The back story
Kauaʻi: the Nāpali cliffs, Hanalei and Waimea Canyon
The cliffs of the Nāpali Coast, Hanalei Bay and Waimea Canyon: Kauaʻi, the Garden Isle, and how to see it with the parks’ reservations.
Kauaʻi is the oldest of the main islands and the greenest. On the north shore, Hanalei Bay opens beneath the mountains and the road ends at Hāʻena, where the trail begins along the Nāpali Coast; on the west, Waimea Canyon cuts into the island’s heart.
Hanalei
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay has 252 rooms above the bay (its site).
Nāpali
Hiking to Hanakāpīʻai Valley, two miles in from the trailhead, needs entry and parking reservations at Hāʻena State Park, which reopened on 15 October 2026 (Hawaiʻi State Parks).
Waimea Canyon
Check the park’s page before you drive up: on 1 November 2026 only the Waimea Canyon Lookout was open and Kōkeʻe Road was closed (Hawaiʻi State Parks).
At Hāʻena, the road ends and the cliffs begin.
Our advice: book Hāʻena as soon as reservations open; places go fast.
Why it's on our list
- Hanalei
- Nāpali
- Waimea Canyon
Location
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