I'd like to be transparent, I'm a little bit confused about a few things…read more.. I had reservations made ahead of time to hike the famed Kalalau Trail 2 miles to Hanakapi'ai Beach and another 2 miles to Hanakapi'ai Falls. Upon driving to the Kalalau Trailhead, I entered Ha'ena State Park. I thought to myself, "oh, wow, cool, I didn't even know Kalalau Trail was within a state park!". Now, lol, after parking my car and reviewing the Kalalau Trail hiking guidelines, it was time to venture over to Hanakapi'ai Beach. Not even 1 minute into the trail, there was a clear sign stating I was now entering Na'Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. What??? But I thought Kalalau Trail was part of Ha'ena SP?! So both? What's the difference between Ha'ena SP and Na'Pali Coast SP? I guess the only thing to do is venture over to Google and search for the answer... The only reasonable solution I discovered on Google is Ha'ena SP hosts the parking lot for Kalalau Trailhead. But, once you start hiking on Kalalau Trail land, you're officially now entering and located within Na'Pali Coast boundaries. And with this info...I believe there are more options for activities within Ha'ena State Park, although I never got around to do any exploring. Now, if you're specifically visiting here for the Kalalau Trail, I'm convinced it's Na'Pali Coast territory, lol. Finally, trying to get to the bottom of this strange mystery, is when visiting Kokee State Park on the opposite side of the island of Kauai, most of the overlooks and lookout points there showcased the Na'Pali Coast. But I guess for Kokee SP, you're not actually inside Na'Pali Coast State Park land, you're just admiring the views and sceneries of the Na'Pali Coast from high above. Lol, yes...maybe I should have been better prepared ahead of time. With all this said...let me quickly return to the Kalalau Trail and provide a few highlights about the experience and what you can expect inside Na'Pali Coast State Wilderness Park... - While hiking to Hanakapi'ai Beach, a lot of the beautiful Na'Pali Coast setting will be revealed. There were moments to take a break from the trek to appreciate the landscape. - When the clouds went away and the sun shined, the coastline illuminated the Pacific Ocean waters. - You'll also capture a vantage point of Kauai's lush green island vegetation and rain forest appearance. In total, that's what I believe made Na'Pali Coast State Wilderness Park rewarding. It's hiking among nature until Kauai's colorful coast comes into appearance. The surroundings exude that vintage, tropical, Hawaiian image that tourists anticipate when visiting. At the time of visiting Kauai, I found it difficult to understand whether I was hiking Kalalau Trail within Ha'ena SP or Na'Pali SP. After completing some detailed internet research, I'm confident the popular hike is connected with Na'Pali. And with that understanding, Na'Pali Coast is a winning state park.

Amazing! After driving a bit off road, we parked on an ocean side cliff. Walked down to see the…read moretortoises and the cave. Ended up on a pristine beach.

Would absolutely LOVE to camp here... Unfortunately arrived…read moreafter the museum and restaurant closed (-after 4). But this looks like a great place to camp. Did go into the lodge for a bit ( where the restaurant is), saw some beautiful trees and flowers. Did not explore the nature trail this time.... Drive a bit more to the Kalalau Lookout where one can see the Napali coastline and Ni'ihau in the distance. And did I mention chickens? A must see!!!

