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Surf
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Sunrise and sunset
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Queen's Bath in 3D
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Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · White line: walk to the sand · Heights doubled; waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·
Known hazards
“The public is advised that entry to Queen’s Bath during hazardous ocean conditions can result in injuries and drownings.”County of Kauaʻi, 2025-09-25
Closures and alerts
Closures and advisories
- Advisory: The County locked the Queen’s Bath access gate each fall from 2023 to 2025 and has never announced a reopening. No 2026 notice has been posted, so the gate is likely locked. Confirm with the Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau at 808-241-4984.
Official alerts
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Conditions
Surf
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Weather
Tide
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Parking and access
Parking
A small free trailhead lot in Princeville, about 8 to 12 spaces depending on the source. Don’t park in front of homes or condos; towing is enforced.
Getting to the sand
The trail is behind a County access gate. The County locks the gate when surf is dangerous and through most winters. When it’s locked, the trail is closed. When it’s open, the trail starts beside the trailhead lot, drops through a stream gully to the shore, then follows the lava rock west to the pools: about a third of a mile on the route mapped in OpenStreetMap.
Lifeguard
Not guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau doesn't list a lifeguard tower here.
Where we stay. We stay at Honu Hale Sunrise in Princeville. It’s ours.
See Honu Hale SunriseAbout Queen's Bath
Queen's Bath is a tide pool on a lava rock shelf in Princeville, on Kauaʻi's North Shore. Ocean water fills a natural basin in the black lava, and in summer people come to see the pool, the sea turtles feeding along the rocks, and the view down the coast.
Reaching it takes a short, steep trail from a small trailhead lot on Kapiolani Loop, past a stream and small waterfalls, then across the lava. Waves sweep across the shelf without warning, and visitors have been swept into the sea and drowned here, in 2005, 2008, 2016 and since. The County has closed the access gate each winter since at least 2023.
Queen's Bath is a tide pool on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, on the north-facing coast. No 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 Queen's Bath 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 Queen's Bath. We check every 3 hours. If our last check is more than a day old, it says “Status unknown” instead of guessing.
Why is Queen's Bath closed?
When it is, the notice that closed it is listed at the top of this page, with a link. The County of Kauaʻi closes the access gate to Queen’s Bath when the winter surf season starts: October 6, 2023, September 25, 2024 and September 25, 2025. We haven’t found a County announcement of the gate reopening in any year, so a closure can last into spring.
Where is Queen's Bath, and how do you get there?
Queen's Bath is on Kauaʻi’s North Shore. Its public access point is at GPS 22.22913, -159.48753. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Queen's Bath?
No. Queen's Bath has no County lifeguard tower. The nearest guarded beach is the place to ask about conditions.
Where do you park for Queen's Bath?
A small free trailhead lot in Princeville, about 8 to 12 spaces depending on the source. Don’t park in front of homes or condos; towing is enforced.
Can you swim at Queen's Bath?
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 a lifeguard at the nearest guarded beach. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.
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
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.