiama, Australia2,203 contributions
Mar 2016 • Solo
Well if you check a lot of the travel literature and Oahu websites plus the reviews downpage BELLOW'S rating as TOP BEACH appears to be the consensus.
And YES, from my own personal point of view, the southern section of BELLOWS along with the conjoined northern km or so of WAIMANALO BAY BEACH is the best strip of sand on the island.
BUT THERE IS NO ONE BEST BEACH IN OAHU – IT DEPENDS ON THE USER.
So the best beach for the average visitor (WAIKIKI) will be different from the best beach for snorkelers (HANAUMA), for high rollers (KO OLINA), for surfers when the swell is/isn’t huge (BANZAI PIPELINE), for families with teenage kids (WAIMEA BAY when the swell is NOT big), for nudists (NORTH POLO FIELD/MOKULEIA BEACH)…..and so on.
UNDERSTAND
The long sweep of WAIMANALO BAY has a 7.3km /4.5mi long beach technically divided into 3 sections – from south to north:WAIMANALO BCH then WAIMANALO BAY BEACH and finally BELLOWS FIELD BEACH.
REASONS FOR TOP RANKING
The whole 7+km of sand is pretty nice but I particularly like BELLOWS and northern part of WIAMANOLO BAY BEACH section (the “junction” is a low line of rocks – otherwise there is no real change) because this zone is backed by forest rather than suburbia and tends to be a bit quieter away from the town area.
Thing is, what I look for in a beach is not too crowded, nice clean sand (not fussy if it’s yellow instead of white, but this one has the latter), clear water, backed by vegetation rather than suburbia or crumbling cliffs like so many in California. Easy access with good parking, picnic facilities and similar amenities back of beach don’t hurt.
The almost sheer walls of the high KO’OLAU RANGE which separates THE WINDWARD COAST from the HONOLUL/WAIKIKI SOUTH COAST is not too far inland and adds to the aesthetics.
I personally don’t mind surf, but for families another advantage of this place is protection by the substantial offshore reef which runs along most of the WINDWARD COAST. Waves reaching the sand tend to be ankle/shin/thigh slappers most times – maybe bigger on a few days of the year when the north-easterly swell gets unusually big. When I visited we were talking shin/thigh slappers – enough for kids to be enjoying some body-boarding but not big enough for genuine surfboarding.
Adding to kid-friendliness - small waves mean rip currents are less likely and the open nature of the beach plus Oahu’s small tidal range should see an absence of major tidal currents.
CAVEAT
BELLOWS FIELD BEACH is on a reserve air force base and is only open weekends. NO WORRIES – if you arrive on a weekday simply drive or bus a bit further south and access the equally nice WAINAMALO BAY section thru the WAIMANALO BEACH PARK area detailed below.
LOCATION AND GETTING THERE
BELLOWS/WAIMANALO is on the southern quarter of the WINDWARD COAST. You are looking at roughly 32km/20mi from Waikiki whether you come around the south-east corner of the island or use the central route thru the Pali Hay tunnels. I came via the latter: BUS 70 from Honolulu’s ALA MOANA bus interchange – changing to bus 57 in KAILUA once the coast is reached. There are any number of buses from Waikiki to Ala Moana. The whole trip from Waikiki cost me $2.50 using the 2 transfer stubs on the ticket.
I hopped off 57 opposite WAIAMANALO BEACH PARK which is about 20% from the south end of this 7km+i strip of sand and walked north, reaching the junction of BELLOWS BEACH abt 2km further on.. After another 500m walk north I exited BELLOWS via the public access road out to the Hwy - a 1.6km/1mi walk. At the main road I picked up another 57, once again getting out at WAIMANALO BCH PARK from where I walked in the opposite direction, checking out the southern part of WAIMANALO beach.
BTW bus users can also come around the south-eastern corner of the island on buses 22,23 from Waikiki, changing to 57 at its turn-around point (SEA LIFE PARK). This has the better views - sit on the right hand side of the bus for best coastal outlook.
