Is Keālia Beach open?
No closures reported
No County, State or Health Department notice closes Keālia Beach. Checked Oct 28, 3:01 pm HST. Details
Weather Service alert
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Sunrise and sunset
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Keālia Beach in 3D
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Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · Heights doubled; waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·
Known hazards
“A Brown Water Advisory has been issued for the east facing shores (Kealia Beach to Kalapaki Beach) on Kaua‘i.”Kauaʻi Now (reporting a Hawaiʻi Department of Health advisory), 2023-05-03
Closures and alerts
Closures and advisories
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Conditions
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Tide
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Parking and access
Parking
Public County parking runs along the ocean side of Kūhiō Highway, right behind the sand. One entrance is next to the lifeguard tower. More paved parking sits at the south end, below the lookout on the bluff. The lot at Keālia Kai, further north, serves Donkey Beach, not Keālia.
Getting to the sand
Walk straight from the parking to the sand. Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the paved coastal path, runs along the back of the beach and connects south to Kapaʻa.
Lifeguard
Guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau staffs a lifeguard tower here.
About Keālia Beach
Keālia Beach is a half-mile stretch of sand beside Kūhiō Highway (Route 56), just north of Kapaʻa on Kauaʻi's East Side. You can see the water from the road, and the parking sits right behind the beach. Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the paved coastal path, runs along the back of the sand, so walkers and cyclists pass through on their way up the coast. A lookout on the bluff at the south end gives a long view up the shore.
Bodyboarders and surfers come for waves that break over a shifting sandbar. Surfers often gather at the north end, near a rock jetty that is all that remains of the old Keālia Landing, where inter-island steamers once stopped. The name means "the salt encrustation," and in the sugar era Keālia was a plantation town with a mill and a train depot. A County lifeguard tower is staffed daily, and winter surf brings strong currents.
Keālia Beach (also called Keālia Beach Park) is a beach on Kauaʻi’s East Side, on the east-facing coast. A County lifeguard tower covers it. Its surf follows the National Weather Service forecast for East-facing shores, and its tides follow NOAA’s Hanamaulu Bay station. Facilities: restrooms.
Questions
Is Keālia Beach open?
The top of this page shows any closure or advisory that the County of Kauaʻi, the State (DLNR) or the Hawaiʻi Department of Health has posted for Keālia Beach. We check every 3 hours. If our last check is more than a day old, it says “Status unknown” instead of guessing.
Where is Keālia Beach, and how do you get there?
Keālia Beach is on Kauaʻi’s East Side. Its public access point is at GPS 22.09600, -159.30590. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Keālia Beach?
Yes. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau staffs a lifeguard tower at Keālia Beach. Check in with the lifeguard before you get in the water.
Where do you park for Keālia Beach?
Public County parking runs along the ocean side of Kūhiō Highway, right behind the sand. One entrance is next to the lifeguard tower. More paved parking sits at the south end, below the lookout on the bluff. The lot at Keālia Kai, further north, serves Donkey Beach, not Keālia.
Does Keālia Beach have bathrooms?
Yes. The County lists comfort stations (public restrooms) there. Showers aren’t on the County’s list. Source: County of Kauaʻi Parks.
Can you swim at Keālia Beach?
That changes day to day with the surf, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the East-facing surf range above, any alerts, and the lifeguard on duty. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.
Report conditions
Just there? Tell us what you found. Reports never change this page by themselves.
Sources
- Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
- Surf, weather and alerts: National Weather Service Honolulu
- Tides: NOAA station 1611443
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.