Gillin's Beach runs about 833m (0.8km) along the Kauai coast — a mid-sized beach by Hawaiian standards. It faces south. There are 6 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 59m from the sand. No toilets, showers or drinking water are mapped at this beach — bring what you need.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 59m from the sand, with 6 parking areas within 600m.
Distances are to the nearest point of the beach. Only formal, mapped parking areas are counted — informal roadside and verge parking is common in Hawaii and is not recorded in OpenStreetMap, so there may be closer options than shown.
What's there
| Toilets | not mapped |
| Showers | not mapped |
| Drinking water | not mapped |
| Changing rooms | not mapped |
| BBQ | not mapped |
"Not mapped" means OpenStreetMap has no record — it may still exist on the ground.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Early starts — sunrise is over the water in 6 months, from 6:34am in October
- Coming prepared — nothing is mapped here — no facilities, no food
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are . Warmest are August, September, October.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82.2 | 64.6 | – |
| Feb | 81.9 | 64.7 | – |
| Mar | 82.4 | 64.9 | – |
| Apr | 84.4 | 67.6 | – |
| May | 85.9 | 69.6 | – |
| Jun | 86.6 | 72.0 | – |
| Jul | 86.9 | 73.4 | – |
| Aug | 88.7 | 73.3 | – |
| Sep | 88.5 | 73.4 | – |
| Oct | 88.3 | 71.6 | – |
| Nov | 86.0 | 68.8 | – |
| Dec | 83.0 | 67.9 | – |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station MAHAULEPU 941.1, 1.4km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Gillin's Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:54am and down at 7:22pm — 13h 28m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 7:09am–5:57pm, 10h 48m.
This beach looks south (164°). The sun sets behind the land from here, not over the water. Sunrise is the one over the water — October to March — so this is a morning beach rather than an evening one. The sunrise point itself swings about 50° across the year, from ENE in June to ESE in December.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Sun sets toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:19am | 6:16pm | 10h 57m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 7:08am | 6:35pm | 11h 27m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:46am | 6:47pm | 12h 01m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:18am | 6:58pm | 12h 40m | W 281° |
| May | 5:58am | 7:10pm | 13h 11m | WNW 291° |
| Jun | 5:54am | 7:22pm | 13h 28m | WNW 296° |
| Jul | 6:04am | 7:24pm | 13h 20m | WNW 294° |
| Aug | 6:16am | 7:08pm | 12h 53m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:25am | 6:41pm | 12h 16m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:34am | 6:13pm | 11h 39m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:50am | 5:55pm | 11h 05m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 7:09am | 5:57pm | 10h 48m | WSW 245° |
Times are for the 15th of each month in Hawaii Standard Time. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving, so these hold all year.
Calculated from this beach's coordinates using the NOAA solar position algorithm and checked against US Naval Observatory tables (agreement within a minute). Which direction the sun sets is worked out from the shoreline's orientation, not from the skyline — a headland, an offshore island or high ground behind the beach can hide the last few degrees.
Where to stay
No lodging is mapped within 1.5km of this beach.
Find places to stay near Gillin's Beach →Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Attractions & galleries4 within 1.5km
- Makauwahi Cave · 91m
- CJM Country Stables · 404m
- Labyrinth · 711m
- Heiau Hoʻouluia · 1394m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Gillin's Beach ranks
- Kauai beaches you can park at — ranked #10
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Kauai
- Kawailoa Beach · 0.5km · 303m long
- Hāʻula Beach · 1.6km · 116m long · faces south
- Shipwreck Beach · 2.9km · 485m long · faces south
- Brennecke Beach · 4.2km · 100m long · faces south-west
- Poʻipū Beach · 4.5km · 346m long · faces south-west
Safety
We don't have confirmed lifeguard information for this beach. Never assume a beach is patrolled. Check locally before entering the water.
Rip currents cause around 100 drownings a year at US beaches and account for over 80% of beach rescues, yet only 44% of beachgoers know it. If caught in one, the National Weather Service advises: flip, float and follow.
Safety guidance from the National Weather Service. Beach Beast is not a safety or rescue service. Conditions change rapidly — always check on arrival, obey posted signs and flags, and follow lifeguard instructions. The absence of a warning here does not mean a beach is safe or patrolled.