Salt Pond Beach Park

Park · Kauai County

Salt Pond Beach Park

Park · Kauai County

Salt Pond Rd, Eleele, HI 96705

Highlights

Family-friendly beach with calm lagoon for swimming and snorkeling

Salt Pond Rd, Eleele, HI 96705 Get directions

kauai.gov

@travelleisure

12 Best Beaches on Kauai

"A relaxed sanctuary at the island’s southern end near Hanapēpē, this park is named for nearby traditional salt beds used by Indigenous Hawaiian people and features a natural rock barrier that creates calm swimming, snorkeling, and windsurfing conditions; facilities include picnic tables, barbecue grills, and showers, and camping is possible with a permit." - Vanessa Wilkins Vanessa Wilkins Vanessa Wilkins is a travel and lifestyle writer with an extensive background in digital journalism. Her work has been published in Travel + Leisure, Departures, The Points Guy, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-beaches-kauai-7508823

View Postcard for Salt Pond Beach Park

@goop

"A natural lava rock ridge protects this crescent beach, meaning its gentle lagoon makes for safe, easy swimming and snorkeling with kids. (Plus, its glimmering red-and-gold sand is too pretty to miss.) Located close to Hawaii’s last remaining traditional salt-gathering ponds (hence the name), it’s known to be a preferred hangout for Monk Seals, as well as local families. That said, in order to protect the fragile natural environment, the namesake salt ponds are off-limits to the public."

The Kauai Guide

View Postcard for Salt Pond Beach Park

S. Sen

Google

Beautiful Spot To Swim, Snorkel, And Spot Hawaiian Monk Seals 🦭 Salt Pond Beach Park is a true gem on Kauai’s north shore. The calm, clear waters make it perfect for swimming and snorkeling, and the natural salt ponds give the beach its unique charm. What made our visit even more special was spotting a resident Hawaiian Monk Seal lounging on the sand — a rare and magical wildlife encounter that added a once-in-a-lifetime touch to the day. The park is well-maintained with picnic areas, bathrooms, and plenty of shade, making it ideal for families or anyone looking for a relaxing beach day. The combination of natural beauty, calm waters, and the chance to see one of Hawaii’s endangered marine treasures makes Salt Pond Beach Park a must-visit.

Lisa Kanahele

Google

Beautiful family friendly beach. Popular with locals and visitors. Safe swimming area with lifeguard on duty. It's best to go early because this place can get crowded and often times there's no parking. I took some pics during a family gathering, its not the best but at least you can see what the area kinda looks like.

Kevin Welty

Google

Expansive beach with ample parking. Water is calm for adults and strong swimming youth. We visited in late August and the winds were ripping. Difficult to get an umbrella from being torn to bits. Restrooms were spartan with the bare amenities

Jacque

Google

Stunning beach at sunset. We went for sunset and it did not disappoint. There was hardly anyone there. I even saw a seal. There are restrooms and a shower. This is also a camp ground so there will be tents. A lot of locals. Not too many fish so snorkel somewhere else.

Jill Fitzpatrick

Google

I love the ocean but I can't swim, so I can't really enjoy a lot of beaches. This beach is so sheltered from the wide open ocean that I could actually enjoy the water. I heard the locals refer to it as a kiddy pool, but since that's my level of water safety, I loved it. There were nice bathrooms where you can change, and life guards on duty. And the beach is just a short ride into town to pick up snacks or sunscreen. If I ever make it back to Kauai, it will be my first stop!

Trinh Nguyen

Google

This beach is wonderful! It’s like a mini bay with a reef that breaks out in the distance giving small waves to enjoy without too much of a worry. Lots of picnic shelters, bathroom, and shower. There is also a lifeguard on duty!

Riley Baum

Google

IF YOU WANNA SEE SEALS LOOK NO FURTHER! But more important, be respectful. Keep your distance! For our Hawaii trip I wanted to see sea turtles and seals. At the point of stumbling across this beach I had seen the turtles, but no seals yet. When we came there was one, we left and came back like an hour or two later and there ended up being two more. This was also one of the more calm beaches we found. Our whole trip all the islands were very windy, so finding a beach that wasn’t affected by them too bad was kind of hard. The wind was definitely blowing but the water wasn’t affected too much. There were many people snorkeling and the waters are pretty clear. Bathrooms were average for a beach. Definitely recommend coming this way to check it out!

Amber Keppel

Google

Love this beach on the sunny side of Kauai. Family friendly, friendly local folks, snorkeling, and sleeply seals.