Nā Pali Coast State Park is a state park in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

, located in the center of the rugged northwest side of Kauai, the second-oldest inhabited

Hawaiian island The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Ku ...

. The Nā Pali coast itself extends southwest from

Kee Beach Kee may refer to: Business *Kee Games, a former arcade game manufacturer *Knowledge Engineering Environment, a frame-based development tool for Expert Systems *Kee Wah Bakery, a chain of bakery stores in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United Statesc ...

all the way to

Polihale State Park Polihale State Park is a remote wild beach on the western side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is the most western publicly accessible area in Hawaii, although the privately owned island of Niihau is further west. The park is miles away fro ...

. The ''nā pali'' (high

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

s) along the shoreline rise as much as above the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

. The state park was formed to protect the Kalalau Valley. To the east of the state park is the Hono O Nā Pali State Natural Reserve. It was established in 1983 and later extended to over in 2009. Hiking trails and hunters' roads provide access to the sharp ridges from Koke'e Road (route 550) in Waimea Canyon.

Accessibility

Although inaccessible to vehicles, this coast can be enjoyed over land by

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

or in a

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

, and from the ocean by kayak and paddleboard. Charter tours are available on

rigid-hulled inflatable boat A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are i ...

or catamaran, originating from Port Allen and

Hanalei Bay Hanalei Bay is the largest bay on the north shore of Kauaʻi island in Hawaii. The town of Hanalei is at the midpoint of the bay. Geography Hanalei Bay consists of nearly of beach, surrounded by mountains. In the summer, the bay offers excel ...

. The

Kalalau Trail The Kalalau Trail is a trail along Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The trail runs approximately along the island's north shore from Kee Beach to the Kalalau Valley. The trail has been named one of the most beautif ...

from the end of

Hawaii Route 560 Route 560, or Kaua'i Belt Road-North Shore section, is a scenic road on the northern shore of the Kauai, island of Kauai in Hawaii. The entire belt road is signed as the Kuhio Highway. Hawaii Route 56 was once signed on this route before it was ...

(called the Kuhio Highway) provides the only land access along the coast, traversing and crossing five major

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

s (and many smaller ones) before reaching Kalalau Beach at the base of Kalalau Valley. Side trails along the way lead to waterfalls in the valleys above.

History

The first settlers on the Nā Pali Coast were Polynesian navigators around 1200 AD. Soon after, many Tahitian migrants followed, shaping the culture of Kauai and other Hawaiian islands today. The coast was a center for trade between Hanalei, Waimea and Ni`ihau, and branched out to nearby island colonies. After Kauai was visited by

Captain Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and ...

in 1778, many Westerners began traveling to the island. As more foreigners arrived, the Hawaiian tribes along the Nā Pali Coast, where Nā Pali Coast State Park now exists, began to die off from Western diseases. The last known native Hawaiians to live along the Nā Pali Coast were sighted in the 20th century.

Camping

Camping in Nā Pali Coast State Park is only allowed with a valid permit. There are three sites that allow camping access. During the summer season from May 15 to September 7, access from the ocean via boat or kayak is only allowed with a valid camping permit. Along the

, the two authorized spots for camping are in Kalalau and Hanakoa . Both are covered by the same permit and can be accessed by hiking. These locations include facilities to accommodate campers. Five nights is the maximum stay on the

, and one night maximum for Hanakoa. The camp site at Miloli'i is only accessible by boat or kayak. Permits allow access for maximum of three days. Composting toilets are available at all three camp sites. Napali Coast view

References

External links

Nā Pali Coast MagazineNā Pali Coast OhanaNā Pali Coast BeachNā Pali Coast Hike - KalalauNā Pali Coast Hike - HanakapiaaiOverview of Nā Pali Coast. Pictures + MapNā Pali GuideKoke'e & Nā Pali Coast Recreation Map for smartphones
– GPS enabled map of Koke'e and Nā Pali coast trails {{DEFAULTSORT:Nā Pali Coast State Park State parks of Hawaii Beaches of Kauai Protected areas of Kauai Cliffs of Hawaii

Accessibility

History

Camping

See also

References

External links