Koke'e State Park. It is "partners in crime" with its brother/sister Waimea Canyon State Park. When…read morevisiting Koke'e, you must first drive through Waimea Canyon along the 23 mile Koke'e Road. So for visitors, plan to combine both parks into 1 long day trip. You can actually take 2 days to explore the parks, especially if you plan on doing hiking. During my 1st day here, it rained for a majority of the time. Welp, that sealed my fate and I knew I'd have to allocate a 2nd day towards returning. And that's fine because Koke'e and Waimea Canyon are two of the major highlights when visiting Kauai, Hawaii. In fact, there's a sign saying..."Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Parks" paired together, like joined at the hip so to speak, lol. Pretty much, they're telling you how connected both parks are to each other. What I found interesting (and now I'll solely focus on Koke'e SP) is that there's not as much to do here as I anticipated. I was a little letdown when reflecting back on the experience. Especially the two primary overlooks, Kalalau Valley Lookout and Pu'u o Kila Lookout (near Mile 23), weren't nearly as fulfilling as Waimea Canyon Lookout located at Mile 10 of Koke'e Road. Kalalau Valley Lookout and Pu'u o Kila Lookout both offer similar perspectives of the Na'Pali Coast. They're located within maybe 2 -3 miles of each other at the end of Koke'e Road. In my opinion, the best you can do is take a selfie picture while at each of them. I'd rather just snap a landscape picture and be content with that. It's just a difficult family photo moment from each lookout especially with guardrails blocking the backgrounds. What I did discover was...if you walk off to the right hand side of the Pu'u o Kila Lookout, you can get a better glance at the Na'Pali Coast that makes for an undisturbed setting. Because, you eliminate the guardrails and forest growth proponent from the lens and allow a more panoramic backdrop. While at Pu'u o Kila Lookout, I hiked the Pihea Trail 1 mile (each way) to and from Pihea Vista and it was a waste of time. I regret it just thinking about it now. There was nothing to see. Back within Koke'e SP, everyone stops by the Koke'e Museum to purchase gifts and souvenirs. I grabbed a couple of knickknacks like a magnet and keychain. Next to the Museum is the Koke'e Lodge. Here you can also find small trinkets but more frequented is the Cafe to sit down and eat a snack/meal. There's a coffee bar as well along with tables and chairs. During my visit, it was the perfect time to stop at this Lodge because of the rain, but the crowds were too large and I had to steer clear of the hectic activity. Outside of the Koke'e Lodge and Museum, you will encounter an abundance of chickens and roosters who beg for food. They'll chirp and cock-a-doodle away (like typical roosters do, lol) but tourists take an opportunity to feed them. If you have leftovers, they'll gladly eat out of your hands or however you may feed them. And overall on the island of Kauai, it's rooster planet, filled with birds in almost every single commercial parking lot! Lastly, I'd like to talk about Awa'awapuhi Trail. This hike was recommended to me by a local. It's 6 miles roundtrip and I guess you could categorize it as strenuous. The 3 mile trek down through the jungle wasn't hard. But, you see nothing. I started daydreaming along the way. Finally at the 360 degree viewpoint, many people say it's a stunning, unreal glimpse of the Na'Pali Coast. I arrived at 11am just as clouds rolled in and wouldn't leave. I waited and waited and sat and sat still waiting for the skies to clear, but they never did. The 3 miles back uphill to the trailhead were hard, but if you're in no rush, it's no big deal. When speaking to others after the hike, it was recommended to me that you must attempt this Awa'awapuhi Trail first thing in the morning to avoid those clouds. Had I known this ahead of time, I would have altered my itinerary to start hiking during sunrise. Btw...when at the Awa'awapuhi vista, you stand on a cliff's edge overlooking the coast. If you have a fear of heights, there may be only so far you can go. Still, it's good enough to witness for everyone. Koke'e State Park was okay. I wanted to connect with it on a magical level so I could be glowing afterwards. Instead I never got what I came for. Regardless, when pairing with Waimea Canyon for the day, it's a top attraction and Must-Do visit while on the island of Kauai.

While researching things to see on Kauai, I came across the Kapaia Swinging Bridge. But it wasn't…read moresomething I found right away. It took me a while to find it which is great because that means not too many other tourist know about this. So the day we fly to Kauai was a holiday. As soon as we got the car, we headed straight to Waialua Falls. Once done there, we made our way to this swinging bridge, less than 10-mins away. It's in a small neighborhood. And parking was nonexistent. So I pulled into a business' parking lot and told my family to go look around and I'd stay in the car and wait for someone to tell me to move. But I got out of the car for a bit just to look around real quick when I noticed the sign on the business said they were closed for the holiday. Then I realized, that day WAS a holiday. And so I was able to enjoy the grounds with my family. And, no other tourist were around. Just a homeowner working on his surfboard. The surroundings are beautiful. Super quiet. Bridge was a bit shaky. And then I walked up the stairs at the end of the bridge where it took us to the church where there's plenty of parking. So if you plan on visiting, park at the Immaculate Conception Church. Yes, highly recommend.

