Horrible for Snorkeling / Great for younger children Yesterday, our last day on Kauai, we decided to stop by Lydgate Beach Park for some snorkeling (based, in part, on another Yelp review). Well, as of July 29, 2015, Lydgate is a very poor snorkeling option. My daughter and I tried both the small and large protected pools, and we could not see further that a couple of feet in front of our face. The water was extremely cloudy and murky. We did see a surgeonfish that swam a couple of feet below us, but that was it! I guess it may be better at other times (maybe early in the day? - we went in the early afternoon), but it was not a good snorkeling trip for us. If, however, you are looking for a beach park protected from the ocean's power and do not care about snorkeling / water clarity, then this could be a good option. I did notice that there were quite a few families there enjoying the beach. read more

Lot of memories at this park. My kids love this place its where it all began for them and Hawaii. Jellyfish stings, eating off the rocks, snorkling, and all that stuff. Perfect beach park for doing just whatever you know. Bunch of fish on the rocks the other day easy to see with simple mask. Shower off area, Bbq's and always a few baby showers , party's going on. read more

Lydgate Beach Park - Parks Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

This would be my favorite beach in Kauai, just go during low tide. And prepare to get by lists of driftwood, rocks and coral. The beach has become a driftwood graveyard. read more

Very nice family beach. Water was s little murky due to strong current. Lots of fish in the bigger pond area. Not that many people so parking was really easy read more

Lydgate Beach Park - Meeting new friends - Parks Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Great place for snorkeling and nice to visit first thing in the morning or it can get overcrowded. The swimming is great!

Lydgate Beach Park was the brainchild of a guy named Lydgate who, back in the 40's, wanted a safe place for his kids to swim on the oft-treacherous east-side of Kauai. Story goes that on a trip to Italy he saw a rocked-in swim area in the ocean and got the idea to do that back on Kauai. With a little help from his senator he scored a grant to get what would be called Lydgate park built. The things you learn from reading plaques in parks... We found Lydgate because it's essentially the second-closest beach park to our vacation rental. The beach has two sides, one that's completely exposed to the ocean and offers some reef and shore break, and anther that's been enclosed by a rock jetty in to two pools, one about half the size of a soccer field that gets about 7 or 8 feet deep, and a kiddie/wading pool. On an otherwise rough day at sea, Lydgate's two protected pools are still calm as can be. There are plenty of signs that signal the types of fish you're supposedly likely to see here, but when we visited it was a virtual fish desert. Nothing but a few small typical fish. We later learned, from talking to a local, that the state or county had done some dredging there recently and messed it all up. I guess the main pool used to be teeming with fish of all types, but now it's more enclosed, or something, so the water is more stagnant and has less life. Boo. That said, the sand here is plenty great, and if you've got little ones in your group, they're as safe as they would be in a swimming pool. The rest of this park consists of a shower area, some restrooms, and a large picnic section with multiple enclosures and a ton of tables. The picnic area sits down behind a bit of a berm formed by the beach, so I'm guessing the near-constant winds on this side of the island are subdued a bit down in that area. There was always plenty of parking on our visits and the park is easily accessible from Kuhio Hwy. Not my first choice of beaches on Kauai, especially the lack of sealife in the enclosures. Plus, I can see how on nice days there'd be way too many kids here. But if you have kids, this park is great for you. read more

Lydgate is BACK! After murky water and no fish at our last few (yearly) trips, I am happy to report that last month the swimming area of Lydgate beach park offered fairly clear water and plenty of fish to visit. I guess it took a couple of years for the fish to find their way back in and for the bottom to settle after the state "improved" the beach by reworking the rock wall that keeps the big ocean (and big fish) out of the man-made swimming and snorkeling area. I saw multiple box puffers, a big porcupine fish hiding under a rock, schools of various tang, butterfly fish, goatfish, moorish idol, various surgeonfish (including a school of plate-sized purple ones), needlefish, that flat one with googly eyes that skitters along the ocean floor blending in with the sand, and - as I'd read about in a yelp review before my most recent visit - the multiple barracuda which hover right below the surface of the water. The barracuda suspend almost frozen; frankly they freaked me out so we gave them a wide berth. The other reviewer is correct - looking down as you do when snorkeling, I would've missed them. Because I'd read about them, I was sure to scope out the water just below the surface, too, and there they were. (Note: don't wear anything sparkly like a barrette or pins to hold your hair back. I read elsewhere of mishaps where barracuda mistook sparkly hair pin for a little fish - ouch). The fish were all, as expected, mostly at the perimeter along the rockwall. A couple of the schools of fish swam back and forth across the deeper part of the swimming area, from the wall toward the shore and back. Overall, a fantastic day of snorkeling in a relatively safe bit of ocean. Thanks, Kauai! read more

