Hanakapiai Beach
Haena, HI
Hanakapiai Beach sits two miles down the Kalalau Trail from Kee, a wide, sandy river mouth beach that rewards the steep, rooted walk in with a real sense of arrival on the Napali Coast. The current here is famously dangerous, strong enough that swimming is discouraged even on calm looking days, so most people come for the view and the falls trail beyond it rather than the water.
The payoff for the hike is real, one of the most photographed beaches on the island, but the current has caused fatal drownings and the trail itself demands real preparation.
How we score beachesStart early, ideally before eight, so the return climb isn't happening in the heat of the afternoon, and so the small stream crossings near the start are easier before any afternoon rain raises them.
Parking or a shuttle seat at Kee requires an advance reservation through the Haena State Park system, booked online up to thirty days ahead.
The trail is unpaved, steep in sections, and crosses several stream crossings, a genuine two mile hike each way that isn't suitable for strollers, wheelchairs, or anyone without sturdy footwear.
Summer brings calmer trail conditions and lower stream crossings, while winter's heavier rain can swell the streams enough to turn people back partway down. The ocean current stays dangerous in both seasons.
More Hawaii beaches
Waikiki Beach
Honolulu, HI · Hawaii
4 access points
The beach that put Hawaii surfing on the map, with gentle, forgiving waves for beginners, Diamond Head crater as a backdrop, and a reef that keeps the water calm most of the year.
Lanikai Beach
Kailua, HI · Hawaii
A quiet, residential-neighborhood beach on Oahu's windward side, with powder-soft sand, turquoise water, and two small offshore islets (the Mokulua) as a paddling destination.
Poipu Beach
Koloa, HI · Hawaii
A sheltered, sunny south-shore beach on Kauai split into a calm swimming lagoon and a livelier surf side, with a good chance of spotting Hawaiian monk seals resting on the sand.