great beach for the ohana. especially for young kids! there are two protected pools--a baby pool to the left (it's pretty shallow), and a larger pool that's good for snorkeling near the back. what's great about lydgate is that the swim area is protected, so you don't have to worry about getting too far out to sea. also, there is a lifeguard station right there to ensure your family's safety! another good reason to bring your family here is kamalani playground. the playground is located across the street. it's a community built playground that's been around for probably 15 years now. it's fun for the children to play hide-and-seek and explore! i think i was about 7 or 8 when this place was built. i remember my dad and many other parents volunteering to put this place together! even us kids did some of the painting. plus, it's not too far from kapaa or lihue. right in between! this is definitely a great family beach. read more

I love lydgate beach park. the water is pretty, there is a part that you can swim without being afraid of drowning and there are lifeguards. safe for kids to play in the water too. there is a barbeque grill and picnic tables and chairs. there is a path for people to bike or jog. will definitely come back here for more beach bumming and swimming. Perfect for families... read more

Great beach for swimming and snorkeling. It has a natural pool, so you don't have to worry about big waves. I can tell lots of locals go to this beach. Lots of parking, lots of room for everyone. Showers, bathrooms, picnic areas... During our 7-day stay in Kauai we went to this beach almost every day. read more

Most toddler friendly beach park. Lots of shade, enclosed beach area w no waves and shallow warm water. Bathrooms and playground nearby. Loved it. read more

Amazing snorkeling, great beach that is clean with a park and an area for shallow swimming. We had coffee and breakfast on the East Shore watching the sunrise. If you are looking for a place that is for families, this is a great choice. Parking is very easy and restrooms are close by. Bring your coffee and a bagel and watch sunrise! read more

Great for the kids, you betcha! Great for snorkeling, sure thing! Great for accessibilty for handicapped, no problemo! Great for picnics, this reigns supreme! Great playground, count on it! Great for sunbathing, you got that right, brah! Great for swimming, no doubt! Disclaimer - this beach is not good for the following activities: boogie boarding/surfing - protected by man-made rock-wall; adults w/o kids - you will not get the deserted island feel, no siree-bob! read more

Lydgate is a pretty awesome place to go. They have plenty great facilities, showers to wash the sand off and a great place to swim in protected waters. The breakwater is an excellent way to make sure you don't get pummeled by the waves. Don't get me wrong, you still feel the ebb and flow of the waves, there just isn't a lot of power behind them where you are swimming. And for the little ones, there is even another section inside another breakwater which makes for a very safe kiddie pool. It's really a great place to spend some nice beach time. Will I be back? I really hope to! read more

Amazing beach for children and adults. The lava rock enclosed pools are great, and make this an infinitely better beach than any others on this part of the island. My 20 month old had a wonderful time in the small pool, so much so that we came just about every day of our visit. The larger pool was great too for the adults, as my wife and I enjoyed swimming there and holding our toddler. Seems like a great place for snorkeling too, as we could see tons of fish swimming around us. read more

we took the first flight of the day from honolulu, and lets just say we arrived way earlier than check in time at our resort. we kinda planned it that way so we could make the most of the 5 days we were on kauai! literally right after we got our rental car and were driving figuring out where to go we drove past this park, and my bf said it was something he had written down to check out. im so glad we stopped! it was prob around 8-9 am when we got to the park and the weather was perfect. we started on the walkway to the right of the parking lot. soon we were greeted by so many feral cats. i am a cat person (maybe even a crazy cat lady) so i was in heaven! the first 50 photos on my camera were mostly all cats. lol. once we made it past the cats we followed the sign to the bridge area. it looked a little creepy but what a cool play structure for the kids, and kids at heart! we walked down to the beach right behind the play structure and it was so quiet and peaceful. the sand was so soft too. we sat for a bit before heading back to the parking lot. we also noticed a camp ground, beach camping is one of my favorite things to do. as other yelpers have mentioned this park is suuuuper clean! after living in honolulu, i was kind of expecting all the beach bathrooms on kauai to be the same but i was gladly mistaken! its nice to see that ppl take care of their cities here on kauai! if youre coming from the airport and have time to spare check out lydgate park! you wont be disappointed! read more

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Great place to stay. Rooms are very spacious and comfortable. Front desk is friendly and helpful. Great snorkeling and boogie boarding a few minutes away and great for families. Strongly recommend this. read more

Lydgate Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Lydgate Beach is a great family beach. It's clean, it's pretty, it's got a park, there's an area perfect for shallow swimming and snorkeling surrounded by a semicircle of rocks. It's not as EXCITING as some of Kauai's other beaches, but you can drive right up, plop yourself down, and make a day of it. Since it's on the East Shore, sunrises are pretty good here. I will also note that if you lose something in the snorkeling area and can't find it, the lifeguards can recommend you a couple of "treasure hunters" who come out here periodically with their metal detectors, and they can most always find it. Like, hypothetically, if your newlywed husband loses his wedding ring while snorkeling, one of them will probably find it, and bring it to you or mail it to you once you get home for a finder's fee. Allegedly. read more

