Is Māhāʻulepū Beach open?
No closures reported
No County, State or Health Department notice closes Māhāʻulepū Beach. Checked Oct 28, 5:00 pm HST. Details
Weather Service alert
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Māhāʻulepū Beach in 3D
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Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · White line: walk to the sand · Heights doubled; waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·
Closures and alerts
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Parking and access
Parking
Two ways in. On foot: park in the small free public lot at Shipwreck Beach, at the end of Ainako Street off Poʻipū Road, and walk the coastal trail east. By car: landowner Grove Farm opens its dirt parking areas at Māhāʻulepū on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The road and lots are private. The gate is closed the rest of the week and at night; Grove Farm has towed cars left after hours in the past.
Getting to the sand
The Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail starts at Shipwreck Beach and follows the coast over Makawehi Point to the beach, about two miles each way. The drive is Poʻipū Road east to its end, then about two miles on Māhāʻulepū Road, an unpaved private cane-haul road owned by Grove Farm. It is open to the public only during those hours. Other gates and fences in the area mark private land. Grove Farm asks visitors to obey County rules, including no fires.
Lifeguard
Not guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau doesn't list a lifeguard tower here.
About Māhāʻulepū Beach
Māhāʻulepū Beach is about two miles of sand and rocky points on Kauaʻi's South Shore, east of Poʻipū, running from Punahoa Point to Paʻoʻo Point. It has three main parts: Gillin's Beach in the center, Kawailoa Bay, and Hāʻula Beach at the east end. Gillin's is named for Elbert Gillin, a longtime Grove Farm supervisor whose beach house is the only home for miles. The coast is undeveloped, with no lifeguard tower and no County beach park.
Many visitors arrive on foot by the Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail, which starts at Shipwreck Beach and follows the coast past the wind-carved sandstone cliffs of Makawehi Point. Landowner Grove Farm also opens its private dirt road to cars on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fossils of extinct birds have been found in the dunes. Nearby Makauwahi Cave, described by Hawaii Magazine as the largest limestone cave in Hawaiʻi, has been closed to the public since October 2024.
Māhāʻulepū Beach (also called Gillin's Beach, Kawailoa Bay, Hāʻula Beach, Mahaulepu, Maha'ulepu Beaches) is a beach on Kauaʻi’s South Shore, on the south-facing coast. No County lifeguard tower covers it. Its surf follows the National Weather Service forecast for South-facing shores, and its tides follow NOAA’s Nawiliwili station.
Questions
Is Māhāʻulepū 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 Māhāʻulepū 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 Māhāʻulepū Beach, and how do you get there?
Māhāʻulepū Beach is on Kauaʻi’s South Shore. Its public access point is at GPS 21.88920, -159.41420. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Māhāʻulepū Beach?
No. Māhāʻulepū Beach has no County lifeguard tower. The nearest guarded beach is the place to ask about conditions.
Where do you park for Māhāʻulepū Beach?
Two ways in. On foot: park in the small free public lot at Shipwreck Beach, at the end of Ainako Street off Poʻipū Road, and walk the coastal trail east. By car: landowner Grove Farm opens its dirt parking areas at Māhāʻulepū on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The road and lots are private. The gate is closed the rest of the week and at night; Grove Farm has towed cars left after hours in the past.
Can you swim at Māhāʻulepū Beach?
That changes day to day with the surf, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the South-facing surf range above, any alerts, and a lifeguard at the nearest guarded beach. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.
Report conditions
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Sources
- Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
- Surf, weather and alerts: National Weather Service Honolulu
- Tides: NOAA station 1611400
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.