Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii: A Must-Visit State Wilderness Park!
Na Pali literally translates to “many cliffs,” and that’s what you’ll see when you visit the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park in northwest Kauai, Hawaii.
One of the top things to do on Kauai is admire the beauty of the Na Pali Coast, and that’s not surprising because not many places on the planet can rival the visual drama of this coastline.
The rugged cliffs rise straight from the edge of the Pacific Ocean and are usually draped in lush green or a fierce brown, contrasting beautifully with the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. Here and there the cliffs are streaked with red and rust, creating a postcard-perfect scene.
Nestled in the folds of the tall cliffs of the Na Pali Coast are narrow valleys, clothed in jewel green. Pristine sandy coves dot the remote coast. Waterfalls flow down the cliff faces, and sea arches and caves add visual interest.
To add to the attraction, the waters of the coast are home to marine life, from playful dolphins to fish, turtles and more.
The rugged and remote Na Pali Coast stretches for 17 beautiful miles along the northwest part of Kauai.
On this complete Na Pali Coast website, you will find all the information you need to visit, from descriptions of the ways you can visit the coast to the best guided tours and tips for your visit.
Complete 2025 Guide to the Na Pali Coast of Kauai
The Na Pali Coast offers some of the most jaw-dropping scenery on the planet. The coast is the crown jewel of the Hawaiian island of Kauai, and most visitors to the island have it on their bucket list.
Famous across the world for its natural beauty, with towering cathedral cliffs, lush valleys, turquoise waters, secluded beaches, erosion-carved sea caves and arches, and many waterfalls, the Na Pali Coast also boasts cultural and historical significance, and offers exciting opportunities for outdoor activities.
This Na Pali Coast website is your one-stop site for all the information you need to plan your Na Pali Coast visit.
With a length of about 17 miles, the Na Pali Coast is protected by the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, with trail access through the adjoining Ha’ena State Park in the north.
There are three main ways to experience the Na Pali Coast: by air, by sea, or via a hiking trail. The best way to see it on your visit may depend on the Na Pali Coast weather and ocean conditions.
Discover where exactly the Na Pali Coast is located on the northwest shore of Kauai, and view its location visually on a map of the Na Pali Coast.
The best time to visit the Na Pali Coast is during the dry season, when views are more likely to be clear and unobscured.
If you plan to hike the Na Pali Coast, find out the hours Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park and Ha’ena State Park are open, and whether you need reservations for the Na Pali Coast or a permit to visit.
Get information on Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park tickets: entrance and parking fees are required for Haena State Park and include entry on foot into the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.
And if you plan to overnight on the Na Pali Coast, know that you can enjoy camping in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. There are two campgrounds for hikers, with Kalalau Beach being the main camping area, and you can also enjoy kayak camping on remote Miloli’i Beach in the summer.
3 Ways to Visit the Napali Coast
The rugged and remote Na Pali Coast can’t be accessed by road, one of the reasons why it continues to maintain its untouched beauty and its mystical allure for visitors to the island.
To experience this jaw-dropping coastline, you have three options:
1) you can soar over the Na Pali Coast in a helicopter or sightseeing plane,
2) you can explore the ocean-facing side on a catamaran cruise or a raft tour, or
3) you can lace up your hiking shoes and hike into the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park along the grueling Kalalau Trail.
From the Air
A helicopter or airplane tour covers the whole island of Kauai, not just the Na Pali Coast. In just under and hour, you get a bird’s eye view of the most iconic natural wonders on Kauai.
Aerial views over the Na Pali Coast make for undeniably beautiful photos. You will see the whole coast, with the cliffs rising up right next to the ocean, and maybe focus a bit on some of the more prominent features, like the majestic Honopu Arch or a waterfall or two.
While a helicopter tour is a bucket-list activity for many visitors to Kauai, a sightseeing flight is more affordable if you are on a budget.
>>> Check price and availability on a doors-off Kauai helicopter tour now!
From the Sea
A more leisurely way to admire the gorgeous scenery of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast is to take a catamaran cruise (or a raft tour for more thrills).
Catamarans are the more stable option. You can pick from a morning cruise that usually includes snorkeling in the summer, or an afternoon cruise that ends with a colorful sunset over the Pacific Ocean.