This has to be the best beach we have been to so far! It has a great area to swim and snorkel. The play area for kids is HUGE! The place you snorkel is perfect for kids too as most of the area you can stand. It is clean, there are lifeguards, there are many picnic areas and for such a great location it was not over packed. We will be going here often on our trip. read more

This beach is definitely meant for families with kids. Lots of picnic tables with newly renovated restrooms & showers, you could easily set up camp here & hang out all day. There's a man made lagoon of sorts that creates a pool of calm water as the waves are stopped by a rock wall so it's a nice place for kids to swim & snorkel. Keep in mind there are no fish in the lagoon at all, or at least none that I saw today, so don't come here expecting a good snorkel. The one thing I really didn't like here though was all the small pieces of trash & plastic in the sand, it was everywhere & seemed to be incorporated into the sand, so tragic. My favorite part of the beach is actually outside of this protected swimming area, the part where the ocean is at its best - roaring waves that seem to go on for miles. These waves were perfect for a few hours of body surfing & wading around. They can get pretty big & rough, but that's part of the fun! Though I do not recommend it if you are not a good swimmer or don't like being pushed around by water. These are the kind of waves that can pull your suit off (sorry for all the people I may have flashed or mooned by accident!). But because the water may scare people off, you pretty much have this part of the beach all to yourself! read more

Favorite beach on Kappa. The rockwall keeps the waves from being overwhelming even during rougher ocean conditions and is a great place to look for aquatic friends (Check out the right side of the rockwall as you face the ocean for the most fish). Even people with minimal swimming ability can easily enjoy snorkeling at this beach. A very good beach to practice snorkeling even if the variety of fish isn't quite as good as some other beaches on the island. read more

I don't understand some of the reviews here. Of course the surf is dangerous - it's Kauai! Go to Maui or something and play in the little ripples at Wailea. Don't come to Kauai and expect perfectly safe conditions everyday. That isn't going to happen. This beach is a good stop when driving from Poipu to Hanalei area. The beach, in my opinion, is pretty safe when there is no swell. When there is a swell, every beach can be dangerous. There are strong currents here too, even when no swell is present. Be careful. Lydgate is an okay snorkel spot. read more

We took our baby here since its considered a "baby beach" in some parts where the reef protects against the surf. It was perfect for her to splash around in the warm water. Not a huge amount of sand, but a great spot for a quick dip. read more

Nice low key beach to chill at on our last day in Kauai and Hawaii. There are man-made rock walls that create pools protected from the surf. Perfect for kids and wading. There is more debris in the sand so just watch for small rocks, wood chunks, and dead coral while walking around. Water shoes aren't necessary. There are bathrooms, rinse off stations and a short walk from parking to beach. read more

Swam two days here! The park has 2 swimming areas where you can swim and snorkel. The black rock barriers protects swimmers from the crashing waves. Thus is a huge park with a play are for kids and several picnic tables (get there early for one). We were lucky to share a table with another couple. There's sand beach and grass to spread a blanket over. Great place to spend the day so bring your cooler! You won't be sorry you came! read more

Great beach for kids. There is an area protected by a wall of rocks that blocks the waves. So many fishes by the rocks so snorkeling is also very good. Not as big as Haunama Bay in Oahu, but as good as it gets on the south side of Kauai. read more

This was the beach we spent the most time at while in Kauai. Reason being, it has a great rock-walled swimming area. During the fall and winter months, the surf in Hawaii is a little rough, and a bit too much for a water wimp like me. So, my amazing husband found this place in our "Revealed" book, and thought it would be perfect for me, and give me a chance to swim. I was so happy!!! I loved swimming here, surrounded by beautiful tropical fish...I admit, I did ask my husband to catch one for dinner....Only one, I swear! There's plenty of parking, and we never felt crowded on the beach. I would definitely return! read more

This is a pretty awesome beach park. It's probably more useful for locals and tourists unless you've got kids.

We came searching for the big multi-level play structure, not to be confused w the smaller one (yet still pretty big) on the other side of the park. If you have kids, the structure is super fun. You have to go to the end of Nehe Rd to find the big one, past the campgrounds. Beach is good but a little on the rougher side. Of course the tide changes, but over years of visiting, I have yet to see it super calm. Park has facilities. read more

Lydgate Beach Park - Pano of large wooden playset on Nehe road - Parks Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Kid friendly and parent friendly. Clean bathrooms, shade, and no waves which make for a relaxing day. Visited this beach twice during our 1 week stay in Kapaa. Not overly crowded. Even saw lots of fish swim by while just swimming close to shore! Recommend this beach highly if you have kids, or are a first time snorkeler. read more

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My favorite baby beach in Kaui hands down. My 5 year old loves it. I was surprised by how much fish was swiming around.

