Kauai Travel Guide

Kokee State Park sits on a 1,200-meter plateau on west Kauai, the premier inland viewpoint for the Pacific Ocean and the Na Pali Coast. Donated by a 19th-century sugar planter, the park covers 4,345 hectares of pristine montane rainforest with vegetation transitioning from temperate forest to subalpine shrub, hosting exceptional biodiversity. The famed Kalalau Lookout offers sweeping views of the folded Na Pali cliffs and blue ocean, with clouds often streaming below like a sea of cotton. Several trails cross the park, including the Awaawapuhi Trail to the canyon rim with breathtaking drops. The elevation keeps the park more than 10 degrees cooler than the coast, making it the top retreat from heat and a hikers paradise. Endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers and iiwi appear at dawn, a birders dream.

The Kilauea Lighthouse, at the northern tip of Kauai, was built in 1913 and was once one of the brightest lighthouses on the U.S. Pacific coast. Decommissioned in 1976, it was incorporated into the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge in 1985. The lighthouse stands on a 55-meter-high promontory overlooking the vast Pacific, one of Kauai's most iconic landmarks. The area is home to hundreds of seabirds, including black-footed albatross, red-tailed tropicbirds, and frigatebirds, making it a paradise for birdwatchers. In winter, humpback whales migrate through nearby waters and can be spotted spouting and breaching from the lighthouse point. The trail to the lighthouse follows coastal cliffs with wildflowers and ocean breezes, offering richly layered scenery. The lighthouse carries the dual significance of maritime history and nature conservation, an excellent window into Hawaii's marine ecology and seafaring culture.