A Zodiac boat tour is small and the ride can be rough and bumpy, but if you are up for the adventure, a raft can enter sea caves along the Na Pali Coast, zip through sea arches, and slide under waterfalls to drench you with a cooling spray.
>>> Check price and availability on a Na Pali Coast sunset cruise now!
By Hiking the Kalalau Trail
The least expensive and arguably the most immersive way to experience the rugged and intimidating beauty of the Na Pali Coast is to hike all or part of the Kalalau Trail.
You can also make detours along the route to explore some of the valleys of the Na Pali Coast that feature waterfalls worth visiting.
But hiking the complete Kalalau Trail is for only the fittest and most experienced hikers. The 22-mile round trip backpacking trip is extremely strenuous, with steeps climbs and descents, and precipitous drop offs.
Day hikers can, however, hike a part of the trail. Even hiking 0.5 mile to the first viewpoint is rewarding.
Many day hikers hike up to Hanakapiai Beach and back (a 4-mile round-trip hike) or to Hanakapiai Falls and back (an 8-mile round trip).
Things to Do on the Napali Coast of Kauai
1. Admire Views of the Na Pali Coast
Possibly the most popular thing to do at the Na Pali Coast of Kauai is simply to gawk at the breathtaking beauty of the coastline.
The sight of the razor-edge cliffs rising straight up against the ocean, their folds sometimes covered in lush green, sometimes brown and rugged, is one that will stay with you for a long time.
The coastline is colorful, with splashes of bright red, orange, and rust clay that contrast vividly with the blue ocean, the dark lava face, and green vegetation to create that picture-perfect postcard.
Whether you gaze upon the Na Pali Coast from a helicopter or an airplane, admire it at eye level from a boat or raft, or get up close on the Kalalau Trail, the beauty of the coastline is always front and center.
2. Snorkel the Na Pali Coast
While you can snorkel off the shore in many places on Kauai, including at Ke’e Beach at the north end of the Na Pali Coast, snorkeling off the remote waters of the Na Pali Coast is a different experience.
The waters off the coast are calmer in the dry season and in the morning. That’s when you will find boat or raft tours to the Na Pali Coast that offer a stop for swimming and snorkeling, conditions permitting.
The reef at Nualolo Kai offers a diversity of marine life, and, if you choose a tour that includes Ni’ihau, you will be able to swim and snorkel in the lesser visited waters off the Forbidden Island!
3. Hike the Na Pali Coast
The most rigorous hike in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park is the Kalalau Trail, a 22-mile backpacking adventure that includes infamous sections such as Crawler’s Ledge.
The full hike is only for very experienced hikers in peak physical condition.
If the full Kalalau Trail is not for you, you can still experience the trail by hiking a part of it. You can even just hike up to the first viewpoint, about one half of a mile from the trailhead.
Up for longer Na Pali Coast hikes? Go up to Hanakapiai Beach, a 4-mile round trip, or hike to the 300-foot Hanakapiai Falls, an 8-mile round trip. You can also hike to Hanakoa Falls, a 13-mile round trip.
4. Kayak the Na Pali Coast
Experienced sea kayaker? You can join a guided kayak excursion along the Na Pali Coast in the summer months, when the weather is drier and the ocean relatively calmer.
The traditional Napali kayak experience involves kayaking the entire length of the Na Pali Coast from north to south. It’s a 17-mile paddle past some of the most stunning scenery in the world!
Another Na Pali Coast kayak excursion takes off from the north end of Polihale State Park and goes up to Miloli’i Beach, where you take a break for lunch and some exploring before paddling back to your start point.
5. Photograph the Dramatic Scenery of the Na Pali Coast
The Na Pali Coast is, unsurprisingly, one of the most coveted destinations in the world for travel and landscape photographers.
While you should be able to get fabulous photos from any helicopter or airplane tour as long as the weather holds, pros may want to look for tours geared towards photography.
Some helicopter tours, like this one, provide full videos of your flight for purchase after your tour.
A boat cruise offers more time along the Na Pali Coast, but with the ocean swells, it’s a little tough to hold cameras stably enough to take pro-level photos.
Smartphone photos work great for most visitors and it is much easier to take photos or shoot video with a phone.