If you want some privacy and are looking just to put your feet in and spend more time sunning, go to the camping area to the right of the popular beachy area. This is much less noisy, not kiddos and lots of lovely wave sounds here...ahhhhhh read more

Great combo beach /. IG waves and also calm swimming pools. Loved it. Lots of sandy beach area. Plenty of parking. Bathrooms available. Very nice spot. read more

Best family beach in Kauai. Has a beautiful park and a shallow pond for non swimmers. Went on a Wednesday and it wasn't crowded at all. Parking is close to the beach and clean bathrooms. Better than the crowded Poipu and baby beach. read more

We liked it better than Poipu. Two separate lagoon areas for kids with easy snorkeling. We had a great experience.

Nice family beach. Very clean and the waters are very calm. I wasn't "wow'd" about this beach and it's snorkeling because it didnt have the scenery as other beaches on the island. This beach was very recommended by the "Ultimate Kauai Book" though, so we checked it out. It is a very good beach for BEGINNER snorkeling. If you have never done it before, this is the training ground to do it. The water is encased by a wall of rocks, so the waves do not get to the shore in the snorkeling area. There is a separate little kiddie wading shore area where it is shallow and great for kids! But since I had already gone snorkeling to Poipu beach and Lawa'i beach, this was like going down the bunny slope on snowskis after skiing the intermediate slopes. It is a very good place to just relax and lay out and read a book. Great for that. read more

There aren't too many beaches in Kauai that are easy to get to and have any semblance of a public beach, but this is one of them. If you want restrooms, picnic tables, close parking, and no hike down to the beach, this is your place. It is still Kauai beautiful. read more

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I can't help it, this is one of my favorite beaches on Kauai. I guess it's because I was born and raised there, and this is the beach we went to the most (when we went to the beach; my mom didn't swim). And of course, during small need time, driving to Wailua was kind of far, even though we lived in Kapaa. Oh the joys of living on a small island. Unfortunately, since the "pools" are man made, the beach area sometimes struggles with debris, as it did the last time I was there in June 2012, Tends to get crowded during the day, but early in the morning, it is a great place to get a few laps in or to do yoga on the beach (I'm talking sunrise early). Even when it was crowded, I didn't have any problems swimming laps. There is an outdoor shower so that you can rinse off the salt water and there are lifeguards during posted times, Baby beach is great for families with small children, although the lifeguards are more focused on the bigger beach area. read more

Another great kid's park. They have this awesome giant wooden plant structure built by volunteers and donated material. The protected swimming areas would have been great if it hadn't been for a recent storm that wash a ton of lumber down the river that the ocean tide threw right back at the shoreline and over the seawall. What a complete mess. You couldn't even see the water. Just a sea of logs and debris. The city was busy cleaning it up with an endless line of dump trunks and several tractors. read more

We just visited based on all the great reviews. Maybe based on the recent storm the cove was not looking great it had lots of branches and debris washed onshore so we did not let the kids go in. We did go to the play structure across the street which was very neat. However be careful there are lots of bugs and spiders. Also some dangerous sections of the playground that need to be repaired. read more

Great beach great spot for the sunrise. If you can stay at the Hilton. They have cottages right in that park! Great place.

Lydgate was one of my favorite places to snorkel. Why you ask? - Paved parking lot w/plenty of spaces; - Facilities; - Lifeguard; - You can stand up in the water if you freak out; - Rock walled lagoon makes for calm waters; - There's a surprising amount of fish (very large, bright, and some teeny tiny) despite the shallow and protected waters; and - You can still do laps across the lagoon even though it's shallow. read more

Good place for the keiki! Super big play structure with lots of tables and shelters for a picnic. The swimming area is well protected even on the roughest days. read more

A great place to take beginners or little ones to snorkel and get a chance to look at fish! There's two different ponds, one is smaller and more shallow and the other one is bigger, getting more waves and has the fish in it. The beach is crowded but not crowded enough to bump into each other in the water. There is hardly any coral in the water however the fish are swimming right under and around you. The water is pretty clear too, you can see them all around your feet. The blue ones are cool to follow around and aren't scared to get close to you in their packs. read more

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Absolutely a must-visit place for kids and beginner snorkelers. The protected swimming area meant that we didn't have to fight the waves to swim around. There is also a playground across the street that is a fun little stop for the kids if they get water-logged. Wonderful beach- especially for the keiki. read more

Great simple beach area with a large outcrop of rocks that protects kids and families from the harsh waves. read more

Lydgate Beach Park - Seating area overlooking the beach - Parks Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Another great beach spot. We made a VERY quick stop here before heading back to the airport. Wished we had given ourselves more time to explore it. We'll have to explore the protected area for kids a little further next time. read more