This is one of the places I really wanted to see on the island of Kauai. Quite obviously, it is a beach. But why, at eleven in the morning on a sunny day (practically unheard of on the northern coast of that island) is it practically abandoned? Especially as a famous scene from a movie musical released way back in the late 1950s was filmed here.
I know, I know. Some of you weren’t even born back then and who cares about musicals? Well, having no television, I grew up on recordings of all the great musicals and, at one point, had all of the songs memorized! On snowy days, my sister and I often reenacted this scene in our drab living room, imagining we were on an island in the middle of the South Pacific so very far away.
As to the question of why this beach is practically abandoned, well, it isn’t easy to get to. The two lane coastal road leading from Hanalei to the Lumaha’i Beach is often washed out or in constant repair. There are many one lane bridges meaning you have to wait your turn (minding the Hawaiian rule of “five cars”). And, once you get there, the parking lot is a mud and boulder-filled pit only suitable for Jeeps and the off-shore currents are notoriously deadly.
I can’t imagine how they managed to get all the film crew and their equipment to this spot way back when. There’s got to be a story there!
Where do you want to go next? More beaches or back to the Bowery circa 1968?
Saying nothing in particular 
Beautiful photos. Thanks. But, surprisingly, I was just writing about the last scene in The Road by McCarthy, you know, where the sea was pretty much ruined and the beach didn’t look so good. Why would I think that way and write about it? Not sure, but thanks for your fine trip and what looks like a lot of fun. Duke
I would have liked to have gone farther – closer to the NaPali range but we were warned that the already narrow roads would get narrower still and rain was predicted. The beaches on all the islands are shrinking – it’s really sad to see.
Love the location and the film history, and you are right: where do you find a beach as beautiful as this as abandoned as it is?
It has a “the land that time forgot” quality probably because of the almost constant rain. That area also served as the background for the Jurassic Park movies. Not sure how much actual filming was done but the scenery sure is familiar.
The beach is beautiful and very peaceful. However, my nerves would have been frazzled getting to it!
Yes, my daughter, who thinks I’m a senile incompetent, kept asking if I wanted her to drive. Since she is a pedal to the floor at a yellow light sort of person, I declined! The parking lot was actually a lot freakier than the drive. A group of backwoods types with their highly aggressive dogs were setting up to barbecue. What … I really didn’t care to know.
perhaps they helicoptered the film crew in or built temporary car park s…. Where there are dollars there is always a way! ….call me an old cynic ! 💜💜🤣
The musical had been a huge hit on Broadway so I’m sure they had money to burn. There are very few days when it doesn’t rain and so I’m skeptical of the legend also!
Its an amazing beach 💜🍁
Hi Jan, I also love musicals. I grew up listening to my mom’s LPs of London Broadway. Cath, sister #2, and I also sang all the songs. PS I am #1and we are 4.
Which one was your favorite? I think mine was Camelot. I loved all the King Arthur stuff – although the songs in South Pacific are very haunting.
Thanks for taking us to Lumahai beach, Jan. When I first saw your photo I thought it was Kee, than realized it was Lumahai. Kee, also on North Shore Kauai, has a narrow road and crazy parking lot too. But I just read you have to have tix now and take a shuttle to go to Kee! OMG, no thanks. Lumahai must be wonderful.
It was out of this world gorgeous but the locals were in the nearby river … not in the Pacific. We heard they required reservations for tourists but my daughter has a Hawaiian driver’s license. Still, there were at least four construction teams working on the already narrow road. So it takes a long time and a lot of patience to get to that area.