Poihale State Park - Kauai
 

I was wondering if I would have to rent an SUV to drive to Poihale State Park. I have driven on other cane roads with potholes. Would it be advisable for a SUV to be driven on this road?

I've driven there in a regular car. I don't remember it being terribly bad.

Went there many years ago. The road was bumpy but passable. At the end when the sand started looking soft, we parked the car and walked a short distance to the beach. Hopefully someone with more recent experience will weigh in. It was definitely worth the drive, especially later in the day.

I've driven the long road in many a time in a regular rental or convertible. Every now and then the road gets ruined by mother nature. Often the locals/surfers will patch the road until the gov't will get around to grade it.

If the conditions are good go for it real slow. Pull over to let the locals in trucks go by. And stay a long distance away from soft sand.

Locals often carry chains to get your sorry arse out of the sand where no one with a rental belongs.

I'm surprised to read these comments. A friend of mine with a 4WD truck took me a few years ago. The road was HORRIBLE--and it went on for miles. I wouldn't have dreamed of taking a rental car there--and I'm sure it wasn't permitted in the rental agreements. I've wanted to go back, but I haven't done it because of the road. I wonder if it's been repaired??? The issue wasn't the sand -- it was enormous potholes.

You may have been there the year the road was closed for a bit. Rather then wait for the gov't to regrade the road damage, locals and surfer did some road work to gain access. I can only speak my truth and experience.

That's great to know. I'll go on my next trip -- in June.

Like I said, take it slow, enjoy the ride, while letting the locals go by. If it gets to rough due to recent storms turn back and call it an adventure anyway. And unless you bring a couple of cases of beer, stay off the soft sand, no matter what vehicle you are driving. Oh, and I always bring surf shoes as the sand that time of year can be hot hot hot!

We've been going over every year since '89 (missed the Iniki year, tho) and have done the road almost every year except the first year (2 scared tourists who read all the warnings-stories then turned around after about 3 washboard-teething jarring miles), when it was closed by the Gov and last year. (For some reason never made it out there to see a sunset-having too much fun with many of our Kauai Ohana we have met over the years I guess).

Never used a 4 wheel drive and the only time we got stuck was when it hadn't rained in about a week so we thought "smooth sailing" then we encountered some boonie crashing tourists in a 4WD rental who felt the need to gun it thru a narrow section.

They started to fishtail into me when they hit the sand so I pulled over then the "Polihale Powder" on the side of the road sucked me down. Almost as deadly as all the quicksand traps you saw on Tarzan movies.

The idiots just kept on driving while I was burning rubber trying to get out. Luckily some young guys stopped their rental and told me to get back behind the wheel because "we're from Minnesota and we know how to dig out trapped cars". lol

Funny part is a young gal driving her family right behind me saw the guys drive me into the Polihale Powder and also pulled over...and got stuck, too.

So all of us helped them. I offered to pay the young men for it so they could buy a few 6ers but they refused.
Kauai Spirit Minnesota Style!

Go into Goolge Maps/Earth and take a ride out to almost the end of the road.

My suggestion is to not take the first turnout for the picnic/facilities area but go until the road stops. Better facilities and you don't have to go up a hill to get to it.

You can see where they stop filming on Google Earth and I think the end of the road is about a qtr mile away.

If I hadn't gone on long enough here, I'd tell you the story about <i>The Miracle of Kauai Jesus</i> finding my cell phone that, unbeknownst to me, fell out of my trunks at the end of the road parking area.

All I gotta say is you can have P'ville and Poipu people but Kekaha people are no ka oi! :)>-

Okay.....I will take a ride out there then. I believe that the last time I visited was 2014 and I took a trip to Mahaulepu Beach? The road was a small and potholed sugar cane road. Nice and easy in and out, but I think that I drove like a Challenger and yes.....I bottomed out a few times but I made it. Others drove in fast and in smaller cars or 4x4s, never saw them again. ;)


Thanks for the advice and tips.
Mahalo

If anyone has been there recently, please let me know the road conditions.

Mahalo.

OK..if you wait until June 6th I can call you from there.

((#)) ((H))

....and I will fly in on the 8th.... :D

Have a very safe and enjoyable trip!

Hmmmm....Bloody Marys at Oly Cafe? :-?

Or are you a <i>pure one</i> who doesn't do booze and sugar anymore?
:-"

LOL....we will talk....er post. I have to check with my travel partner.

Some friends of ours were on Kauai for 10 days about 2 weeks ago. Totally unfair posting Bloody Marys at Oly Cafe pix on FB.