Adventure park brings action to West O‘ahu
In the thick overgrowth of a former coral quarry in Kalaeloa, Jim Owen saw an opportunity. After the U.S. Navy mined materials there for the construction of several runways at Barbers Point, the remaining 10-acre crater and surrounding area sat largely unused for decades.
Owen first visited the quarry more than six years ago, seeing the potential for new activities, dozens of jobs and a multifaceted gathering place in West O‘ahu. As a 10-year hospitality industry veteran, he had watched the popularity of adventure parks skyrocket across the U.S. mainland but found nothing similar in Hawai‘i.
The more than 50-foot drop of the crater was ideal for building a six-line tandem zipline course; the large crater floor and sloping walls would allow for a full mile of rugged ATV track; the surrounding area could transform into a 6,000-square-foot landscaped gathering place. In January, Coral Crater Adventure Park opened with 35 acres of activities, a large and easily accessible observation deck, barbeque space and ample parking—all built with the objective of minimizing the project’s environmental impact.
“We spent years designing Coral Crater Adventure Park to be enjoyable for the widest possible range of ages and activity levels while respecting our communities and natural environment,” Owen says. “Our equipment is state of the art and our staff are highly trained, ensuring the safety of guests while providing a memorable experience unlike any other in Hawai‘i.”
The park can accommodate several hundred people a day, but its spacious, multilevel layout ensures that it never feels crowded.
Owen has also developed a lineup of fresh experiences to keep guests coming back, including night ziplining, tactical live-action laser tag and team-building activities at the Aerial Adventure Tower, which features 18 challenge elements such as climbing, swinging and jumping.
Packages start at $99.99 for four activities, with a la carte experiences starting at $19.99. Group and special event packages are available in addition to services such as lockers and round-trip shuttle transportation from Waikiki.
