Located at the northeastern corner of Kauai about 20 miles north of the Lihue Airport, Larsen's Beach is narrow, secluded and undeveloped. The entire beach is a bit less than one mile long (see the red line), and it is broken into two distinct segments by an easily traversed outcropping of lava. The southern segment, which is closest to the parking area, is about 1/2 mile long. The northern segment is about 1/3 mile long. Larsen's Beach is off the beaten path, and there are no houses or other development along the beach. The beach gets limited overall usage, and it has long been quietly visited by a small number of nudists. It wasn't until the early 00's that Larsen's began to come onto the naturist radar. That is attributable in part to troubles at Donkey Beach (about 9 miles to the south) that began in the late 90's. (By the early 00's, Donkey Beach ceased being a viable nude beach, due in part to new development near the beach.)

All of Larsen's is potentially nudist, but it is best to take account of the sensibilities of whoever was at a particular spot first. The beach is never crowded, so there is always ample room to spread out. Most nudists prefer the more distant northern segment of the beach. If at first you don't find sufficient seclusion, just keep walking north. Just offshore from the beach, the water is shallow and the ocean floor is rocky, so conditions are not ideal for swimming. Furthermore, be advised that the current is especially dangerous in the area of the lava outcropping that separates the two parts of the beach, so avoid getting in the water in that area.

Authorities are not known to hassle nudists or even regularly patrol the beach. Sadly, Larsen's is troubled by a problem that has been a recurring theme at Kauai's nudist spots for decades: unfriendly neighbors. The land behind the beach is a private holding that is leased by a cattle rancher, and the lessee has shown hostility toward beach users that has escalated in recent years. That hostility seems to be rooted in a cultural conservatism that is both anti-nudist and anti-gay, and there have been some reports of verbal altercations. Bear in mind that the private land that abuts the beach does not include the beach itself. All beaches in Hawaii are public. However, the lessee has made an issue over access through the private land via a well-established trail that is supposed to be a public easement. The trail in question in not the only access to the beach, but it is by far the best access, and this trail is usually described as the lateral trail (shaded in pink) because it runs behind Larsen's Beach for much of its length. The lateral trail is a broad, smooth trail with a very gradual descent that takes visitors to the central part of the beach near the lava outcropping, providing easy access to both segments of the beach. In May of 2011, the lessee erected a fence that blocks access to the lateral trail, and there is an ongoing battle over whether or not that was a legal action. As of 2012, the fence remains. The other access is a steep trail that lands at the far southern end of the beach. While the lateral trail is easy enough that it can be hiked by anyone would can sustain a 1/2 mile walk, the steeper trail requires a certain level of physical fitness. Now that the lateral trail has been blocked, the beach is effectively inaccessible to anyone not able to manage the steep trail, particularly young children and older people with physical infirmities. Nudists continue to visit Larsen's despite the new access challenges, and it is hoped that in the long run the lateral trail may be opened again. For the latest information, go to kauainaturists.blogspot.com.

Although Larsen's Beach is the most commonly used name of this location, the beach is sometimes referred to by the traditional Hawaiian name of one of the three land parcels that abut the beach. So if you come across references to beaches named Larsen's (often misspelled with an "o"), Kaakaaniu, Lepeuli or Waipake, be advised that these names all refer to the same beach.

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GPS: 22.2102N, 159.3440W

city, island, state, country  Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii, U.S.A.

classification  2 (traditionally nude)

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