Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [138]
Permits are available from the State Forestry and Wildlife Division, 3060 Eiwa St., Room 306, Lihue, HI 96766 ( 80 8/274-3446;www.hawaiistateparks.org). There’s no fee for the permits, but camping is limited to 3 nights. You can also request the Kauai Recreation Map (with illustrations of all roads; trails; and picnic, hunting, and camping areas) by mail; contact the Forestry and Wildlife Division at the number above to find out how.
Beach Camping at Polihale State Park
Polihale holds the distinction of being the westernmost beach in the United States. The beach is spectacular—some 300 feet wide in summer, with rolling sand dunes (some as high as 100 ft.), and the islands of Niihau and Lehua just offshore. Bordered by a curtain of Na Pali Coast cliffs to the north, razor-sharp ridges and steep valleys to the east, and the blue Pacific to the south and west, this is one of the most dramatic camping areas in the state.
The campgrounds for tent camping are located at the south end of the beach, affording privacy from daytime beach activities. There’s great swimming in summer (even then, be on the lookout for waves and rip currents—there are no lifeguards), some surfing (the rides are usually short), and fishing. The camping is on sand, although there are some kiawe trees for shade. (Warning: Kiawe trees drop long thorns, so make sure you have protective footwear.) Facilities include restrooms, showers, picnic tables, barbecues, and a spigot for drinking water. You can purchase supplies about 15 miles away in Waimea.
Permits, which are $5 per night, are available through the State Parks Office, 3060 Eiwa St., Lihue, HI 96766 ( 80 8/241-3446). You’re limited to 5 nights in any 30-day period. To reach the park from Lihue, take Highway 50 west to Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range. Bear right onto the paved road, which heads toward the mountains. There will be small signs directing you to Polihale; the second sign will point to a left turn onto a dirt road. Follow this for about 5 miles; at the fork in the road, the campgrounds are to the left and the beach park is to the right.
Beach Camping at Lucy Wright Park
If you want to camp on the west side but can’t get a space at Polihale State Park, the county allows camping at the 41⁄2-acre Lucy Wright Park, located just outside Waimea. Not the best beach park, it’s okay for camping in a pinch. The park, located on the western side of the Waimea River, is where Captain Cook first came ashore in Hawaii in January 1778. The park is named after the first native Hawaiian schoolteacher at Waimea, Lucy Kapahu Aukai Wright (1873–1931). The beach here is full of flotsam and jetsam from the river, making it unappealing. On the other side of the Waimea River, across from Lucy Wright Park, is the 171⁄4-acre Russian Fort, with ruins of a Russian fort built in 1815. Facilities at Lucy Wright include the camping area, restrooms, a pavilion, picnic tables, and (cold) showers. You need a permit to camp at any of the county’s seven beach parks. Permits are $3 per person, per night. You can stay at the county parks a maximum of 4 nights (or 12 nights if you go from one county park to another). To apply for the permit, contact Shani Saito in the Permits Division of Kauai County Parks and Recreation, 4444 Rice St., Lihue, HI 96766 ( 80 8/241-4460; www.kauai-hawaii.com/activities.php). To get to Lucy Wright Park, take Kaumualii Highway (Hwy. 50) to Waimea and turn left on Alawai Road, which leads to the park.
THE COCONUT COAST
The Sleeping Giant Trail (Nounou Mountain Trail East)
This medium-to-difficult hike takes you up Nounou Mountain, known as Sleeping Giant (it really does look