Queen's Pond at Polihale can be found by heading towards Polihale Beach Park on the can-hauling road at the end of the highway. Then turn left at the monkeypod tree. "Queen's Pond" is kind of a shallow, sandy-bottomed, sheltered lagoon formed by a dead fringing reef. It is the only place on the whole Polihale Beach where it might be safe to swim and float. The snorkeling sucks here. We swam a grid-pattern search in the pond and found two tiny fish. That was it. But it is worth it for the sunny weather and the safe swimming. It honest-to-god never rains here. If the weather is crappy elsewhere on the island, this is the place to be. It is in the rain shadow of the wettest place on earth, so it is practically the driest place on earth. There is sort of a walk to get up and over the dunes to get to the beach.

This is an enormous stretch of nice sand. The road to get there is always rutted and rough. Take a picnic and your book on tape and enjoy the sun. The water is too rough to swim and it is usually a bit windy, but it is a nice beach.

One of the most beautiful beaches on Kauai with a gorgeous view of Napali Cost (south end). The sand is white, flawless, and soft. This beach also offers camping and is relatively uncrowded.

This state park is a little difficult to get to as it is virtually unmarked. They tell you not to take rental vehicles down the road in but if you go slow it is no problem (Jeeps are great). The beach is absolutely fabulous for laying around or swimming. The view is phenomenal, especially around sunset. Bring a camera!!

Getting there is quite a trip in itself! Once the main highway ends, it'll turn into a dirt road. Follow this road about 10 -15 miles through old sugar cane fields. You'll think you're going nowhere and that nothing is worth the jostling of the ride. (By the way, some rental places tell you not to go here. We had a 4 wheel drive Forrester and we weren't told to stay off that road). Finally you come to a dirt parking lot. The view of the Napali is breathtaking from there. This is where you reach the west end of the Na Pali Coast and the end of the road.

The surf is usually high here. The day we went was no exception. It was hypnotising to watch. We also got there right before sunset and were rewarded with another beautiful sunset.

Polihale State Park encompasses nearly 140 acres of coastal lands in western Kauai. The beautiful 3-mile long sand beach is backed by tall dunes. The camping area of the park is in the dunes. Further north, Polihale Cliff has a traditional heiau which forms the boundary of the park. Hawaiians believed the souls of the dead departed the island from this point.