Fodor's Expert Review Salt Pond Beach Park

A great family spot, Salt Pond Beach Park features a naturally made, shallow swimming pond behind a curling finger of rock where keiki (children) splash and snorkel. This pool is generally safe except during a large south summer swell. The center and western edge of the beach are popular with bodyboarders and bodysurfers. The beach is also an easy spot to see stilts, tattlers, shearwaters, and other seabirds. Pavilions with picnic tables offer shade, and there's a campground that tends to attract a rowdy bunch at the eastern end. On a cultural note, the mudflat behind the beach is the last spot in Hawaii where salt is harvested in the dry heat of summer, using pans passed down within families. The park is popular with locals, and it can get crowded on weekends and holidays. Amenities: lifeguard; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.