Kaipapa‘U Beach runs about 1,021m (1.0km) along the Oahu coast — a long beach by Hawaiian standards. It faces north-east so it catches the morning sun. There are 3 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 120m 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 120m from the sand, with 3 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.
Places to eat nearby4 within 1km · nearest 240m
- North Shore Tacos · 270mMo-Su 11:00-21:00
- Domino's · 243m
- The Elephant Shack · 981m
- papa ole’s · 240m
Details from OpenStreetMap tags — hours and offerings change, so check before relying on them.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Early starts — sunrise is over the water year-round, from 5:49am in June
- Arriving without a car — 12 bus stops are mapped within 500m
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are June, August, July. Warmest are September, August, July.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78.7 | 66.2 | 4.5 |
| Feb | 78.5 | 66.8 | 5.3 |
| Mar | 78.4 | 67.1 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 79.7 | 69.4 | 3.6 |
| May | 81.7 | 70.3 | 3.4 |
| Jun | 82.9 | 73.4 | 2.5 |
| Jul | 84.1 | 73.9 | 3.3 |
| Aug | 84.5 | 74.9 | 3.2 |
| Sep | 85.0 | 74.5 | 3.8 |
| Oct | 83.9 | 73.5 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 81.2 | 71.5 | 6.0 |
| Dec | 79.7 | 68.1 | 5.9 |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station KAPAKA FARM 904.1, 3.0km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Kaipapa‘U Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:49am and down at 7:16pm — 13h 27m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 7:02am–5:52pm, 10h 49m.
This beach looks north-east (52°). The sun sets behind the land from here, not over the water. Sunrise is the one over the water — every month of the year — 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 | 7:12am | 6:10pm | 10h 58m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 7:02am | 6:29pm | 11h 27m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:40am | 6:41pm | 12h 01m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:12am | 6:51pm | 12h 39m | W 281° |
| May | 5:53am | 7:03pm | 13h 11m | WNW 291° |
| Jun | 5:49am | 7:16pm | 13h 27m | WNW 296° |
| Jul | 5:58am | 7:17pm | 13h 19m | WNW 294° |
| Aug | 6:10am | 7:02pm | 12h 52m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:19am | 6:35pm | 12h 16m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:28am | 6:07pm | 11h 39m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:43am | 5:49pm | 11h 06m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 7:02am | 5:52pm | 10h 49m | 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.
Photos
Where to stay
1 hotels, resorts and rentals are mapped within 1.5km of this beach, the closest about 678m away.
Hotels & resorts nearby1 within 1.5km · nearest 678m
- Hale Koolau · 678m
Mapped lodging from OpenStreetMap — not a complete list of what's bookable.
Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Attractions & galleries7 within 1.5km
- Banzai Divers Hawaii · 939m
- Polynesian Cultural Center · 1131m
- Polynesian Cultural Center · 1265m
- Pavillion · 1277m
- Rapa Nui · 1369m
- Aotearoa · 1413m
- Tonga · 1441m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Kaipapa‘U Beach ranks
- The best-equipped beaches on Oahu — ranked #20
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Oahu
- Pounders Beach · 0.8km · 558m long
- Laniloa Beach · 1.8km · 555m long
- Clissolds Beach · 2.3km · 435m long
- Temple Beach · 2.8km · 469m long · faces north-east
- Moku‘Auia Beach · 4.8km · 1,566m long · faces north-east
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.