What a lovely park. We only went to Ke'e beach due to slick trails. And a flash flood warning…read more Super easy to reserve a shuttle. Park visitor number ls are limited. Reservations open 30 days in advance.

If I had a chance to avoid visiting this place, I absolutely would have. Unfortunately, this park…read moreis home to the legendary Kalalau Trail, so there's really no way around it. Even if you're only hiking to the waterfall, you're still required to pay $40 per person just to enter the park. And I have a lot of questions about that. 1. We booked the earliest possible shuttle and paid for it, but we ended up leaving 15 minutes late because we were waiting for other people -- which meant we completely missed sunrise. 2. The park itself is dirty. The restrooms are in terrible condition, and there wasn't even toilet paper. You're charging $40 for entry and can't provide the absolute basics? Don't even get me started on the lack of water stations or hand sanitizer near the bathrooms. All of this is standard in California state and national parks, and they don't charge anywhere near this much. 3. On the way in, we were told about drop-off and pick-up locations along the route. In reality, the shuttles basically never stop there. We got off at one of those spots to grab coffee and then couldn't get back on -bus after bus just drove past us. After waiting for an hour, one shuttle finally stopped to drop off a passenger, but there wasn't enough space for the two of us. So yes, when leaving the park, they don't even plan to leave room to pick people up. Be prepared to walk 5 miles. Of course, the views are incredible, and even with this level of service, the park is still worth seeing. That said, I'd strongly recommend getting as close as possible to town or the beach before the park opens and then walking in on your own. Bring water, wet wipes, and refillable bottles. If you're worried about drinking the water, bring purification tablets -despite park staff insisting the water is absolutely not safe to drink. We drank it and were totally fine. Just go prepared and manage your expectations.

Great secluded beach near Haena state park. The wet caves are amazing structures created by natureread more

It is permanently closed. We asked the coconut sellers at the dry cave how much further it was…read moredown the road and they said it was closed and is inaccessible.

As a long secluded shoreline on the north shore of Kauai, Anini Beach Park is accessible by car via…read morea paved and winding road from the Kuhio Hwy. Another beautiful, worth-visiting beach park on the north shore of Kauai. The central point is the park, that provides plenty of paved parking (parking is also available on the side of the road that hugs the coastline). This park has dedicated camping sites, and we saw many backpack tents set-up further in from the shoreline, usually underneath shade provided by the false kamani trees. The park contains a lot of green space and facilities. My wife and I ate our deli lunch at a nearby picnic table. Turtles often come on shore here, though there were none today (probably because we came in the afternoon). One thing we noticed were all the multi-million dollar homes right on the other side of Anini Road once you pass by Anini Beach Park traveling to the west (it's a dead end, so would need to circle back to get out). They are rentable via the typical companies, and would be great for beach loving families who want to spend some secluded time near the ocean. Also in the area are small pockets where one can park their car and go out into shoreline. From there, one can see and explore the large coral reef that rings this area.

We had a good time there today. The place is nice, although there were a lot of people it's still…read moreprovided for everybody, and had the best day at the beach there!!!

If I could only visit 1 spot during my time in Kauai, I would without any hesitation choose Waimea…read moreCanyon State Park. Affectionately nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", it is easy to see how this canyon gained its affectionate moniker. Stretching 14 miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep, the Waimea Canyon provides breathtaking panoramic views of crested buttes, rugged crags and deep valley gorges. Even at the first rest stop you come across, you are already high enough that the view would have made the trip worthwhile. There are 5 rest stops on your way up to the top, each offering restrooms, trash cans, and their own respective viewing points; each stunning in its own rights. You can choose to simply stop at each stop on your way up like we did, or drive all the way to the top and work your way back down. Keep in mind it takes almost an hour to drive up to the very top without stopping. And the fog starts rolling in later on in the day obscuring visibility into the canyon. So you'll want to make sure you start your day off early if you're opting for the later strategy. For us, we started on the bottom and worked our way back up. We never made it all the way to the top as the fog had already rolled in by the time we hit the higher levels which made viewing anything on those levels impossible. There is now some construction being done for safety improvements and roadwork patching. Much of which is past due and much needed. As we started to encounter quite a few gigantic potholes on the higher elevations that often required either maneuvering around into oncoming traffic or traversing very slowly over the shallower parts of the potholes. We were quite thankful we were in a SUV because we were fairly certain we would not have made it past some of the potholes if we were in a lower profile vehicle such as a sedan or convertible. While driving the canyon is free (outside of parking), you can also splurge and view the canyon unobstructed from an ariel vantage through either a chartered plane or helicopter ride.

