The State of Hawaii announced that the longest beach on Kauai, and one of the most beautiful award-winning beaches in the entire state, has been closed. Visitors and residents should take notice that there is no access at this time. Polihale Beach has been long-troubled and was closed previously in 2020 related to illegal camping and other problems.
On a more positive note, Polihale received international acclaim when Travel and Leisure rated it the “world’s best-secluded beach.” It is a spectacular seven miles long and features 100-foot-tall dunes.
Polihale facilities were improved several years ago with cell phone service, new restrooms, and other facilities and shelters for day and overnight camping.
Why is Polihale Beach closed?
The DLNR website says only that it is closed until further notice. We have been told there is no power or water at the beach. Others have mentioned the torrential rain earlier this week, which would likely have made the road nearly impassable. We are awaiting further word regarding the reason for the closure.
Last month, the state reported receiving input from 1.3k people identifying potential Polihale improvements and access and management policies for the state park.
Is a visitor admission charge upcoming?
We also suspect that access to Polihale is about to have an admission charge for visitors, as has been the case with other state parks like Haena State Park on North Shore Kauai. Should that happen, we also envision the road needing to change. BOH editor Rob said a paved road would lose some of the beach’s allure. It would also increase traffic, although that could be mitigated by severely limiting paid visitor access. The current dirt road is a bumpy 5-mile ride that takes 20 minutes or longer to navigate, depending on conditions.
World’s Best Secluded Beach.
Polihale State Park is on many visitors’ bucket lists for Kauai, and for a good reason. It is found at the island’s western end and hugs the beautiful Na Pali Coast foothills. It is a gorgeous location for Kauai sunsets and perfect for getting away from everything. Until cell phone service started, it was also known as a place to disconnect.
Verdant cliffs frame the westernmost public beach on Kauai, accessible only via old farm roads. — Travel + Leisure
Road to Polihale.
One never forgets the rough, pothole-laden dirt sugarcane road that is an arduous five miles long after your turn off the highway. 4wd is not required, but it can certainly be helpful.
Car rentals may or may not be permitted, depending on your contract. Of course, even if it is, you can expect a filthy car when you return. Be sure to go to a car wash before returning the rental car, or you may be subject to additional cleaning charges.
Polihale Beach Kauai Map and Directions.
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My Very Very first beach I sat foot on was Polihale! That was waaaay back many moons ago. It (was) my goal to visit this beach one last time in 2024. I do hope it reopens, andif they could only fix that horrible road in, would gladly pay. There were only 2 people on the beach back then, and am sure it has been over trampeled these days. It is a beautiful place.
Please open Polihale!!
It’s our favorite beach!
We discovered this beach 3 years ago when we visited Kauai and we loved it! I am so sad to see that this beach has been shut down. Hopefully it’s just for repairs and I really hope that they do not improve the road as it is definitely what keeps the beach secluded and beautiful. Fewer visitors also means less damage to the infrastructure and the biological life in the area.
Policies has long been my favorite beach. I truly hope they do not change (pave) the road. It is a unique wild place that has remained truly iconic and a vision of the wild natural island I love.
Why do we have to guess what our State and/or City officials are doing? What happened to transparency? There should be a forthright explanation as to why the beach is closed and duration of the closure.
Seriously not a good idea to charge people to go to polihale… Polihale is polihale leave it as it is… It won’t be polihale if da roads aren’t crazy to get in lol but yah maybe can fix da road little bit kine and da bathrooms and dats about it cause for as long as I camped dea I like it as is da best part of going to polihale is trying to not get stuck in da pot holes and jus da ride going in if u know wat I mean rental cars buss’em going in as only rental we already gotta buy all kine stuffs b4 u go in so I not for charging people to go to polihale dats our back yard beach lol and jus let da tourist in not knowing how da roads are lol we use to crack up watching tourist get stuckon da roads had to pull dem out all da time
Pave paradise, put up a parking lot. Take all the trees and put them in a tree museum, charge everyone a dollar and a half just to see um. You don’t know what you have till it’s gone! It’s finally come to Joni Mitchell’s prophecy on Kauai.
I too loved the idealism in those lyrics but the reality is that we are now living a different era.there is just a small group of people who are now benefitting from the wild and unsafe beach access,and that includes illegal activity and bold disrespect for the area. Polihale requires better management now.
What is happening to Hawaii
Not like it used to be
When I visited there in 1998 everything was free. It was a delight to be able to visit all the attractions such as Diamond Head. Now you charge for everything and with all the homeless that have taken up residence the magic is gone.
I don’t think I would ever return to paradise
Oh brother. Here we go. Polihale will become a visitor destination to be milked for all it’s worth like the other parks on Kauai with total disregard for locals. Residents are getting squeezed out of everything. The real reason for the increase and over use of Polihale is because PMRF confiscated miles of state beach adjacent to its legal borders. Residents no longer have access to those areas for fishing and family gathering’s. Residents were forced to seek out other areas for beach recreation and Polihale was one of the few logical remaining options. The County and State did nothing when the Federal Government made that illegal land grab.Once the government gets involved conditions for the average person degrades quickly.
