Kīholo Bay lies within Kīholo State Park Reserve on the North Kona coast, managed by the DLNR Division of State Parks with the curator group Hui Aloha Kīholo. State Parks describes a stark, lava-covered coast with small bays, old lava flows and wide open spaces. Park at the south end of the bay, down a gravel road a two-wheel-drive car can manage; parking on the highway and walking in is not recommended. The lagoon is a walk north along the coast past private homes, so stay on the path and respect them. There are no restrooms or trash cans at the lagoon and no full-time lifeguards. Keanalele, often wrongly called Queen's Bath, is an opening in the lava into fresh water that families here once drank; the stewards ask visitors not to enter the freshwater pools. The anchialine pools, when healthy, hold the tiny red shrimp ʻōpae ʻula. The bay is a Fisheries Management Area where feeding fish and possessing gill nets are prohibited. Dogs and other animals are not allowed, to protect the migratory birds that live here. The entrance gates are locked each night, so plan to be out before closing.
Gravel road to parking at the south end of the bay, then a walk north along the coast. Parking on the highway is not recommended.