Kaiaka Bay Beach Park + Campground

Located just west of the iconic town of Hale'iwa at the mouth of the Wailua River is Kaiaka Beach Park. It offers decent fishing and surfing, but it's not the greatest spot for swimming in most seasons. There are seven campsites total at this beach, one comfort station, and outdoor showers.

The 53-acre beach park is great for pickup softball or soccer games. It's a quiet park because it is set back from the road. Kaiaka translates to "shadowy sea" in Hawaiian, and the beach is so named because the runoff from the Wailua River and the oxide-rich soil of the volcanic mountains cloud the waters offshore. There is a sandy beach at the east end of the peninsula that is decent for swimming, but the west side is not as great because of the river runoff. The Wai'anae Mountains can be seen in the distance.

There is a balancing rock called Pohaku Lan'i on-site, and legend has it that it washed ashore from the fabled land of Kahiki. Hawaiian chiefs used to worship their local god here. It was later used as a lookout for fisherman. There is no privacy between sites, there are no grills, and only a few frills—but at least you can wake up in paradise on the beaches of the North Shore. This area has better sunsets than sunrises, but the mornings are magnificent to catch before the crowds start arriving.