Ewa Exploration: West Loch Community Shoreline Park

Untapped potential.  That's all I could think after our recent walk through West Loch Community Shoreline Park.  Sometimes our exploration of O'ahu takes us off the hiking trails and on more low key adventures like a two mile walking tour of a shoreline park in Ewa.  

Often times I hear of certain attractions through other Moms in our circle of friends, sometimes through online sources such as Instagram or Yelp, and then other times you pass neighborhoods and wonder---what's inside? West Loch has always been an interesting area to me, a set of mainland style houses in a community that is not gated but is definitely it's own entity with lava rock walls surrounding it and a guard shack upon entering.  Curiosity piqued.

On Monday, we were in Camping de-tox mode.  We needed to get out of the house for a bit however, so an exploration of West Loch Shoreline Park seemed like the perfect low key outdoor experience.  And it was!  This cute little park is nestled in the beginning front right corner of the West Loch Housing Community.  There was ample free parking, a public restroom, picnic tables, large portions of open grass (a little brown and dry from this summer heat), and old wooden pier after pier after pier along the water (this lake is along the backside of Pearl Harbor).

When we first arrived, I was astounded that there was such a hidden gem only minutes from Ewa, Kapolei, and Waipahu.  Growing up around lakes on the mainland, I realized how much I miss them when we saw the water here.  And then I took a deep breath in and the smell hit me.  This water was NOT clean.  A little online sleuthing revealed that the nickname for this body of water is "Chocolate Beach" due to the mud after rains, but honestly I think it's because this water is probably brown from pollution.  Very sad.  The wooden piers date back to the 1960s and are definitely showing their age.  Some piers were too dilapidated to walk out all the way on.  But, I could just picture how cute the wooden piers out to the water used to be, with beautiful flowers surrounding them, music in the back ground, people laughing and holding summer cocktails...I digress.

But, instead, all we saw was a large amount of rubbish in the water, a couple of crazy/brave fishermen (despite the signs warning not to eat the fish/shellfish from this contaminated water), a feral cat or two, and a big open park in a great location that could be the hot spot for art/music festivals, summer food truck events, the local swimming hole and bike path for nearby residents---but instead it appears to be another great idea that has been abandoned in lieu of other more pressing city/county/state issues.

We didn't "waste" our time exploring this shoreline park, we enjoyed what was still there and good and took some fun pictures, dreamed of what could be, and appreciated all the parks we DO have on O'ahu that haven't fallen to the wayside.  And of course, we enjoyed nearby treats---a refreshing Hapa Bowl and smoothie from Da Cove in Kapolei.  Always looking on the bright side...