Kauaʻi day trip: the North Shore drive

From Līhuʻe, drive up the east side through Kapaʻa to the Kīlauea Lighthouse, the Hanalei Valley Lookout over the taro fields, Hanalei town and Hāʻena State Park at the end of the road (reservation required for visitors).

1. Līhuʻe
2. Kapaʻa
3. Kīlauea Point Lighthouse
4. Hanalei Valley Lookout
5. Hanalei town
6. Hāʻena State Park

• 1. Kapaʻa: coffee, shave ice and the Kauaʻi Food Truck Park.
• 2. Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and lighthouse: Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; reserve on Recreation.gov ($11 adults); great for seabirds and albatross in season.
• 3. Hanalei Valley Lookout: taro fields under green mountains.
• 4. Hanalei town: lunch, JoJo's Shave Ice, Hanalei Bay.
• 5. Hāʻena State Park and Kēʻē Beach: reservation required at gohaena.com; open 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.; the Kalalau Trail is open to Hanakāpīʻai only (Oct. 2026).
• Past Hanalei the road crosses several one-lane bridges: yield in groups of five to seven cars.
• Kauaʻi parks were still recovering from Hurricane Lowell in fall 2026; check DLNR notices before you go.
• Tap "Open all stops in Google Maps" for the whole route. Phone browsers may show only the first few stops; the Google Maps app shows them all.

Sources: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Visit Kīlauea Point · Hāʻena State Park reservations · Hawaiʻi DLNR State Parks: notices (closures after Hurricane Lowell, Oct. 2026)

Last checked Oct. 29, 2026. Hours, fees and rules can change, so confirm with the official source before you go.