Kauai’s Na Pali Coast & Kokee State Park
Hikers must negotiate the often wet and slippery clay of the Pihea Peak trail veiled in fog. At 4,284 feet of elevation, the peak is the highest mountain along the Na Pali coast, and overlooks the stunning Kalalau Valley. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
At 4,022 feet, Kilohana, on the eastern edge of the Alaka’i Wilderness Preserve, overlooks the Wainiha River valley, Hanalei Bay and Princeville. The lookout is reached after hiking along a boardwalk along the Alaka’i Swamp Trail. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
A young Juncus sprouts in the wet soil of Kokee State Park. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
At sunset, the fluted cliffs of the Kalalau Valley rise up in sharp relief. Archaeologists believe that Polynesians settled this valley -- the largest on the Na Pali coast -- when they came to the Hawaiian islands from the Marquesas. Hikers can reach Kalalau from a trail that begins on the east side of the island near Hanalei, or they can drive up from Waimea to the Kalalau Lookout. (Thomas Curwen / LAT)
