Kailua Beach Park
Table of Contents
Kailua Beach Dune Restoration
Beginning in November 2024, a collaborative effort between the City, State, and community groups aims to preserve a popular stretch of Kailua Beach Park experiencing significant beach erosion. The phased effort will focus on the shoreline between Kailua Road and the park’s boat ramp, utilizing staff from the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR); Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency; State of Hawai‘i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL); Hawai‘i Sea Grant; and a diverse group of Windward community leaders, residents, and beachgoers .
Along with preserving the beach, this effort aims to restore ocean access and support diverse recreational use by increasing the width of the active beach and stabilizing wind-swept sand with low-lying dune plants and native vegetation. This began with the removal of beach hazards and impediments, such as undermined Ironwood trees and old, decrepit infrastructure, followed by the relocation of sand to reduce steep drop-offs and level the surface. All of which is intended to provide a suitable space to reestablish native ground cover, shrubs, and trees to historic levels. Additional removal of Ironwood trees will continue throughout the project, as these invasive trees do not retain much sand in their roots and restrict other native plants from flourishing.
From the genesis of this dune restoration, the focus has been to create a more sustainable shoreline while minimizing current impact to beachgoers and incorporating the vast wealth of community and institutional knowledge. To facilitate these goals, monthly community working group meetings and volunteer work days are held to provide updates, gain input, and install new plant life in support of the proposed actions. For those interested in being part of this community working group, please email awirts@hawaii.edu
Become part of the team and help restore Kailua Beach!
Get Involved!
To join our community working group, and guide this dune restoration effort into the future, please email awirts@hawaii.edu
We are hoping to conduct additional tree plantings in November 2025 (more information coming soon). In the meantime, we need help watering the young plants in the area makai of the parking lot or near the Ka‘elepulu Stream bank. If you are interested in helping with some hand watering while those plants get established, please also email Allison.OConnor.contractor@hawaii.gov
Dune Restoration in City Parks Guide
This guide was written to accompany the 2022 Hawai‘i Dune Restoration Manual, by providing a clear, actionable sequence for initiating and managing a dune restoration project in a City and County of Honolulu (CCH) Beach Park. It includes permitting steps, community engagement strategies, and practical site management information specific to working in a City beach park.
What's the Plan?
The initial project area with phased areas (1-4) calls for sand management, fencing installation, and planting of native ground cover to stabilize wind-blown sand. 
Native plants of Hawai‘i for Beach Dune Restoration
Phased Approach
The sequence of these phases was determined based on the current recreational use of the beach, community input, and need for immediate removal of undermined Ironwood trees and stumps (which posed a safety hazard)
What We've Accomplished
Second Volunteer Planting Event!
September 27, 2025
Over 150 volunteers joined us to install 1,800 individual plants in two hours! Mahalo for your support. In the main planting area, we planted nanea, pōhihahina, ʻakiʻaki, ʻākulikuli, and pōhuehue. Near the parking lot, we planted some variegated naupaka and pōhinahina, with ʻakiʻaki planted near the Ka‘elepulu Stream bank. The plants will be bolstered by temporary irrigation, along with signage, post & rope fencing to help protect the vegetation from foot traffic. Pictures courtesy: DLNR
Coordinate with Ka‘elepulu Stream Opening
August – September 2025
Stream mouth clearing at Kaʻelepulu Stream by the Honolulu Department of Facilities Maintenance commenced on August 11, 2025 and is expected to be finished by October 2025. Parks department relocated the dried, bleached sand stockpiled behind the Ocean Safety Lifeguard Stand to the boat ramp. This clean sand will be used as part of the dune restoration effort, while the newly dredged sand will be placed again by the lifeguard stand.
Community Meetings
Monthly Beginning January 2025
From the genesis of this dune restoration, one of the key elements has been incorporating the vast wealth of community and institutional knowledge to give interested stakeholders a sense of ownership in this collaborative effort. To facilitate these goals, monthly community working group meetings are held to provide updates, gain input, and support the proposed actions. For those interested in being part of this community working group, please email awirts@hawaii.edu
Ground Cover Plantings
May 2025
Community power! Dozens of volunteers placed 344 native plants along the restored beach on the final day of May 2025. Spanning a stretch of shoreline between the canoe hale parking lot and Lifeguard Tower 8B, volunteers and a variety of government staff installed ‘aki‘aki, ‘ākulikuli, pōhinahina, and nanea plants with the goal of keeping the wind-swept sand in place. The plants will be bolstered by temporary irrigation, along with signage, post & rope fencing to help protect the vegetation from foot traffic. Additional volunteer cleanups of the area were held in mid-July 2025. Adjacent video courtesy: DLNR
Installed Sand Fencing
February 2025
Placed temporary sand fencing in the Phase 1 area to keep sand from blowing into the backshore area. This also served as protection for the newly planted ground cover three months later, and included educational signage encouraging beach goers to utilize designated pathways to access the ocean.
Sand Management
January 2025 – February 2025
Relocated sand from areas near the parking lot, shower, and comfort station back to the shoreline. This reduced steep drop-offs and leveled the beach surface to provide a suitable space to reestablish native vegetation, improve recreational access and view planes.