This is a very nice park and beach! It has two small protected reefs one for little kids, and one for bigger kids. But for walking around or snorkeling you can feel pretty safe that you won't wash out to sea very far! Which in these waters I think if your not careful it could easily happen as there are warning signs all over the shores of Kauai. If you don't like to be around a bunch of people with kids then this beach isn't for you, but I walked off down the beach and found a pleasant little cove and place to lay in the sun and read a book for awhile away from the crowds. Only a little while later a small group came down the hill and tuns out they were having their wedding there! There are so many beautiful places on the island I just don't really get why they picked this beach? Oh well looks like they had a very beautiful beach wedding anyway! read more

Small beach but there's a breakwater which is great because you can swim without worry that waves will pummel you. It's a perfect beach to bring your kids. If you snorkel, you'll see fish here. We saw a bunch by the rocks. Someone claimed they saw a tuna. Ha ha. Another person claimed they saw a puffer fish. I dunno about that one. But, hey, you get to see some fish for sure. Water clarity isn't GREAT but it's not too bad. We were there on a relatively overcast day too. Driftwood galore. I got kinda creeped out by it because it looked so scary without a mask on. Very easy parking. Clean bathrooms. Shower to rinse. Chickens and roosters. read more

This beach park is pretty nice. Has lots of grass by the beach and covered picnic tables, so you can hang out here even when it's raining. Palms and cool vegetation plants by the beach. The beach is wide with lots of sand and space. Great place for swimming too! read more

Listen up all you tourists. This tourist found this locals' beach and you may never find a nicer beach where you come from. We went for the snorkeling - head to the west end called the pools. Snorkeling with waves breaking sucks so they put in a rock wall that created a pool perfect for swimming and snorkeling. There arent 100s of fish but there are fish in there some quite colorful. Try heading to the rock wall where some fish like to hang out. 1 even kept nibbling my fin. Very nice clean beach with families galore. Your kids may even thank you for taking them there. read more

I have mixed feelings about this beach. It is so perfect for kids ideally. A nice closed off cove made safe from sharks and huge waves to swim BUT the water is so so dirty. Partly due to tree debris but worse, there was so much trash and plastic in the water. It was heartbreaking to see such a nice place treated that way with litter. I did not feel comfortable swimming long. Also the snorkeling was awful. It was cloudy-- hard to see what little fish there was to see. A great place to sunbathe if you have kids though-- and nice that there is a playground and lots of picnic benches which make me give this a 3 instead of a 2 rating. read more

I was told that this place would be good for snorkeling but that was not the case :( very sandy and murky in the water and not much to see. Very good beach for swimming though because of the rock walls. Awesome playground too!! Pretty cool stretch of beach as well, quiet and serene. read more

This place is really cool. Only complaint is the beach in front of the swimming area is small so there were a lot of people in a small area. The area has a lifeguard on duty and kiddies can literally swim with the fishes. The park also has a playground, large grassy area, and BBQ sites. Definitely a must go. read more

Once we found it... I was so happy to go here twice in out week long visit to Kauai. I really enjoyed snorkeling here (lots of fish to see) and the water is perfect for swimming. The natural rock pool cuts out the giant waves so you can just enjoy being in the water. There is even a shallower pool perfect for little ones. The beach has sandy areas and then nice grassy areas to lay out. Lots of picnic tables and shade. Bathrooms & showers. read more

we read in a couple of guidebooks that this was one of the best places to start snorkeling on kauai, for kids and for beginners. since i didn't have a great time snorkeling in maui, i thought i'd give this place a chance. after picking up $9 rental gear from snorkel bob's, deepee and i headed down here- pretty easy to find with a map. we had some lunch, then headed toward the shore where they have a reef break that creates a swim area for snorkelers. put on the mask and fins (which you don't really need), and got my head down in the water. unfortunately, only saw about 2 types of fish, so that's why i'm only giving it 3 stars. maybe it was the time of day or something, but it was pretty lame. read more

