Lydgate Beach Park: Kauai's Best Family Beach

Thrilling Activities at Lydgate Beach Park  

Family Activities at Lydgate Beach Park 

Lydgate Beach is great for people of all ages, but it's especially suited to families with small children. Lydgate Beach Park has two protected swimming areas for children and snorkeling or boogie boarding. One can often see fish that swim in and out through the holes in the artificial rock walls. The water is calm and clear, with no dangerous currents or undertows, making it safe for even young swimmers to splash around without worrying about getting swept away by the tide. Still, watch out for their safety, especially outside of the rocks. 

The park is beautiful, with palm trees and other tropical foliage dotting its grounds. There are picnic tables and barbecue grills and bathrooms, and showers.
The Kamalani Playground is also part of the beach park and offers fun jungle gyms and swings to keep kids of all ages busy. If all this wasn't enough, there is also a large lawn for flying kites or general play.

Lydgate Beach Park Activities 

Swimming: The lagoon created by the protective rock walls is perfect for kids but also excellent for adults who want to swim without being slammed by waves like other parts of Kauai's beaches can have. Even though Lydgate Beach is protected, consider any weather changes. 

Snorkeling: The ocean at Lydgate Beach is protected by two rock walls, creating a safe swimming area ideal for snorkeling. Enjoy the colorful fishes and other marine animals up close. Discover the plentitude of turtles swimming around the rocks. Thus, bring your snorkel gear or rent it.

Lydgate Bike Path: Bike enthusiasts will love the path that runs about 2.5 miles through Lydgate Beach Park. Bike or walk along the Lydgate Bike Path,  Ke Ala Hele Makalae, a paved path that hugs the coastline. You can watch seasonal humpback whales, sea turtles, and dolphins from the pavilions along this coastal route. The course is suitable for individuals of all ages and abilities and offers plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the view. There are many places to enjoy a picnic or stop for a bite at one of the local eateries.

Take a walk on the Kamalani Playground Bridge:  Walk across the whimsical bridge of Kamalani Playground to explore a world of imagination and adventure. Kamalani Playground is a 30,000-square-foot playground designed to be accessible to all children with many ramps and bridges that are wheelchair accessible. Various slides, swings, climbing ropes, and a treehouse-like fort make this a playland for kids. As you cross the bridge, you'll look out onto the turquoise waters of Lydgate Beach Park and feel like you are floating above the waves.

Nearby Attractions and Sights of Lydgate Beach Park 

Wailua River State Park: Visit The Great Sacred Wailua. At the north end of Lydgate Park stands the mouth of the Wailua River. It was the birthplace of royalty, and multiple Heiaus (Hawaiian temples) line the river. Several interpretive signs near the Heiau provide a little background about the sights; archaeological sites date back to 800 AD. The most famous Heiau is Hikinaakala, which was used to track the seasonal appearance of the rising sun to ensure that ceremonies were performed at the right time. It is common to see people fishing near the Heiau as the river mouth is a great place to fish. There are also some petroglyphs on rocks that are seasonally buried and exposed by the shifting river sands. This river is considered sacred by many Native Hawaiians, and it's not uncommon to see them come to pay their respects or make offerings at any time of day or night. Please be respectful if this occurs while you're visiting. If you love waterfalls, you'll find many along the Wailua River. You can even see an 80-foot waterfall called Opaeka'a Falls, with a parking lot overlooking it.

Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum: Guests will enjoy seeing the plantation's historical infrastructures and learning about Kauai's sugar plantation heritage at this museum.

Kealia Beach: Kealia Beach is a great place to take the family, relax, swim, and play in the sand. It is located just north of Kapaa and is rarely crowded as visitors prefer other beaches like Kalapaki Beach and Lydgate Beach Park. There are restrooms and showers available at the beach park.