CAR users can come either way – there is plentiful free parking at WAIAMANALO BCH PARK, at a similar area behind the nice northern section at WAIMANALO BAY BCH PARK and at BELLOWS FIELD BCH PARK. All 3 have change/rest rooms, showers, water fountains, BBQ facilities etc. I think you can camp at all 3 but sites are limited and need a county permit. These types of campgrounds close down one or two days a week to discourage the homeless setting up permanently.
CROWDS, TRAFFIC and PARKING.
A big advantage of these nice WINDWARD COAST beaches over the very popular NORTH SHORE is the lack of the latter’s heavy traffic and parking problems. My visit on a very nice day in the Easter holiday period saw a fairly relaxed scene, even on the southern part WAIMANALO which tends to attract more people.
The vibe is different too – WAIMANALO/BELLOWS seemed to have mainly locals using the beaches – the NORTH SHORE appeared way more tourist oriented.
A GOOD BASE FOR A DAY TRIP.
Like all these southern WINDWARD COAST locations, BELLOWS/WAIMANALO is a good starting point if you want to check out some other neat spots in the area or along the way from Waikiki.
For a start my #2 and #3 personal best beaches, compact LANIKAI and looong KAILUA are the next 2 north.
And anyone who comes across here and doesn’t check out the excellent panorama from the LANIKAI PILLBOX TRAIL is either nuts or suffering severe time deficit.
But there’s more! Coming from Waikiki via the south east corner of the island are many other great places to spend time: DIAMOND HEAD CRATER, HANAUMA BAY SNORKELLING, the super tough KOKO CRATER RIDGE TRAIL-LOOKOUT, KOKO CRATER BOTANICAL GARDENS, HALONA BLOWHOLE, HALONA COVE (scene of the iconic kiss-cuddle in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY), SANDY BEACH (please be careful of that shore break if you go for a swim), HAWAII KAI GOLF COURSE, MAKAPU’U POINT/LIGHTHOUSE TREK-VIEWPOINT, the roadside MAKAPU’U LOOKOUT (lower than the LIGHTOUSE but still surprisingly elevated, MAKAPU’U BEACH (be careful: often big waves/dangerous currents), SEA LIFE PARK and the adjacent CHIEF’S LUAU.
Enjoy your visit trendsetters
And YES, from my own personal point of view, the southern section of BELLOWS along with the conjoined northern km or so of WAIMANALO BAY BEACH is the best strip of sand on the island.
BUT THERE IS NO ONE BEST BEACH IN OAHU – IT DEPENDS ON THE USER.
So the best beach for the average visitor (WAIKIKI) will be different from the best beach for snorkelers (HANAUMA), for high rollers (KO OLINA), for surfers when the swell is/isn’t huge (BANZAI PIPELINE), for families with teenage kids (WAIMEA BAY when the swell is NOT big), for nudists (NORTH POLO FIELD/MOKULEIA BEACH)…..and so on.
UNDERSTAND
The long sweep of WAIMANALO BAY has a 7.3km /4.5mi long beach technically divided into 3 sections – from south to north:WAIMANALO BCH then WAIMANALO BAY BEACH and finally BELLOWS FIELD BEACH.
REASONS FOR TOP RANKING
The whole 7+km of sand is pretty nice but I particularly like BELLOWS and northern part of WIAMANOLO BAY BEACH section (the “junction” is a low line of rocks – otherwise there is no real change) because this zone is backed by forest rather than suburbia and tends to be a bit quieter away from the town area.
Thing is, what I look for in a beach is not too crowded, nice clean sand (not fussy if it’s yellow instead of white, but this one has the latter), clear water, backed by vegetation rather than suburbia or crumbling cliffs like so many in California. Easy access with good parking, picnic facilities and similar amenities back of beach don’t hurt.
The almost sheer walls of the high KO’OLAU RANGE which separates THE WINDWARD COAST from the HONOLUL/WAIKIKI SOUTH COAST is not too far inland and adds to the aesthetics.
I personally don’t mind surf, but for families another advantage of this place is protection by the substantial offshore reef which runs along most of the WINDWARD COAST. Waves reaching the sand tend to be ankle/shin/thigh slappers most times – maybe bigger on a few days of the year when the north-easterly swell gets unusually big. When I visited we were talking shin/thigh slappers – enough for kids to be enjoying some body-boarding but not big enough for genuine surfboarding.
