Members of 20 grassroots organizations held beach access rallies across the state today.

On Oahu's north shore, dozens of people stood along Kamehameha highway in front of Turtle Bay Resort.

"What we've done is teamed up with beach access Hawaii to sort of call attention to the lack of public right away to the beach," says Timothy Vandeveer, Defend Oahu Coalition.

Vandeveer says on Oahu, there are only 86 public rights of way for more than 200 miles of beach and shoreline.

"We're here to show legislators we care about beach access. And also show the owners of the hotel that we'd like more access to the beach," says Vandeveer.

"The resort has five miles of coastline here and the only access is the main one at the front of the hotel," says Mark Cunningham, Defend Oahu Coalition.

"We want to remind people that beach access is pretty important to a lot of us out here, it's our way to enjoy the natural resources we have as well as pass on those legacies to our next generation," says Margaret Primacio, Defend Oahu Coalition.

Rallies were also held this morning on Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island.