Kekaha Beach Park aka MacArthur Park
Description
This beach park is the furthest western facing county lifeguard post on Kauai.
The soft fine sands of this beach are easy to reach, and an infinite blue ocean view reveals the distant island of Ni'ihau appearing as a sliver on the horizon. This a great place to lounge on the beach when escaping to the balmy, sunny, and warm West Side or Kaua'i.
AT A GLANCE:
HIGHLIGHTS: Calmest ocean access on the West shore of Kauai. Convenient parking and amenities, gorgeous panoramic ocean view stretching out toward Ni'ihau and Lihoa islands. Sandy bottomed ocean, and soft light golden brown sand.
ACTIVITIES: Swimming, advanced surfing offshore, picnics, and beach walks and lounging. Fishing is popular amongst locals.
LIFEGUARD: Yes Daily 9 .a.m. to 5 p.m.
WARNINGS! The sandy bottom and open ocean face of this beach make for shifting conditions and potential for rip currents and shore break exists.
Please check in with lifeguards before swimming.
AMENITIES: A 9.6 acre beachside park, roadside parking, picnic benches with shelters, restrooms, and showers.
The park formerly known as Kekaha County Beach Park was renamed "MacArthur Park" several years ago in honor of a local resident who spent countless hours caring for the grounds and helping develop its' character. It appears as a roadside park as you drive westbound through Kekaha town. The park is charming with basic amenities, and picnic pavilions, but the beach is beautiful and not very crowded.
The little town of Kekaha sits ocean-side on a coastal plain built out of the combination of ocean sands and Waimea Canyon erosional silts built up over millions of years. The gently curving shore line here is predominantly soft fine grain sand of a light reddish golden tint and with out much coral reef development. Therefor the sandy ocean bottom shifts regularly and forms sand bars affecting wave breaks and currents on this coast.
There are no resorts in this area, so the mix of folks on the beach are mostly local and laid back, as the West Side is slower paced and more down to earth then any other place on Kaua'i. A visit here for even part of your day will be a refreshing change from the more popular resort area beaches.
Kekaha is the last population center for this area of Kauai. There is not much for shopping, and no gas station. There is a small shopping center inland on the corners of Kokee Road and Kekaha Road. Waimea town is 3.5 miles east of here and is the closest gas and foodstores.
Adventure tip:
If heading further to Polihale State Park, keep this location in mind as a stop to or from your remote destination. This is a good place for you to gather some ocean advice before driving to the remote beach. Kekaha faces more to the south to southwest so conditions can be safer here when larger swells inundate Polihale.
Closest town: Waimea/Kekaha
Directions:
Kaumuali'i Highway/ HI-route 50 West through Kekaha town. Look for the park on the ocean side between mile markers 24 and 25.