Opted for a raft tour or want to take photos when you snorkel? A waterproof camera like the premium GoPro HERO12 – Waterproof Action Camera will allow you to take splendid photos even inside caves and arches, by waterfalls, and under water.
6. Chase Waterfalls on the Na Pali Coast
Waterfalls are among the big draws of the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. Seeing water cascading down the lava cliffs in the spectacular setting of the coast is a bucket-list experience.
On helicopter or airplane tours, you may fly over some of the waterfalls of the Na Pali Coast. You will almost definitely see some on a catamaran cruise.
But the most immersive ways to experience the Na Pali Coast waterfalls are on a Zodiac boat tour, or hiking.
On a raft tour, ocean conditions permitting, you will feel the cooling sprays of waterfalls as your raft cruises under them. And you will see waterfalls inside caves, hidden to the outside world. How cool is that?
The two major Na Pali Coast waterfalls to which you can hike are the 300-foot Hanakapiai Falls and the much taller Hanakoa Falls.
While the hikes are challenging, you can hike right up to the base of the waterfalls and if you choose, even dip your feet or take a swim in the cool waters of the plunge pools.
7. Relax on a Secluded Na Pali Coast Beach
The beaches of the Na Pali Coast are not very large, but they are some of the most pristine slivers of golden sand you will find on Kauai.
From Kalalau Beach, the ultimate destination on the Kalalau Trail, to picturesque Honopu Beach, split by the Honopu Arch, the Na Pali Coast beaches are gorgeous. But most of them are not easy to access.
You can hike to Hanakapiai Beach, but stay out of the water here because the currents are dangerous. Miloli’i Beach, which can only be accessed via watercraft, offers secluded summer camping.
Ke’e Beach, technically in Ha’ena State Park, is lifeguarded and you can swim and snorkel here in the summer months when the surf is low.
8. Explore Exciting Na Pali Coast Sea Caves
Along with waterfalls, sea caves are major attractions along the Na Pali Coast of Kauai.
Formed by the erosive action of ocean waves pounding the base of the towering lava cliffs, there are numerous sea caves (and some arches) along the coast.
One of the big reasons to take a raft or small boat tour of the Na Pali Coast (if you are able) is that small watercraft can enter some of the larger caves, like the Pirates Cave or the Waiahuakua Cave.
Many Na Pali Coast sea caves offer striking features, like surreal blue water, rich pink or red coral, marine life, and waterfalls. You will get a good drenching as you whiz through some of these caves!
9. Look for Marine Life and Birds!
The remote location of the Na Pali Coast in Kauai means that wildlife encounters are much more likely.
Boat and raft tours are the best options for encountering marine life along the Na Pali Coast. Many morning tours include a stop for snorkeling in the summer.
While snorkeling the waters off the Napali Coast, you may see Hawaiian green sea turtles, along with schools of colorful tropical fish, coral, and other marine life.
As you cruise the ocean, keep your eyes peeled for dolphins. Spinner dolphins are frequently seen on morning excursions, performing the spins for which they are famous.
In the winter, you may see humpback whales, which travel to Hawaii to breed and give birth. If you are very lucky, you may even see a mother and a calf.
Sometimes, spouting or breaching whales are even visible from a helicopter hovering over the coast!
The coast is also home to a number of seabirds, like the great frigatebird, the black-footed albatross, white-tailed tropicbird, red-tailed tropicbird and more.
Hikers on the Kalalau Trail may come across wild pigs, or goats on the ridges. If you see wildlife, keep your distance and allow them space to leave.
10. Admire Sunset over the Pacific Ocean
As it’s located on the west side of Kauai, the Na Pali Coast is a top location for enjoying a colorful Kauai sunset.
An afternoon catamaran cruise is your best option for viewing the sun set.
Afternoon boat cruises offer excellent light for photography on clear days, because the light falls on the cliffs. On your way back to the south shore, you will see the sun set.
Want to experience sunset over the ocean from shore? Both Ke’e Beach (at the north end of the coast) and Polihale Beach (at the southern tip of the coast) are among the best places to watch sunset on Kauai.
If you camp at Kalalau Beach as part of your Kalalau Trail backpacking adventure, the secluded beach allows you to take in a relaxed sunset. Similarly, if you choose to camp at Miloli’i Beach in the summer, you can view sunset from there as well!