Something else I just thought about… Polihale is not typically a “swimming beach”. Many times I’ve been there listening to the thunder of the waves echo off of the sea cliffs. Very rough, unsafe waters.
Pave the road and you get more tourists, more drownings from people who don’t respect the water!
For me, Polihale is a sacred place. The story why that is deserves more words than allowed here. Suffice to say, my experience there about 50 years ago, set the course for my life, my spiritual life.
I was appalled several years ago when I sensed the esteemed spirits, “The Laughing Warriors,” were hiding. I saw this place was routinely disrespected by local people’s trucks and off-road toys. If you knew what my heart knows, this kind of desecration would never be allowed. The sand was torn up, as if this Very special place was just some giant sandbox to test roaring, raging and spitting motor vehicles. I wrote everyone.. Nothing but resistance. Perhaps now, “they” might stop hiding. Perhaps,they come out to teach us again in the moonlight.
Just because it’s a spiritual place to you. Doesn’t mean it is one. I agree it’s not right to be racing around that beach but, it causes no harm. The sand gets smoothed over and the scars disappear. There are so many states that allow beach driving with very little or no oversight. There is No reason why it can’t be done here as well.
I couldn’t disagree more. Just because it can be done does not mean it should be done. This applies to so many things in life. Automobiles driving on beaches where people are strolling and walking are not only dangerous, but they completely subvert the whole concept of enjoying nature. Nobody is allowed to stroll around in their flip-flops in the middle of the highway ; cars have no place on beaches. If beach driving is what you want, please go down to Florida, Mississippi or Texas.
You prove my point . It’s done in the states that you mentioned and many more and it works. People walking and people driving on the beach isn’t all that uncommon . And if you’re spent any time at Polihale , you would know that the sand gets so hot at times it burns your feet and with the temperatures. Few people are walking much at all. I invite you to visit New Jersey. I hear the beaches there are very safe.
LOL… so Hawaiian beaches have something to learn from the New Jersey shoreline?
No disrespect to the Garden State, but the beaches there hardly qualify as things of beauty or sought-after destinations. Nice try, though.
No. Not what I said. I said if you want no beach driving. Go to New Jersey.
I don’t know how you can compare the States you mentioned to Polihale and your comment ,to me is a brazen disregard for the uniqueness of Polihale,all in the name of your right to drive a large vehicle on the beach
It doesn’t sound like you get out much. Perception is reality and I’m certain that the residents in places like Florida, N Carolina, Texas have as much passion for the beauty of their states beaches as we do here on Kauai. The Polihale beach is virtually uninhabitable for be much of the year. Due to rain the road is impassable much of the time and the winter storms generate monster waves that floods the beaches. They are literally under water and no use to anyone. During the Fall and much of the Winter, this is no place to mess around with. Making it accessible to more visitors will endanger their lives and it’s impossible for authorities to provide safety for anyone . It’s remote and wild. Not everyone belongs there.
Improving the road will allow Kauai residents who choose not to drive expensive trucks or a 4wheel drive to enjoy the area and could also allow both pedestrian and bicycle access ,like many places that I have traveled to around the world
Traversing the unpaved road to Polihale does not require expensive trucks with four wheel dive capabilities. Visitors make the drive regularly in normal rental cars. The roads on Kauai are neither designed or intended to be used by cyclists. Riding a bike here can be dangerous. Polihale is on the west side or dry side of the island. It has the highest temperatures and the least amount of rain compared to the other sides of the island. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want to ride a bicycle down that road in that kind of heat. The nearest town is 6 miles away. If someone starts from Kekaha on a bicycle it would be a 20+ mile round trip on unsafe roads in blazing heat. Farther if they leave from any other town.
You make an excellent argument for why the bicycling infrastructure needs to be supported and developed at all costs, and not so much attention paid to the automobile infrastructure. Lack of bicycle and pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle infrastructure is what got us into this mess. Supporting internal combustion engine, even more than it already is will not get us out of it.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious. These were my thoughts also when I read the comment about riding a bicycle in the heat to this remote spot.
Kaena point Waianae Oahu has similar weather to Polihale with an improved road that cyclists access all year but especially in the winter months;,it is even more remote from the nearest town than Polihale -Just because you can’t imagine riding a bike does not mean that others would not welcome the accessibility ,because it is already happening on Oahu,in an equally hot,,wild and remote area
That is a fair argument. However, I am still concerned about the impact of a paved road there allowing too much access to this fragile ecosystem. We have our already seen the results of this in other places as well. I wonder if it would be feasible to just pave a bike lane?
Zuckerberg will be ecstatic! When they closed Polihale for an extended period of time during COVID, he anchored his mega yacht offshore and turned Polihale into his private playground. Terrible 😔
I think Polihale should now have a paved road with paid access entry for both residents and visitors and that the beach should close at sunset except for permitted campers which includes people fishing with permits. I too enjoyed the era of driving down a dusty road to access this beach but I believe that era has ended and that now this resource requires stricter management
I hear New Jersey is nice. You may want to check that out if regulations,paved roads and permits are your idea of a good time.
