Bellows Field Beach Park

This beach make Waikiki beach seem like a dump! Gorgeous! Great swimming, and the equipment rental prices are so low. They don’t offer much as far as souvenirs, but what they do offer is much cheaper than at the hotels. Definite military perk.

Best kept secret in military tourism! So beautiful and not overcrowded. Don’t miss this gem!

It’s crowded!!! Used to be a very chillax place to go not anymore. At least not recently.
At times it’s closed to the the public for military training (M-​F) but Friday afternoon/​evening everyone starts showing up to camp.
It gets noisy. Crowded and if you are military associated and go to the military Side it gets more crowded bit Waikiki crowded but bad enough got a small beach.

This place is paradise! I absolutely love the views, water, etc… There’s a gas station close by, they have cabin rentals and the also rent paddle boards, kayaks and snorkeling gear. If you forget your bathing suit or run out of sunscreen not to worry they have a nice little store within walking distance and you can also pick up some cute souvenirs as well.
The water is pristine, the different hues of blues and aqua are sure to take your breath away! This is by far my favorite spot in Oahu.

I had a Family Reunion on Oahu and one of the events we planned was a picnic. My cousin who lives in Hawaii Kai recommended Bellows. I see why she recommended it. We rented a pavilion all day. As a retired DoD civilian, I was able to make reservations. Of course any active duty or retired military can do it as well. The pavilion is right on the beach. There is only 3 of them, so make sure you reserve early. It is a covered area giving you much relief from the sun, has a large grill and an easy walk from the parking lots. You can also rent equipment, like surf boards, boogie boards, snorkels, etc. A small shop has snacks and drinks too. There also is a mini putt putt golf course there as well. The beaches were just beautiful. Water here is so much cleaner and gorgeous than Waikiki and there were no crowds whatsoever. Unfortunately, if no one in your party is military or DoD, then you cannot get in. Since many of my relatives are not military, it was no problem once a sponsor (me) made reservations and provide a list of the attendees. The military guards let them in with no resistance. The pavilions have no electricity or water (although there was a hose that you could wash your feet from the beach sand). Bathrooms were nearby. At my next Family Reunion, I hope we come back since we had so much fun relaxing on the beach.

We camped at a few different places on the island during our Oahu vacation and Bellows was our favorite. Bellows is a really pretty beach with an awesome view.
Note: I think that you can only camp here on the weekends so if you plan on camping here you may want to verify that. We camped on a Sunday night.

Before, our families favorite beach was right down the street that bellows merges into. One day while my husband and I were talking he mentioned he had never been to Bellows. We now go here just about every weekend it’s not raining. Love that there is a shopette with gas pumps and beach items for purchase inside along with the regular items. They even had body board wax! There is a life guard and showers/​restrooms to accommodate everyone. One of the outside showers is even heated! There are camping spots all around, including a large field. Putt putt, tennis courts, Frisbee Golf and cabin rentals all make this place a definite for visiting while stationed here or retired.

There’s baby beach between military side and public side for the toddlers to safely play in the water! My 1 year old LOVES this beach area and it is beautiful for photo opportunities too!!!

Found a much nicer part of the beach away from the trees. Wider, open beach. Granted, no shade but that’s what the beach umbrella is for. Nice waves breaking near, but not on the shore, make for good body/​boogie boarding and just hanging in the waves.

The award for best beach on a military post goes to (drum roll please)…Bellows! What a surprise? You need military ID to get into this side. It’s less crowded and has more amenities. On site are cabin rentals and tent camping, reservations required. Unfortunately, no camp fires or pets. They have restrooms, showers, parking, mini mart, subway, playground, putt golf, even kayak/​sup rentals.

From what I’ve read, Bellows Field Beach Park is only open from Noon on Friday until the end of Sunday; in other words, only on the weekends. The reason is because the nearby military and armed forces use the beach during the week for their training.
This is a really nice and clean beach on the Windward Side of Oahu. There is plenty of free public parking (make sure you are parked in the appropriate lots and not the ones that require a permit), and there’s quite a bit to see. Even when I went on a Saturday morning in summer, there were still a few groups (military members?) doing some drills, though they didn’t really get in the way of the other visitors using the beach. Quite a few people had tent pitched in the nearby trees.

