Kauapea Beach

Kauapea Beach, popularly known as Secret Beach, is on the north shore of the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The beach is known for its size, seclusion, and beauty.

Location

Secret Beach is located approximately one-half mile northwest of the town of Kilauea and is situated between the Kilauea Lighthouse and Kalihiwai Valley. As its name suggests, the beach is not easily accessible and no public roads lead to it. To find it, take the Kuhio Highway past Kilauea and turn right on Kalihiwai Road. Follow the road for about 50 yards and then turn right into an unmarked, unpaved road. Proceed to the end and park. Nearby is the foot path leading to the west end of the beach.

Trail Conditions

The trail winds steeply downhill through brush and may be barely discernible in places. The hike takes about 10 minutes in good weather. On rainy days and particularly in the winter, the trail is dangerously slick. Be prepared to be covered in reddish hued clay that is notoriously difficult to remove from clothing. Locals recommend braving the hike either barefoot or using Neoprene booties that kayaking enthusiasts tend to use. Since the return requires hiking back up the same path, most visitors will want to come on a dry day to avoid these conditions.

Topography

Secret Beach is quite large by Hawaiian standards, approximately 3000 feet long and 75 feet wide. [ [http://www.hawaiitravelnewsletter.com/kauai/kauapea-beach.htm Kauapea Beach - aka Secret Beach - Kauai Hawaii ] ] Its surface is predominantly covered with fine white sand and with outcrops of black lava rock. The beach’s seclusion and beauty are further enhanced by the cliff backdrop and the brilliant turquoise-colored ocean water in the foreground. The cliff face, notably on the east and west ends of the beach, is sheer red and black rock. Where the gradient is less steep, the cliff is covered with lush vegetation, consisting of ironwood trees, taro plants, and other tropical plants. [ [http://www.djhome.net/kauai/beaches/Secret.htm Princeville Beaches] (site contains many photos of Secret Beach)] Also there are several small cascading waterfalls.

Clearly visible to the east is Kilauea Lighthouse set atop a cliff that faces Moku'ae'ae Island. About a quarter mile beyond the west end of the beach is a substantial waterfall that plunges about 15 feet into the Pacific Ocean. [ [http://www.djhome.net/kauai/beaches/Secret.htm Secret Beach near Princeville Kauai ] ]

The ocean floor is mostly sand-covered and its descent is steep.

Activities

Water conditions at the beach vary by season. Although the beach is accessible year round, swimming is only advisable in the summer and even then swimming can be risky when the surf is high or rough because of strong, unpredictable currents. [ [http://www.hawaiitravelnewsletter.com/kauai/kauapea-beach.htm Kauapea Beach - aka Secret Beach - Kauai Hawaii ] ] In winter the surf is turbulent and dangerous; accordingly, swimming is not recommended for anyone who is inexperienced under these conditions.

Other beach activities include picnicking, seashell hunting, surfing, sunbathing, snorkeling, and fishing. Also tidal lagoons form on the west end of the beach, offering a kind of kiddie pool. There are no facilities at the beach, so visitors must bring their own food and beverages.

Naturism

Secret Beach has for many years attracted nude sunbathers, particularly toward the east end of the beach. It has had the reputation of being Kauai's straight nude beach. Mere non-lewd, non-sexual nudity on the beach is legal in Hawaii unless the sunbather intends in his or her state of mind to affront or alarm. It is not a condition of the obscenity statute that passerby happen to be offended. A Hawaii State Supreme Court case in September 2000, Hawaii v. Kalama interpreted Hawaii's obscenity statute at Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) 707-734 in this way. Females may sunbathe topfree (topless) at Secret Beach or any other Hawaii beach except designated state park beaches, which are few in number in Hawaii. A Japanese vigilante named Sakae Takenaka has in the past few years patrolled Secret Beach while wearing a silver belt buckle badge which said "security officer" on it. He also carried a cell phone with camera and would take photos of nude sunbathers if he saw them. He claimed to email the photos to the Kauai Police. He has contacted the Kauai Police to complain about nude sunbathers. This was verified by obtaining the complaint logs online from the Kauai Police Department. However no one recently has even seen the police show up. He is employed by the Kauapea Homeowners Association, a small group of home owners with property above Secret Beach in Kilauea. His employment contract, relased to Kauai naturists under state freedom of information law, states he is there to clean the beach. There are no such thing as private security guards acting on public property in Hawaii and all beaches in Hawaii are public, therefore his actions are unlawful. He has no authority. Most beachgoers are not concerned with the practice of nude sunbathing at Secret Beach as they are aware of the nude reputation of the beach when they go there. In the rare instances that patrols are conducted, violators will invariably just be asked to dress. [ [http://www.djhome.net/kauai/beaches/Secret.htm Secret Beach near Princeville Kauai ] ]

External links

* http://www.explorekauai.com/secret.html
* http://www.djhome.net/kauai/beaches/Secret.htm
* http://www.kauaiexplorer.com/kauai_beaches/secret_beach.php
* http://www.hawaiitravelnewsletter.com/kauai/kauapea-beach.htm
* http://www.hawaii.com/visit/kauai/romance/romanticactivities/articles/844
* http://community.iexplore.com/planning/journalEntryActivity.asp?JournalID=33643&EntryID=37569&n=%231+--+Secret+Beach

References