Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area

Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area is a park built on the site of an old landing strip just North of Kailua, Hawaii County, Hawaii.

History

During World War II a small landing strip was cleared near the end of Kuakini Highway. In 1947 the state approved a small terminal to be built for tourist flights, which was dedicated in 1949.^[1] In 1950, 5,000 feet (1,500 m) of fencing was added to keep out cattle which would wander onto the site. The 1960s brought development of several larger hotels and resorts. Larger aircraft could not take off from the short runway. When the much larger Kona International Airport was built further North at Keahole Point in 1970, the old landing strip was used for drag racing before being turned into a park in 1976.^[2]

Facilities

The facilities on the 103.7 acres (42.0 ha) of the old airport are run by the County of Hawaiʻi.^[3] These include baseball and soccer fields, the Kona Community Aquatic Center, and Kekuaokalani Gym, located at 75-5530 Kuakini Highway.^[4] A 217-acre (88 ha) marine preserve was created off shore in 1992. A day use boat mooring is near the prominent "Shark Rock" toward the northwestern boundary. Water depth at the mooring is about 40 feet (12 m).^[5] A reef shelf East of Shark rock creates a small surf break. Snorklers and Scuba divers usually enter the water at a protected cove at the Northwestern end of the beach. On Kukaʻilimoku Point Southeast of the park sits a lighthouse to guide ships into Kailua Bay. North of the park is Papawai Bay (meaning "water layer" in the Hawaiian Language).^[6] The land there is owned by the Queen Liliʻuokalani Trust, which also leases some of its property to two large shopping centers, the Kona Commons^[7] which opened in 2008, and the Makalapua Center in 1994 ^[8].

The old 3,800-foot-long (1,200 m) runway is used for a large parking lot and the old terminal building is now a public use pavilion. There is a flat walking trail parallel to the runway, restrooms, showers, and picnic facilities. There are some patches of sand, but the shore is rocky, so care should be taken when entering the water except in calm conditions. No lifeguards are on duty.

Gallery

The beach at the Old Kona Airport   The runway is now the parking lot   The old terminal building is now a public pavilion

References

1. ^ Kailua-Kona Airport through the years on the Kona Airport planning web site
2. ^ Old Kona Airport on Abandoned Airfields web site
3. ^ Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area description on Hawaii State Park web site
4. ^ Kona Aquatic Center Official web site
5. ^ Old Kona Airport at the Marine Life Conservation District official web site
6. ^ John R. K. Clark, Hawai'i place names: shores, beaches, and surf sites, Published by University of Hawaii Press, 2001, ISBN 978-0824824518
7. ^ Kona Commons description on MacNaughton Group web site
8. ^ Makalapua Center description on Belt Collins Engineering web site

Coordinates: 19°38′32.9″N 156°0′18.2″W / 19.642472°N 156.005056°W / 19.642472; -156.005056