Haena Beach Park
Haena, HI
Haena Beach Park sits across the road from the Maniniholo dry cave, a wide county park beach that fills with campers and picnickers before the road narrows toward Kee. The reef offshore holds some of the north shore's better snorkeling on a calm summer day, close enough to walk to right from the grassy park.
A reliable, well used county park with real snorkeling on a good day, though it gets crowded fast once the Kee Beach traffic backs up the road past it.
How we score beachesSnorkel here in the early morning before the wind picks up. The reef, known locally as Cannons, gets choppy by midday most of the year.
A paved lot sits right off Kuhio Highway at the park entrance, though it fills fast in the mornings during peak season.
A short, flat grassy walk connects the lot to the sand, easy for strollers, though the beach itself turns to soft sand near the water.
Dogs are not permitted at Haena Beach Park, per Kauai County park rules.
Summer's calm water and good visibility make this one of the better north shore snorkel spots, while winter's surf and currents make it a beach for walking and camping instead of getting in the water.
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