Kee Beach at the end of the road on Kauai’s North Shore is undergoing a face lift thanks to the state.

State work at Ke’e Beach on Kauai aims to clean a once-neglected site

Ke’e Beach, at the end of the road on Kauai’s North Shore, has been, for decades, at the end of the list when it comes to upkeep.

But that is changing, with new bathrooms being constructed and a new lifeguard tower scheduled to go up later this year. The state has also started working on a comprehensive master plan for the area.

Ke’e Beach, which is part of Haena State Park, is the third most frequented state park in Hawaii, getting more than 700,000 visitors last year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

It is a great spot for snorkeling and searching for shells, and it acts as the gateway to the Na Pali Coast. The trail head for the Na Pali Coast is just a few dozen feet from the sand.

For years, however, huge potholes, the lack of a parking area, disgusting bathrooms and other problems have plagued the area, also the site of the historic Taylor Camp hippie commune in the 1960s and 1970s. The calm-looking lagoon and dangerous outer reef also have led to almost a dozen drownings since 1970, according to county statistics.

“I think we can all agree that Ke’e receives more visitors than it is equipped to receive, so additional maintenance is imperative,” said Beth Tokioka, director of the Kauai Office of Economic Development.

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(Source: Tom Finnegan, Honolulu Star-Bulletin)