Removed Beach Hazards
November 2024 – July 2025
Removed Ironwood tree stumps, leaning trees, and derelict infrastructure (such as inoperable irrigation lines, eroding concrete foundations, & damaged benches). The Ironwood stumps & trees were removed because they interrupt the natural interaction of the ocean, beach, and suppress the growth of native dune plants.
What's Next?
Install more post and rope fencing with 20-foot wide pathways (as indicated by the blue areas) and educational signage.
- Additional Community Advisory Group meetings.
Proposed trees for planting throughout the park between the Ka’elepulu Stream mouth and the Lanikai-side lifeguard stand. Trees to be placed mauka of the ground cover, and could include:
- Beach heliotrope
- Milo
- Hala
- Kou
- Plant low-growing naupaka fronting the parking lot to prohibit wind-swept sand from ending up on the pavement. Also create designated pathways around plant life.
Why Restore the Kailua Dunes?
Cruise to Kailua Beach Park any day of the week and you’ll see hundreds of locals and tourists alike enjoying a wide variety of land and ocean-based activities, including: canoe paddling, beach picnicking, swimming, surfing of various types, and simply strolling through the park. The beach’s soft sand, turquoise waters, and park amenities make this location one of the most popular beach parks in the Hawaiian archipelago. According to the Recreational Use and Management at Kailua Beach Park report published by Hawai‘i Sea Grant, over 1,700 people visit the beach park per day.. In our humble opinion, this park is well-loved and worth preserving!
While this stretch of shoreline and the greater Kailua Beach dune system are considered stable, consistent erosion has narrowed the beach over the past few decades, with observable changes over the past five years. Because of this, elements of this dune restoration effort are outlined in the 2022 Hawai‘i Dune Restoration Manual, with the particular case study for Kailua Beach Park commenced at the request of DPR.
Kailua Beach Park is not alone when it comes to experiencing beach erosion, as over 70% of beaches in Hawai‘i and 60% of beaches on Oʻahu are in a state of chronic erosion. It is estimated that 5.5 miles of beach on O‘ahu have already been lost as a result. In addition, the Honolulu Climate Change Commission suggests 3.8-feet of local sea level rise for the state by 2100, as stated in its 2022 Sea Level Rise Guidance Update. More information about the impacts of sea-level rise and beach erosion can be found in the City’s climate adaptation strategy, Climate Ready Oʻahu, adopted in February 2024. This guiding document can be found at: www.resilientoahu.org/climatereadyoahu
Kailua Beach Park Closure Pilot Program
Beginning Friday, September 5, 2025 the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will establish nightly park closure hours for Kailua Beach Park from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. as part of a three-month pilot program. Signage indicating these closure hours is being installed at the park the week prior to the nightly closures going into effect.
This trial period is intended to explore the impact of nightly closures for this popular beach park, and is currently scheduled to last until December 2025. During that time, DPR will work with the community, Kailua Neighborhood Board, and other City agencies to determine the effectiveness of these nightly closures, and whether they should be implemented permanently.
This pilot program follows robust community discussion regarding whether nightly closure hours should be established for this park, including during Kailua Neighborhood Board’s December 2023 meeting. Most City park locations have nightly closure hours, which vary depending on community input, public use, and the specific park conditions. The typical nightly closure hours for City parks, including beach parks, is from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. To view park closure hours for all City park locations visit: bit.ly/ParkClosureHours
Similar to any City park location, a closed park may be traversed at any time. Particularly to access the ocean or other natural or culturally significant areas. However, it is illegal to remain in a park during closure hours unless otherwise permitted by DPR. We appreciate the patience and understanding of the Kailua community as we explore this change in park operations.
Kalama Beach Park
Boettcher Estate Reroofing Project
A much-needed roof reconstruction project is scheduled to begin the week of January 12, 2026 for the historic Boettcher Estate at Kalama Beach Park in Kailua.
The project will maintain the original design of the beachfront building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while utilizing similar cedar shingles to repair dilapidated sections of the building’s roof.
Beach access on the Lanikai-side of the building will be restricted during the project, so beachgoers will need to access the park and beach from the Kāne‘ohe-side of the building. Regular park and lifeguard operations will be maintained, including closure of the park’s parking lot nightly from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The $1.2 million construction contract for the work was awarded to Moriyama Construction. Work is expected to be finished before Summer 2026, weather permitting.
Built in 1936, and designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff, the building was purchased by the City and County of Honolulu in 1979 for $150,000. This remarkable price was reduced thanks to a $600,000 gift from Mae Boettcher and $750,000 from a Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act Grant. It is now part of the 4.28-acre Kalama Beach Park located in the middle of Kailua Beach, one of Windward Oahu’s most popular areas.
This roof reconstruction project will enable DPR staff to begin reactivating the underutilized areas of this exceptional building, providing much-needed recreational space along this scenic shoreline. Currently, the structurally sound sections of the building house: DPR staff offices, meeting rooms, and space for recreational classes like yoga, fitness, and lei-making. This includes meetings with the Kailua Neighborhood Board’s Planning & Zoning Committee.
DPR welcomes additional community support or philanthropic organizations interested in restoring and further activating this historic structure. We appreciate the patience and understanding of the community while we work towards this long-term revitalization of the Boettcher Estate.