Adding to kid-friendliness - small waves mean rip currents are less likely and the open nature of the beach plus Oahu’s small tidal range should see an absence of major tidal currents.
CAVEAT
BELLOWS FIELD BEACH is on a reserve air force base and is only open weekends. NO WORRIES – if you arrive on a weekday simply drive or bus a bit further south and access the equally nice WAINAMALO BAY section thru the WAIMANALO BEACH PARK area detailed below.
LOCATION AND GETTING THERE
BELLOWS/WAIMANALO is on the southern quarter of the WINDWARD COAST. You are looking at roughly 32km/20mi from Waikiki whether you come around the south-east corner of the island or use the central route thru the Pali Hay tunnels. I came via the latter: BUS 70 from Honolulu’s ALA MOANA bus interchange – changing to bus 57 in KAILUA once the coast is reached. There are any number of buses from Waikiki to Ala Moana. The whole trip from Waikiki cost me $2.50 using the 2 transfer stubs on the ticket.
I hopped off 57 opposite WAIAMANALO BEACH PARK which is about 20% from the south end of this 7km+i strip of sand and walked north, reaching the junction of BELLOWS BEACH abt 2km further on.. After another 500m walk north I exited BELLOWS via the public access road out to the Hwy - a 1.6km/1mi walk. At the main road I picked up another 57, once again getting out at WAIMANALO BCH PARK from where I walked in the opposite direction, checking out the southern part of WAIMANALO beach.
BTW bus users can also come around the south-eastern corner of the island on buses 22,23 from Waikiki, changing to 57 at its turn-around point (SEA LIFE PARK). This has the better views - sit on the right hand side of the bus for best coastal outlook.
CAR users can come either way – there is plentiful free parking at WAIAMANALO BCH PARK, at a similar area behind the nice northern section at WAIMANALO BAY BCH PARK and at BELLOWS FIELD BCH PARK. All 3 have change/rest rooms, showers, water fountains, BBQ facilities etc. I think you can camp at all 3 but sites are limited and need a county permit. These types of campgrounds close down one or two days a week to discourage the homeless setting up permanently.
CROWDS, TRAFFIC and PARKING.
A big advantage of these nice WINDWARD COAST beaches over the very popular NORTH SHORE is the lack of the latter’s heavy traffic and parking problems. My visit on a very nice day in the Easter holiday period saw a fairly relaxed scene, even on the southern part WAIMANALO which tends to attract more people.
The vibe is different too – WAIMANALO/BELLOWS seemed to have mainly locals using the beaches – the NORTH SHORE appeared way more tourist oriented.
A GOOD BASE FOR A DAY TRIP.
Like all these southern WINDWARD COAST locations, BELLOWS/WAIMANALO is a good starting point if you want to check out some other neat spots in the area or along the way from Waikiki.
For a start my #2 and #3 personal best beaches, compact LANIKAI and looong KAILUA are the next 2 north.
And anyone who comes across here and doesn’t check out the excellent panorama from the LANIKAI PILLBOX TRAIL is either nuts or suffering severe time deficit.
But there’s more! Coming from Waikiki via the south east corner of the island are many other great places to spend time: DIAMOND HEAD CRATER, HANAUMA BAY SNORKELLING, the super tough KOKO CRATER RIDGE TRAIL-LOOKOUT, KOKO CRATER BOTANICAL GARDENS, HALONA BLOWHOLE, HALONA COVE (scene of the iconic kiss-cuddle in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY), SANDY BEACH (please be careful of that shore break if you go for a swim), HAWAII KAI GOLF COURSE, MAKAPU’U POINT/LIGHTHOUSE TREK-VIEWPOINT, the roadside MAKAPU’U LOOKOUT (lower than the LIGHTOUSE but still surprisingly elevated, MAKAPU’U BEACH (be careful: often big waves/dangerous currents), SEA LIFE PARK and the adjacent CHIEF’S LUAU.
