Salt Pond Beach Park(Hanapepe Beach Park)

Located on the southwestern shoreline of Kauai in the town of Hanapepe, Salt Pond Beach Park is a long and wide reddish-golden sand beach.  Salt Pond Beach Park is located on the shores of Hanapepe Bay and offers Instagram-worthy views, especially during sunset.  As the name suggests, Salt Pond Beach Park is the only place in Hawaii where salt is still produced in natural salt ponds.  There are salt ponds at the southern end of the beach, where local Hawaiian families practice the art of making Hawaiian salt.  Salt making is a sacred practice done by Hawaiian families that has been passed down for many generations.  Each family has its own specific area to make this natural salt, for which salt ponds are filled with ocean water and then left to evaporate.  When tiny salt crystals begin to form in the salt beds, they are gently harvested by scraping the bottom of the salt bed with a net.  Later, the salt is packed and utilized for cooking and medicinal purposes.  It is important to note that these salt ponds are strictly for the use of native Hawaiians.  

Salt Pond Beach Park offers many amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, outdoor showers, picnic tables, covered picnic areas, campsites, barbecues, drinking fountains, and trash bins.  Dogs are allowed on the beach if they are on a leash, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset.  

Salt Pond Beach Park offers many fun activities including bodyboarding, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, windsurfing, camping, and picnicking.  Salt Pond Beach Park is considered an ideal family-friendly beach.  If you are planning to go in the water near the beach, Salt Pond Beach Park is a perfect location for swimming, as there are rocky outcrops on either side of the beach and a natural rock ridge connects the outcrops, forming a small lagoon.  There are three main swimming areas:  first, there is the main bay which is protected by an underwater reef that stretches across the bay's opening and acts as a natural breakwater for waves and currents; second, there is a large natural reef formation on the northern side of the beach that creates a calm and shallow pond area, making it a perfect swimming spot for children; and third, there is a pond area on the southern end that is also very calm and the best spot for swimming and snorkeling.  However, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents. 

Salt Pond Beach Park is a unique snorkeling beach and a great place for beginners. Snorkelers can explore coral reefs and see a large variety of colorful tropical fish, including Moorish idols, goat fish, butterfly fish, and unicorn fish, as well as other underwater creatures.  There are also large tide pools near the eastern side of the beach that visitors can explore during low tide.   If you enjoy surfing, it is a great place to go surfing due to its frequently windy weather and there are many good surfing spots near the reef.  Depending on the time of year, visitors may spot spinner dolphins, Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, and humpback whales in the water.  There is a large, open grassy area in the center of the park that is ideal for playing football, frisbee, or flying a kite.  It also an ideal camping spot as it offers several amenities, including picnic tables, restrooms, and showers.  The cost of camping is $3 per adult per night and free for Hawaii residents (Hawaii ID required).  Camping permits can be purchased online and you can also call (808) 241-4463.  It is important to note that the campsites are closed every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for maintenance.  In addition, Salt Pond Beach Park is perfect for visitors seeking a quiet experience as this beach sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.

Getting to Salt Pond Beach Park is easy - the beach has a free street parking spot near 3500 Lokokai Road, which is easily accessible by Kaumualii Highway 50.  After parking, you will need to walk a few minutes to the beach.

There are many attractions near Salt Pond Beach Park.  Allerton Garden is a botanical garden spread over an 80-acre area and is situated next to Lāwaʻi Bay in a valley that the Lāwaʻi Stream cuts through.  The garden offers many guided tours for visitors to explore this paradise, including private guided tours, sunset tours, fire performances, and twilight tours.  Allerton Garden has numerous garden rooms that feature exotic plants, pools, miniature waterfalls, fountains, and statues.  This garden is featured in many films and TV series, including South Pacific, Donovan's Reef, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Starsky and Hutch, and Magnum, P.I.  Also, Allerton Garden was named one of the "50 Places of a Lifetime" by National Geographic Traveler.  Manawaiopuna Falls is a 400-foot-tall waterfall located in the Hanapepe Valley.  The waterfall is located on the privately owned island of Ni’ihau.  This waterfall and the surrounding area are featured in the background of several scenes in the 1993 Steven Spielberg film Jurassic Park, due to which it is popularly known as Jurassic Falls.  It is important to note that no trails lead to this waterfall and it is only accessible by helicopter.  If you are looking for another attraction near Salt Pond Beach Park, Hanapape Swinging Bridge is situated on the river Hanapape.  It is a 19th century ancient bridge that still rocks back and forth with the wind and provides a thrilling river crossing opportunity.  Unfortunately, Hurricane Iniki damaged the bridge, and later, after four years, it was reconstructed.  During the night, the structure lights up and offers spectacular views.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Salt Pond Beach Park.  MCS Grill is a family restaurant that serves incredible nachos, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, steak, barbecued ribs, loco moco, shrimp, seafood, pork, and poultry dishes.  Wong’s Chinese Restaurant serves amazing saimin, burgers, loco moco, katsu, shrimp, seafood, pork, and chicken dishes.  Paco’s Tacos Authentic Mexican Food Inc. serves delicious burritos, quesadillas, nachos, tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, shrimp, seafood, and desserts.  If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Salt Pond Beach Park, Bobbie’s Restaurant serves incredible burgers, sandwiches, seafood, pork, loco moco, steak, saimin, tempura, and katsu.

If you are looking for a hotel near Salt Pond Beach Park, there are many great nearby options.  If you are looking for an upscale oceanfront hotel, the 4.5-Star  Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is 25 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, a fitness center, a luxury spa, a golf course, and several restaurants.  A more affordable hotel is the 4-Star Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club which offers many amenities including two outdoor pools, hot tubs, a fitness center, a golf course, a spa, and many restaurants.  Another moderately priced option is the 3-Star Aston at Poipu Kai which offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, tennis courts, restaurants, and a barbecue grill facility.  If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Salt Pond Beach Park, the modestly priced 2-Star Waimea Plantation Cottages offer many amenities including an outdoor pool, hot tubs, and picnic areas with barbecue grill facilities.