Don't miss this quick stop for a beautiful view. We loved the gorgeous scenery and photo stop.read more

On our last day on Kauai, we stayed near the airport area and decided to drive up into the…read moreneighborhood in Kapaa and visit the fall and see where the road takes us. Initially we drove past the sacred temple and thought it was the neighborhood park. Coming back down, I saw the sacred temple sign and turned in. I didn't expect this. There's a small area with a beautifully maintained garden with the statue of Hanuman (looks like a monkey). While my sisters were exploring, my sister told me to follow this path as. It came up and walked through the bamboo tunnel that was called entrance to the First World. Very tranquil. And that's it. However, the temple itself is elsewhere that we did not have time to visit. I've seen other people's photos and it looks amazing. Free entrance and free parking. I would recommend seeing it for yourself.

Amazing stop along the road coming back from a hike. Very peaceful and spiritual. We did not…read morewalk all the way to the temple, just enjoyed the walk through to the First Realm. Enjoy!!!

Very beautiful views and a classic look! I had so much fun with this place! It was too coolread more

Quick stop along the road to view the valley. No amenities, just a place to pull over and take on…read morethe views.

I wandered over here to check out the place. There wasn't much to see here and the grounds could…read moreuse some TLC. Looks like there are some irrigation needs or issues that need to be addressed. The grounds were somewhat dry while everywhere else around it was lush. There were some groups that met here throughout the week during our stay, so it's obviously in use. The monument was very cool and nicely adorned with flowers and leis. Plenty of chickens roaming around the grounds as well!

Not much to see, but the story behind Prince Kuhio is pretty neat. But it's very ironic that the…read morestatue honoring someone who did so much for native Hawaiians, literally has as a backdrop, a neighborhood with million dollar homes.

The majestic beauty of the canyon is a must see on your tour of Kauai. Some view from helicopter…read more Others hike the trails. Both adventurous pursuits. But driving up the mountain to the overlook has got to be equally impressive. The drive from Lihue to Waimea Canyon Lookout on a bright sunny day was a treat. We passed forest groves, ocean views, food trucks and road-side vendors selling home-grown fruits and vegetables. When you pull into parking lot, be prepared with car license# to get a parking pass at automated kiosk. Choose stairs or winding gradual path (perfect for strollers or wheelchairs) to the lookout. Restrooms available. Bring your own toilet seat covers & soap. We understand there's a restaurant in the area but we did not seek it out.

Just as amazing as that first glimpse into the Grand Canyon! Not just the physical beauty but the…read morelocation. When you realize you've just wound up the narrow road from the beautiful tropical beach area below and this desert like area is here,well,it's mind boggling.. Even more so after you continue up the mountain to the top and find yourself in a cloud forest in the wetest place on earth, well you're in love! So,after the initial lookout,I just had to return and do the trail to the waterfall. Not recommended unless you're ready to work for it but,it fills in all the blanks the initial questions The Lookout elicits. Go!

This is a great beach right across from the broiler. Good spot to walk after dining and drinks…read more We saw sea turtles and monk seals in a natural setting. Lots of picnic benches. And clean beach restrooms. Feral chickens abound.

I have old memories of this beach. Before hurricane Ewa, this beach was the bomb! Good size waves…read morefor bodyboarding and body surfing. After hurricane Ewa, the personality of the beach changed. Ewa brought in a lot of rocks. The waves had become timid. No more bodyboarding and bodysurfing. To my surprise, today I see decent size waves And a good amount of bodyboarding and body surfers! Perhaps hurricane Iniki returned back to its ole' self? Well something happened! Maybe one day I'll enter the water once more here... after 39 years:)