I was there on 7-25-10 sunday afternoon for a picnic (was at an area with overhead enclosure), some students,instructors, and I demonstrated the kali in front of family/friends. Also, on the stage, family members sang their songs from old school to new school style music---the largusa family is very talented. I was not at the beach on that day (maybe I will be there another time in the future). read more

For safe and protected beach swimming in a lovely setting, this is it! The park has ample parking, bathrooms and showers, a life guard, shade, and a lovely setting. We enjoyed several visits to swim (snorkeling too, but a tad limited due to the rock wall). read more

Great snorkel spot for kids, we actually saw many fish here. The water is not too deep and the waves are broken by the wall. Best spot for kids to swim read more

Really nice beach if you have little ones -- the water was lovely and safe for toddlers to paddle around.

We had a great time at this beach! We snorkeled and saw awesome fish! A ton of birds and really had a great day.

I love this beach! Nice, calm waves, and a little jetty that makes it perfect place for those not to good at snorkeling, or swimming, and a great beach for kids. Come with snorkel gear and you'll have a great time! Bathrooms and showers, but no restaurants within walking distance. read more

Being that I don't live on this island (Kaua'i) you might think that reviewing this park might be rather difficult. After having our family reunion here for a full week and really getting to walk around the park and see everything it has to offer, I do have a little something to say about it. Although be it more of a review for visitors. If you're looking for someplace to stop off to have a nice lunch, maybe do a little swiming or let the kids run around then Lydgate park is the perfect place to go. Just a short 10-15 minute drive north of the airport, Lydgate park offers nice picnic space, a pretty nice beach to swim at, and well as not one, but TWO cool playground areas. On top of all of this they also boast a lot of open space to hold sport events and a big pavilion to hold big functions. The area of the beach that you probably want to stick to is at the far north end where it's like a big tidepool. There's a nice little beach area and the water is a lot calmer. What really makes this park though is the Kamalani Playground and Playbridge--two different play areas for kids. At the north end of the park sits the Kamalani Playground--a number of wooden structures for kids to climb all over, run around on. I simply can't describe how cool this place is for kids, and here I am a grown up talking about it. There is just so much for them to run around on and play on over here. On the south side of the park sits the Kamalani Playbride which consists of two 2-3 story high wooden structures that sit on either side of the vehicle path that are connected by a bridge. Not as fun as the playground because it doesn't have as much stuff to do as the playground, kids with imagination and a few friends could still have a good time playing tag or chasemaster on it. One downer though about the playbridge, it's not as well maintained as the play area and I would check the lower areas of it first as homeless or others could use it as a shelter. Cool park with a nice beach and two cool playgrounds. ***EDIT*** Ouch Jen A, Dinging a star for advertising that you found somewhere else? A bit harsh? read more

Lydgate has always been a go-to snorkeling spot for us whenever we come to Kauai. It is quite a popular beach because of the lagoon area so it is a great spot for families, kids, and first-time snorkelers. You will for sure see the pretty fish in the lagoon. Another plus to the lagoon is that even if there are rough waves in the ocean, you will be unaffected by them in the lagoon. If you want more advanced snorkeling and a more diverse array of fish species, I'd go elsewhere. Overall, this is a great beach to see some fishies :) read more

Snorkeled here for about 15 minutes, theres hardly any fish or coral. The deepest spot is around 7ft. Could be good for kids though

very nicely made park with a large playground and two "pools" made with rock barriers...the water still has a bit of a current because the outside beach is pretty rough but the pools are popular with kids. Just watch out for barracuda. They love these ponds because of the trapped fish that they snap in two and eat. I asked the lifeguard about them and he says there are always a couple of pairs of them. The one I saw was over 2 feet long and he says "been in there since they were babies." No bites yet and no fingers taken off he said but you never know. I would exercise caution. I've never seen such big ones so close to shore before. And would echo another reviewer's statement not to wear sparkly things or anything that could allow the barracudas to mistake you or your child for a fish. read more

Great place all around. We snorkeled here and discovered a plethora of fish. The swimming area is closed off to prevent any issues with currents and safety. On top of that there is a lifeguard in duty. Very accessible and usually not too busy to relax and keep to yourself. There are also restrooms nearby. read more

