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Atlas/americas-caribbean/Deep field file

Signal verified · updated 2026-09-03

Kauaʻi

The Garden Isle: oldest major Hawaiian island (1,456 sq km, 73,298 residents in 2020) with the Nā Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon and lush waterfall valleys.

22.070° N159.500° W
site access marine
Līhuʻe (LIH)
Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park
Waimea Canyon State Park
Hanalei Bay
Formation
oldest large Hawaiian shield volcano (~5M years), deeply eroded canyons and sea cliffs
Population
73,298
Water
Pacific Ocean
Access
easy

Every required movement

The passage
to Kauaʻi.

Fly to Līhuʻe (LIH) direct from the mainland and inter-island; Princeville (HPV) for commuter flights; no scheduled inter-island passenger ferry.

  1. 01
    Līhuʻe (LIH)

    Nearest recorded air access

    Schedule or condition may change · verify
  2. 02
    Entry check

    U.S. visa rules apply; permits required for Kalalau Trail overnight and some state parks.

    Schedule or condition may change · verify

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What the chart cannot hold

What becomes visible when you follow nā pali coast beyond the familiar map?

Kauaʻi is the oldest and northernmost large Hawaiian island, famed for emerald cliffs, deep canyons and heavy rainfall. Captain Cook first landed in Hawaii at Waimea in 1778; sugar plantations later shaped its towns.

Polynesian settlement ~1000 CE; first Hawaiian island reached by Cook (1778); King Kaumualiʻi ceded Kauaʻi to Kamehameha I in 1810; Russian fort episode 1816-1817; plantation era; Hurricane Iniki 1992.

Field ledger

The useful
details.

Coordinates
22.07° N · 159.50° W
Sovereignty
United States · part of country
Nearest mainland
California ~3,900 km northeast; nearest island Oʻahu ~170 km southeast
Best recorded window
April-May and September-November; winter for big surf on the north shore.
Permits / entry
U.S. visa rules apply; permits required for Kalalau Trail overnight and some state parks.
Languages
English, Hawaiian, Tagalog

Community intelligence

Notes from
the crossing.

Share firsthand conditions, access changes, respectful observations, or a question for someone who has been.

No traveler has left a public note here yet.

The empty ledger is part of the mystery—and an invitation to be useful.

Travel information changes quickly. This field file was last revised 2026-09-03. Confirm all transport and permit details before booking.

Official source