Photos won't do this place justice. The greenery is just vibrant!…read more Took a bus excursion through my cruise and was my favorite experience!

Initially coming here to kill a little time before a reserved tour, my wife and I really admired…read morethe planning and execution of the building/landscaping of this family park. Named after a pillar in the community who came to Kauai in the late 19th century, Lydgate Beach Park is 62 acres, with the Lydgate Park pathway encompassing 2.5 miles, a small part of the much larger Ke Ala Hele Makālae costal trail. There is plenty of parking, with both dedicated surface lots and street parking on the paved road. We immediately noticed surfers on electric surfboards out pretty far, even on this windy day. At the northern part of the park is where most people gather, close to modern facilities and a manned lifeguard station and a large covered event area with plenty of parking. Closer to the shore, we saw a seal just lying on the land, bathing in the sun, completely ignoring the people milling by. The very large safe man-made swimming/tide pools are great for the kekei and others, with constant refreshing of sea water over the lava rocks. There are picnic tables nearby as well with a lot of green space. My favorite feature are the man-made protected swimming pools, What I loved about it was how spread out everything was, with so many amenities. It just never felt crowded, even if a lot more people came. As we were leaving, my wife mentioned that Lydgate Beach is one of those rare parks where an ocean-loving family would intentionally live close by, just to be near this park.

Hands down probably the best Beach park and kids playground in the world with both combinations…read more Has a very large covered area for groups and events. Smaller covered area for public rental and reservations. 2 playgrounds next to each other. One very extensive and large playground mostly wooden and older. The other one is more modern, "smaller". Recently they added more shaded areas over parts of that playground. Lots of parking, great beach area.

I visited the Wailua Falls in Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi, Hawaii [Maalo Rd; Hwy 583] on Saturday, 01/24/26,…read morearound 3:30 PM. Wailua Falls offered an incredibly close view, which made the experience feel special. I was able to truly appreciate the waterfall's beauty up close. One fun highlight was spotting a rooster sitting right near the edge, which was such a classic Kauaʻi island moment because roosters are everywhere on the island. I also noticed a touching memorial sign dedicated to Kavika Luna, "Mr. Aloha" - The Flying Hawaiian (May 1960 - September 2024). The message spoke about rainbows appearing as he chanted and the magic of Wailua Falls coming alive. It felt meaningful because I actually caught a mini rainbow during my visit, which made the moment even more breathtaking and memorable. Overall, I was very pleased with this stop. Wailua Falls is absolutely worth checking out for its natural beauty and history.

First stop when we got to Kauai as it was 10-mins away from the airport…read more First impressions, parking is difficult as the road is narrow because of the cars parked on the side allowing a car to pass at a time. Smelly as I'm sure kids at night are drinking in this area and peeing wherever they like. However, the view of the falls is worth it. I do wish they would cut down some of the weeds as it was a bit tall. Luckily, a fellow tourist that took our family photo was tall and so he was able to capture a photo of us and the fall. I do recommend visiting but just know that the parking is chaotic. Oh, and it is free.

10/30/24 Stunning, unspoiled beauty, one of the smaller beach parks but definitely worth a visit…read morefor swimming, snorkeling & picnics. This beach park is located adjacent to an actual salt pond that is operational for locals. There are a few benches & shaded structures you may have a barbecue or picnic. There is a manned lifeguard tower. Parking is plentiful. There is a homeless encampment here, you don't bother them, they won't bother you. Enjoy the beach!