So on my last trip to Kauai my family stayed in the Poipu area. It was definitely a nice place to stay. This comes from someone who was born on the island and family grew up there. While Poipu beaches are nice, Lydgate is my favorite beach to take my young son. He's too young for lots of water sports, but loves the beach in general. My husband loves to swim in the ocean. This beach meets both of their needs. Plus when we went from crowded Poipu to Lydgate, we found a beach paradise that had fewer people and plenty of parking. I could do without one thing on all Kauai beaches or beaches in general. People, everyone, pick up your trash! read more

This is one of the best park I went in Kauai! We especially love the beach. There is a lagoon area and I think it's perfectly for young kids (I have a 5 years old and 3 years old). Life guard is on duty too. Would definitely come back on the next visit in Kauai. read more

Great park/swimming for all ages! Snorkelers will see some awesome fish below and the swimming area is enclosed so you don't have to worry about getting swept away. Plenty of room to park, which is not the case on all island beaches. There are outdoor showers and restrooms (indoors of course). Lots of smiles all around on this beach. read more

You were staying in Kapaa and took a walk and discovered this beautiful find. They have many local events here as you can tell by the sweeping grounds and large picnic area. However what was most distinctive about it was the beautiful views and beach access. There are lots of chickens here make no doubt about it. The chickens are smart they know to go wherever children are present and there lots of kids here. They have protected areas for swimming with lots of children - safe it's fun it's a great place to learn to snorkel. However, for me the best part was taking a long stroll on the paved handicap accessible pathway that goes along the beach/coastline. It lasted a couple miles or, and was so absolutely beautiful. One of the best days of my life on the island. read more

This beach is one of my most earliest memories. For this reason, it gets a 5 star rating. This is the beach is where I learned how to swim. The beach is perfect of families with young children because it blocked off with huge boulders to cut of and swells. Love doing laps across the big ponds. Such a great workout. Also, its not a far walk up to the hei'au and some petroglyphs. read more

Quite a pretty park, and right off the main drive. I do like the beaches you have to hike to; but for a quick stop with our daughter, it was perfect. We walked up and down the beach, chased some chickens, played with some driftwood...and it was all lovely. Saw a ton of crab holes but no crabs... read more

This was a great beach park. Awesome for big crowds getting together and chilling out in the hot sun and enjoying some beer (not sure if allowed or not but people do), I came here for a rehearsal dinner. They had reserved a big pavilion with attached bathrooms. I have no complaints about this place. Great spot. read more

Best for snorkeling! The had a "pond" that's blocked off from the ocean and it's perfect for beginner swimmers to snorkel. The deepest is about 4.5 feet. There's a ton of tropical fish that you can swim with. The water was a bit cold on April 24 but bearable. Loved this place! read more

Love this park. Clean facilities, nice grass, a great rock wall to make it safe for swimming and a feral cat colony.

If you're not a strong swimmer, this beach is perfect. It's safe, there are fish to see, and there's plenty of space to lay out and relax. It has bathrooms and a shower, too. read more

The imaginative and expansive play ground, rock walled lagoon for waders and snorkelers, the sports fields and strong community presence makes it a fun place to be. I can't even count how many family parties and BBQ's I saw when I strolled the beach every day of my stay. It seems like Hawaiians have such big Barbeques they must have to invite the family members they don't like! " Oh, Jim ran over grandma yesterday." " Okay, but he's coming to the beach today, right?" That's probably not how it goes down- my point is there are a lot of Barbecues. I got a good tan here- mostly in one day. In Seattle we get like four sunny, 80+ degree days a year. I forgot all about sunscreen as it relates to my skin- I was more worried about poisoning the fish. It's hard to see other snorkelers until you're right on them, though- so look up frequently. read more

what a nice fun beach to chill at in kapaa Kaua'i. The waters itself around the reef is very rough but they put up a barrier around the beach to slow the water down. As a result the waters are very calm and it makes it a perfect family beach. Hawaii law states all beaches must be made public so its free to get in and the parking is as well. No food stands or drink stands are close by so bring water and sandwich's to save the hunger pains. The beach is also surrounds by near hotels. The hotels are close but not close enough where you feel like you're invading someone elses space. read more

Great for toddlers and small kids! Also super fun for beginning snorkelers. Two manmade rock enclosed ocean pools. Super safe and easy. We say about 6 different kinds of fish in the larger of the two "pools". The park and parking is free! read more