Enjoy your visit trendsetters
Written May 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BostonRedSoxFan2004
Washington DC, DC406 contributions
May 2014 • Family
Bellows is one of the best, safest and fun beaches to visit in the United States. We spent 2 days of our 9-day visit to Honolulu boogie boarding at Bellows. Because we have military ID’s, we were able to use the facilities cordoned off from the general public that included gas station, showers, expanded parking, equipment rental ($5 for boogie board!), and food. What separates this from other beaches is the warm water, sandy bottom, great surf, campgrounds and easy access to your car. The surf provides an excellent place to boogie board, which we did for hours. Don’t forget to put on lots of sunscreen…because time will just fly by. You won’t go wrong with Bellows because it is, without a doubt, one of Oahu’s very best beaches.
Written June 1, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will a VA connected disability ID qualify to rent a cabin?
Laurelandbetsy
Fairborn, OH201 contributions
Active duty get primary, Retirees can use, for other Vets ?;not sure. log on and you can e-mail or call
Is there a portion of this beach that can be accessed if you are not military? Thank you.
Roslyn
Las Cruces, NM216 contributions
You must have govt ID card, ie DoD civilian or military to get through the gate.
Went to this beach and love how quite it is, would I be able to get married there on a Saturday at 3pm?? In October?
StTajacu .
Frisco, TX6 contributions
As long as you are willing to endure different people from all walks of life possibly walking through your ceremony, you should be good to go.
lauriej4516
Oregon City, OR
We will be visiting Hawaii with our son who is in the military. Would we need any special passes arranged ahead of time to visit Bellows Beach for the day if we are with our son?
col2or
Wilsonville, OR204 contributions
If your son has his military ID/CAT card, then he can act as your sponsor and escort you onto the base. Depending upon the threat level, you may also need to show ID (driver's license or passport), but usually that isn't required. Bellows has a beautiful beach with powder-like sand, a small PX for drinks & snacks, Subway, and rec center where you can rent (nominal fee) boogy boards, chairs, umbrellas, etc. Enjoy and thank your son for his service!
twokeikis
Los Angeles, CA11 contributions
Can a civilian get in with a CAC card (Common Access Card)?
daytripper0852
Melbourne, FL161 contributions
Bellows beach is open to civilians only on Saturday and Sunday. First part of beach . Large enough and pretty enuff that u won't feel crowded!
Floridabluemacau
Sebastian, FL371 contributions
My husband has a retired military ID. Can he get us into the Bellows Field Beach Park?
curtis k
Huntingtown, MD62 contributions
Yes he can.
Julie D
Poulsbo, WA
Do you have to be military to go to bellows beach?
curtis k
Huntingtown, MD62 contributions
Hi there are two parts to the beach, the first part is open to the public, I believe that is only open from Friday 3pm through Sunday and you don't have to be in the military to use that beach. During the week they sometimes use that beach for military exercises so your not allowed then. The second part of the beach is after a guards checkpost and that is open every day, but you do need to have someone in your car to be in the military or retired military. Both are great beaches. Have fun!
Fernando G
Royse City, TX
Where can I reserve a spot on the public side for 3 or 4 days public side because they close at 19:30
Fernando G
Royse City, TX
Where can I reserve 3 to 5 days at the public side for bellos beach
Bellows Field Beach Park (Waimanalo) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Bellows Field Beach Park
- We recommend booking Bellows Field Beach Park tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 1 Bellows Field Beach Park tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Bellows Field Beach Park:
- (6.91 mi) The Kahala Hotel & Resort
- (1.27 mi) Bellows Air Force Station
- (1.55 mi) Waimanalo Beach Cottages
- (2.42 mi) Lanikai Beach Rentals LLC
- (0.93 mi) Waimanalo Beach Family Home, 2 Bed, 2 Bath, Steps to Beach
- Restaurants near Bellows Field Beach Park:
- (1.51 mi) Ono Steaks and Shrimp Shack
- (1.51 mi) Ono Steak and Shrimp
- (3.68 mi) Over Easy
- (0.80 mi) Dave's Ice Cream Parlors
- (3.72 mi) Moke's Bread and Breakfast
- Attractions near Bellows Field Beach Park:
- (1.01 mi) Hawaii Bucket List Tours
- (0.81 mi) Waimanalo Beach
- (8.65 mi) Diamond Head State Monument
- (3.26 mi) We Go! Island Canoe
- (3.39 mi) Kailua Beach Adventures