Very nice beach with shower and bathroom. I like that there are a lot of palm trees for shade on a…read morehot day. Also some tables and shaded areas here.

Would absolutely LOVE to camp here... Unfortunately arrived…read moreafter the museum and restaurant closed (-after 4). But this looks like a great place to camp. Did go into the lodge for a bit ( where the restaurant is), saw some beautiful trees and flowers. Did not explore the nature trail this time.... Drive a bit more to the Kalalau Lookout where one can see the Napali coastline and Ni'ihau in the distance. And did I mention chickens? A must see!!!

Many amazing birds I had an amazing time and when I took a water break a Kaua'i elepaio came right…read morenext to me!!!!

What a great park for rest, relaxation and golf in Lawai but close to Koloa too. The McBryde estate…read moreincludes a golf course, Japanese garden, acres of park, a Mexican restaurant (Paco's Tacos) and disc golf as well. A respite from the outside world, come here to relax, enjoy Mexican food, play golf or just go for a walk!

The staff was very friendly and the views were spectacular. A special thanks to Robert Medeiros,…read morethe manager! He took a few minutes of his day to tell us all about the history of Kukuiolono!

A group of coworkers and I hiked to Kalalau in September 2011 during the labor day weekend. The…read moreNapali coast is amazingly beautiful, but what an intense hike! I'm not a super avid hiker--I hike maybe once every 2 or 3 months. My coworkers are pretty experienced hikers, so I found myself out of my league on this advanced hike! You can do portions of the trail or the whole 11 miles all the way to Kalalau. The most common thing to do it hike to 2 miles into the beach, where the trail head for Hanakapiai waterfall is. These first 2 miles have pretty intense elevation changes, so pack lightly. The falls is an additional 2 miles in off of the main trail. If you keep going, you need to get permits from this site: https://camping.ehawaii.gov/camping/all,c-search.html At around the half-way point between the trailhead and Kalalau, you'll cross Hanakoa stream, which is the start of the trail to Hanakoa Falls. The trail was marked with pink flags when we went, but I don't expect those to last forever. There's also a camping grounds and composing toilet at this point, for those who want to hang around here. I'd recommend bringing some bug spay or at least a mosquito net if you're planning to set up camp. If you're hiking to Kalalau, grab at least a couple of liters of water at Hanakoa, because there's no guarantee of water sources beyond this. We crossed a few small streams, but they were pretty sparse and might not be flowing if there's no rain. Next is where the trail got INTENSE and my mettle was really tested. Up until this point, the trail was difficult but at least I would consider it totally safe. Beyond Hanakoa falls, you better be comfortable with heights, have some good hiking boots, and have a well-balanced pack. There are points where you're walking along a narrow ledge with nothing to hold on to with the wind whipping in your face. My coworkers were fine with this portion, but I found myself thinking, "if I die here, I'm gonna be PISSED!" My coworker appropriately named this portion "Mordor" because of the volcanic rock and impending sense of doom. After you cross Mordor, you're home free in terms of safety, but you still have a couple more miles to go. Once you get to Kalalau, you can set up camp in the trees, in the caves, or on the beach. There's a waterfall where you can shower (use only biodegradable soaps!) and a composting toilet. It was such a relief to finally get there! I set up tent and immediately crawled in for an hour nap before I arose to the smell of camp food and whiskey. I highly recommend this hike for those who are avid hikers, but definitely caution those who are just beginners like me. Do your research!

What a beautiful, secluded beach! My girlfriend and I paddled out with Kayak Kauai and spent the…read morenight sleeping under the stars. There are toilets and plenty of places to set up tents. Also, there is a small waterfall which is good for taking a quick shower in. You can also hike to this beach along the Kalalau trail, but we'd definitely recommend the kayak as you can bring more equipment and it's much easier on your body. The people arriving by foot looked completely exhausted. Make sure you get a recreational map and hike up to the pool in the valley. There are a few twists and turns in the trail, but just try to follow the stream...