One of the nicest beaches I have ever been to … Even though it was crowded and people were camping and bbqing everyone was clean and nice, and you didn’t feel cramped. and the view is just breathtaking… and the water is just oh so clear and beautiful… We went inside the military grounds so it felt more secure and fun and we had one of the best grills and best bbqs and beer so it was just a perfect day

By far one of the better beaches that I go to.
Water is clean, as is the sand.
It’s a little crowded, but completely understandable.
You can camp here! I believe you have to make reservations in advance for it. There are cabins to rent as well but I think you need to be military to do that? Please correct me if I am wrong.
If you come to Waimanalo for the beach, please consider coming here!

One of my favorite beaches on Oahu is Bellows Field Beach Park. I come here for the peaceful scenery and the absence of crowds.
PROS:
Location: Bellows Field Beach Park is located on the east side of the Island. It is one of three beaches on the Waimanalo Bay. This side of the Island is a bit more peaceful so you get more of a true Hawaii vibe verses the many tourists of Honolulu.
Beach: This beach is a true paradise! It is one of the nicest beaches on Oahu. The turquoise water is tranquil, unsoiled and absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The sand is similar in color and cleanliness to beaches like Lanikai and Kailua. The shallow water and consistent shorbreak is a good spot for beginning body boarders, surfers and swimmers. Other activities consists of sunbathing, picnics and fishing. Although it is a good area for sunbathers, if you need a break from the scorching sun, there are trees along the beach that will provide shade.
Facilities: There are restrooms, showers, picnic areas and campgrounds.
Parking: The parking lot and the street along side of the beach provide ample parking.
CONS:
Limitations: Only open to the public on weekends and holidays. Military training take place on weekdays. Plan your visit wisely.
Unwanted visitors: Invasions of Jellyfish are known around this area. Signs are placed along the beach during these occurrences.

This review is for the part of the beach on the AFB.
This is my favorite beach on oahu. Whenever I go visit my cousins on Oahu, one of our first stops is to Bellows. Being on the section on the AFB, there seems to always be parking available and even while crowded, plenty of space to find a spot on the sand to lounge out.
Sand is nice and soft and beach is nice and clean. It does get colder later in the day as the trees cast shade along the beach so bringing a light jacket in the winter months isn’t a bad idea.
Bathrooms are typical bathrooms you find on a beach. Fairly clean and functional with both showers inside and outside.
As for the part of the beach outside of the base gates, it appears to get crowded during the weekends. Lots of cars parked along the road and in the dirt lot just outside of the main gate though it looks like there is plenty of sand for everyone by the water.

Normally this beach isn’t crowded but today it was a little.
we were able to set up our picnic area and the kids had a blast.
it’s clean and very well kept.
the beach has lifeguards and the waves are kid friendly.
away from all the clutter, it’s a beautiful place to escape to from all the normal beaches and scenery.

This is a great beach to camp or just have a beach day. Google maps will take you to the right place and there will be a gate at the beginning. The beach is closed on weekday mornings for military training and drills. You’ll soon see a bunch of camping sites and a large open area to park your vehicle. If you keep driving there will be more beach but eventually you’ll hit the actual base which is off limits if you’re not military. The beach is wide and the water is quite shallow even while going out pretty far. It’s never as crowded as Waikiki so you can float in peace. There’s mountains to your right and you may even see some military choppers fly by. Reserve ahead of time if you plan on camping.
Overall, a very nice beach, shallow waters and not too crowded. Come fly a kite, swim, float, or just hang out.

Closed to the public the day that we went, it’s a beach for military and military personnel. The beach is lush with tall trees everywhere, it almost looks like a jungle when you walk to the sand. The sand is so incredibly soft it’s fun to walk around and lay out in.
The water the day that we went was quite choppy but it made for a really fun time in the waves. Definitely coming back!

Bellows Beach has two sides; the Military side and the public side. Both sides are great but if you can get on the military side it’s definitely better. The sand is powder soft both on the beach and in the water. The views are really incredible because you can see the Mokulua islands off to one side and the Waimanalo mountain range (very dramatic) to the other side. Having lived on Kauai and visited many beaches on the other neighbor islands I can guarantee that Bellows is in the top 3 beaches in all of Hawaii because of its comforts, views, and it’s never overcrowded. Love Bellows!

Whoa! I’m a believer! I love this beach. I’ll be going there again this weekend. I went to the military side because I can and I loved it! Gorgeous! It’s like Lanikai except there’s more parking and there’s waves. You still have a view of the twin islands.
I didn’t do this last time I was there, but from what I understood, you can rent kayaks and paddle boards from the Turtle Cove place and then go pick them up by the lifeguard stand. I plan on checking that out next weekend. I’ll update with more info!