Kee Beach
Haena, HI
Kee Beach marks the literal end of the road on Kauai's north shore, a small, reef sheltered cove tucked beneath the cliffs where the pavement stops and the Napali Coast begins. It doubles as the trailhead for the Kalalau Trail, so the same sand that families wade off of also sends hikers toward some of the most dramatic coastline in Hawaii.
The setting, right where the road ends and the Napali cliffs begin, is one of the most dramatic on Kauai, though the reservation system and trailhead crowds mean it rarely feels like a quiet local beach anymore.
How we score beachesBook your Haena State Park reservation weeks ahead if you can. Slots fill fast, and showing up without one means being turned away at the gate no matter how far you've driven.
Every visitor needs a reservation through Haena State Park, either a parking pass for the small lot or a shuttle ticket, both booked online in advance.
A short, mostly flat path leads from the lot to the sand, though the reef and rocks close to shore make for an uneven entry into the water.
Dogs are not permitted on the beach at Kee, since Haena State Park follows the same statewide ban on pets on state park sand.
Summer's calmer water is best for swimming inside the reef, while winter's north swells and heavier rain, since this is the wettest side of the island, can make the cove rough and the trailhead muddy.
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