What a dismissive comment
The conditions that you want imposed here are exactly what coastal towns in New Jersey have been doing for years. If that’s what you want. You already have it. Enjoy it there , not here.
Please do not charge the children of this earth to be with this Āina. Ask the beach, ask each tree there, ask if a payment is needed to come commune. Please do not enforce something that is not in harmony with what the land is asking. Take care and listen, ask the land and ask the hearts.
Just over a week ago we went to Kekaha Beach for a long afternoon walk and saw maybe 10 small groups or individuals along that long stretch. As we debated to go to Polihale with our junky rental, we just decided we felt privileged and content, so we stayed until sunset. Maybe not exactly Polihale but very close and for us, simply amazing.
A couple days later, we snaked around the other coastline for an equally long pause at Haena’s beautifully violent waves and terrible potholes.
We tried for Ke’e but didn’t have reservations. Turned around and got a flat tire on a frigging pothole. No spare. Our tow/guide – from Kapa’a $$$ – was incredible and lifted our damaged spirits.
Polihale next time! Mahalo!
You bring up a point. The government does a terrible job maintaining the existing roads under its current authority. The road to Polihale is what it because of where it is. I can’t imagine the state would do any better a job maintaining it, than they currently do with any other roads. Once they civilize Polihale they become responsible for public safety. It’s miles from any emergency services. People drown or need rescuing at the more local beaches. It would take an army of lifeguards and you still couldn’t make Polihale safe enough. No amount of money collected in fees would be worth losing a life . Not all government ideas are good ones. “Hands off Polihale”.
I agree and support that… the road itself was gnarly. A local stopped and asked if we needed help asking if we had unfortunately hit “that nasty pothole”. I pointed up the hill indicating – that one, not This one. Took us close to an hour wrestling with phone numbers abs walking down the road til we got data to find that family owned tow service. And then, we were lucky that he was able to come help us directly instead of thru an insurance service routing. He was quick and that was 45 minutes to us.
Before paving to Polihale, consider the mystique, privilege, commitment, and effort required to get there and then consider the infrastructure commitment necessary to support it. Do you really want that? Other articles here suggest otherwise.
Thanks for the information!
Plant native trees & flowers.
Reevaluate health concerns due to radiation of 5-G cellular.
Rip down harmful to biological beings any and all 5G cell towers.
Consumer beware.
We take care of ourselves in Hawaii.
Keep The Country Country.
I hope that they don’t make the beach more accessible. Let’s leave some of the natural wonders pristine. If they pave the road and build a parking lot the masses of visitors will ruin it for all. Not everything needs to be accessible.
I don’t believe Polihale gets enough “tourists” to warrant the cost of road improvements and toll booths. I would say its 5 to 1 locals to tourists on a summer weekend. Its in the locals best interest to keep the road dirt.
I wonder, Polihale also is adjacent to the Pacific missile range facility,PMRF, where they are part of missile research essential to our nation’s security. Ironic in one of the most beautiful and remote beaches anywhere to be next to a high security facility that puts the rest of the world in a hypersonic minute. I was out there years ago when they were doing a night testing and there were soldiers patrolling. That would have been the Aegis missiles they were testing. We saw the rocket go up. A very special place, Polihale. Mahalo, editors.
Hi Kauaidoug.
Thanks. Good point. We appreciate your more than 100 comments!
Aloha.
PMRF is a research facility that provides testing services for not only the USA. But for other companies at a price. It makes money doing it. At one time the beach from Majors Bay down to Kekaha was open to anyone who could get there via the beach and by access through the gate at PMRF. The lease for the land the base occupies did not include the beach. Local residents were squeezed out of part of the largest beaches on the island and in the state. The collective memory of the younger generation on Kauai doesn’t know this. Everyone else has given up trying to change it back and has settled for that dismal program the “base” offers for access to just Majors Bay. Our access to those areas are now reserved for the highest bidder.
Do you mean access by humans, or access by motor vehicles?
Polihale was closed in March when we went and we were so disappointed. We used to go there all the time in the 70’s, and had hoped to share it w my grandkids. So sorry that it has been abused and disrespected. I hope you charge people in the future to keep it up to par. Mahalo
They want to charge the visitors to repair issues caused by the locals. Polihale was trashed when the entire island was closed to tourists.
I agree with the BOH editor who said that changing the road makes it lose some of it’s luster. Leave it alone! No cell service there was nice. The bumpy road is part of the experience… And helps keep people out!! “Improvements” don’t always improve something. 🥺
My favorite place on earth. Magical. A place where you realize just how small we humans really are.
This is sad. I loved going to Polihale to watch the sunset. There were never many people there so it was quiet and peaceful. I’d hate to see a paved road and charge to go to that beach. It would just be another crowded place with lots of noise.