Kēʻē Beach, Kauai: Is Hāʻena State Park Open? Parking

Is it open?

No closures reported

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Lifeguard

Lifeguard tower

Details

Weather

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Air temp

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UV index

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Surf

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Water temp

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Sunrise and sunset

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Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR and Hawaiʻi Department of Health, checked every 3 hours. Weather, surf and alerts: National Weather Service. UV: US EPA forecast. Water: NOAA sensor at Nāwiliwili Harbor. Every beach

Kēʻē Beach in 3D

The 3D view loads when you scroll here.

Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · White line: walk to the sand · waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·

Known hazards

“Hanakapiai Stream, at flood stage has claimed numerous lives over the years, when people attempting to cross it are swept out to sea.”Hawaiʻi DLNR (State of Hawaiʻi), 2016-02-17

Closures and alerts

Closures and advisories

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County of Kauaʻi, DLNR and Hawaiʻi Department of Health notices, checked every 3 hours. Every beach

Official alerts

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Conditions

Surf

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Weather

Tide

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Parking and access

Parking

Parking is inside Hāʻena State Park and needs a reservation for visitors who aren’t Hawaiʻi residents. Reservations open 30 days ahead at midnight Hawaiʻi time and sell out fast; some come back around 7 to 8 a.m. Prices change, so check the booking page. Parking outside the park breaks the reservation terms, and fines start at $200. The other option is the North Shore shuttle.

Getting to the sand

Walk from the park lot to the sand. Park hours are 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.

From public sources, checked October 26, 2026: Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of State Parks, Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of State Parks, Go Hāʻena, Hawaii News Now, Hawaii.com, OpenStreetMap contributors. Lot sizes and fill times change; the status at the top of this page shows current closures.

Lifeguard

Guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau staffs a lifeguard tower here.

Source: County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau

Where we stay. We stay at Honu Hale Sunrise in Princeville. It’s ours.

See Honu Hale Sunrise

About Kēʻē Beach

Kēʻē Beach is the end of the road on Kauaʻi's North Shore, at the western edge of Hāʻena State Park. It is where the Nā Pali Coast begins: the Kalalau Trail starts just before the beach, and the sand looks straight up the line of fluted Nā Pali cliffs.

People come for that view, especially at sunset, and for the reef lagoon close to shore, which snorkelers visit in summer. On the slope above the beach are Ke Ahu a Laka, a hālau hula (hula platform) that hula practitioners count among the most important in Hawaiʻi, and the heiau (temple) Ka-ulu-a-Paoa, part of an archaeological complex on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors from outside Hawaiʻi need an advance reservation for entry or parking.

Sources: Hawaiʻi DLNR State Parks, Wikipedia: Hāʻena Archeological Complex.

Kēʻē Beach (also called Hāʻena State Park) is a beach on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, on the north-facing coast. A County lifeguard tower covers it. Its surf follows the National Weather Service forecast for North-facing shores, and its tides follow NOAA’s Hanalei Bay station.

Questions

Is Kēʻē Beach open?

The top of this page shows any closure or advisory that the County of Kauaʻi, the State (DLNR) or the Hawaiʻi Department of Health has posted for Kēʻē Beach. We check every 3 hours. If our last check is more than a day old, it says “Status unknown” instead of guessing.

Where is Kēʻē Beach, and how do you get there?

Kēʻē Beach is on Kauaʻi’s North Shore. Its public access point is at GPS 22.22206, -159.58266. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.

Is there a lifeguard at Kēʻē Beach?

Yes. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau staffs a lifeguard tower at Kēʻē Beach. Check in with the lifeguard before you get in the water.

Do you need a reservation for Kēʻē Beach?

Yes, if you’re not a Hawaiʻi resident. Kēʻē is inside Hāʻena State Park. Visitors need a park entry or parking reservation from Go Hāʻena, sold up to 30 days ahead. Hawaiʻi residents with a Hawaiʻi ID enter free. Prices change, so check the booking page. Source: DLNR, Hāʻena State Park.

Where do you park for Kēʻē Beach?

Can you swim at Kēʻē Beach?

That changes day to day with the surf, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the North-facing surf range above, any alerts, and the lifeguard on duty. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.

Can you snorkel at Kēʻē Beach?

People ask this a lot, and the answer changes daily. Snorkeling depends on small surf on the north-facing shore and clear water, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the surf range above, any Health Department brown water advisory (listed at the top of this page when one is posted), and ask the lifeguard on duty.

Report conditions

Just there? Tell us what you found. Reports never change this page by themselves.

Sources

Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
Surf, weather and alerts: National Weather Service Honolulu
Tides: NOAA station 1611683

Sources last checked October 26, 2026.