Skip to main content
WhenToVisitParks
Sun rises over Hualālai volcano as seen from the Kaloko fishpond wall
National Historical Park
Updated July 2026

Best Time to Visit Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park

SeptemberBest month to visit

Find places to stay →
Photo: NPS PhotoPublic domain
Hawaii
Reviewed by WhenToVisitParks Editorial Team · Updated

Our recommendation

Visit Kaloko-Honokōhau in September

September offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, March is the most crowded month (~1.2× the average month) and September is the quietest.

Annual visits

360K

2025

Busiest month

Mar

1.2× avg

Quietest month

Sep

0.8× avg

10-yr trend

rising

+61.2%

More photos of Kaloko-Honokōhau

Aerial view of fishpond
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical ParkNPS Photo
White sand beach at the base of a large volcano.
Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical ParkNPS Photo

Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).

How crowded is Kaloko-Honokōhau by month?

Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 19882025.

1.1×Jan
1.1×Feb
1.2×Mar
1.0×Apr
0.9×May
1.0×Jun
1.0×Jul
0.9×Aug
0.8×Sep
0.8×Oct
0.9×Nov
1.2×Dec

Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight

MonthCrowd levelBest-time scoreAvg high / lowDaylight
JanuaryAverage54 Fair80°F / 66°F10.9 h
FebruaryAverage53 Fair80°F / 67°F11.4 h
MarchBusy45 Fair81°F / 68°F11.9 h
AprilAverage65 Good82°F / 69°F12.5 h
MayAverage70 Good83°F / 71°F12.9 h
JuneAverage63 Good84°F / 72°F13.2 h
JulyAverage59 Fair85°F / 73°F13.1 h
AugustAverage70 Good86°F / 74°F12.7 h
September★ bestQuiet80 Excellent86°F / 73°F12.1 h
OctoberQuiet76 Excellent85°F / 72°F11.5 h
NovemberAverage64 Good83°F / 70°F11.0 h
DecemberBusy45 Fair81°F / 68°F10.8 h

Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00513911, ~3.7 mi away).

Email me when Kaloko-Honokōhau's crowd forecast updates

Get an email when new NPS visitation data changes the best time to visit Kaloko-Honokōhau or its month-by-month crowd levels. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

About visiting Kaloko-Honokōhau

Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park is a National Historical Park in HI and a relatively quiet park, drawing about 360,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has climbed over the past decade, up roughly 61.2%, so crowds are trending heavier each year. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: March is the busiest month at about 1.2× the park's average month, while September is the calmest at roughly 0.8× — a 2-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 24% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 80°F in August down to about 73°F in January, with the wettest stretch in January. About 12 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is September: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the March rush. Daylight ranges from about 10.8 hours in midwinter to 13.2 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. These crowd figures are drawn from 1988–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.

Park overview

Along the western coastline of the Island of Hawaiʻi lies the hot, rugged lava of Kaloko-Honokōhau. This seemingly barren and harsh landscape does not appear to be suitable for human existence, and yet, long before written history, the Hawaiian people built a thriving settlement upon this ʻaʻā lava.

Weather & conditions

The weather in the park is typically hot and sunny, with temperatures in the upper 80's.

Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Serviceofficial park site.

Where to stay near Kaloko-Honokōhau

Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park — live availability and prices to plan your trip. September is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.

Top-rated places to stay near Kaloko-Honokōhau

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to Kaloko-Honokōhau?

Get the best time to visit Kaloko-Honokōhau plus lodging deals near the park by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Getting to Kaloko-Honokōhau

The nearest airport is Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA), about 6 mi (18 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Kaloko-Honokōhau by car.

Frequently Asked Questions

September offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. The park is busiest in March (about 1.2× the average month) and quietest in September.

March is the busiest month at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, running roughly 1.2 times the park's average monthly visitation.

September is the quietest month at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, at about 0.8× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.

Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park recorded about 360,084 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been rising over the past decade (+61.2%).

Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park averages about 80°F (August). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.

Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) is the closest airport to Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, about 6 mi (18 min drive) away.

Beach water quality near Kaloko-Honokōhau

Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.

Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (19882025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.