Resources on Kauai now publishes an excellent topographic map of Kauai showing all the trails maintained by the State of Hawaii. This two-sided, color map also includes summaries of the forest reserves, trails, and camping and hunting regulations on Kauai. You can get the map by sending a 10” x 13” stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife; see their address in “Permits” in this book. The map is big—two feet wide and almost three feet long!—so either call to find out the exact postage required or put at least four first-class stamps on your stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Another useful map is Earthwalk Press’s Recreation Map of Northwestern Kauai. Earthwalk Press’s maps include topographic data, trail descriptions, and a wealth of other information. If you can’t find their maps in your travel store, call them at (800) 828-MAPS.
Permits
The trip descriptions in this book include information about what permits you need (if any) and to whom you should apply for them. All wilderness camping trips require permits. Arrange for them well in advance if possible—at least one and a half months, longer for Na Pali Coast (Kalalau Trail) permits—to avoid disappointment.
State Parks
You can apply for Division of State Parks permits in advance by mail. Your application must be accompanied by a photocopy of acceptable identification (such as a driver’s license) for each person 18 years old or older. The Division of State Parks is at:
Department of Land and Natural Resources
Division of State Parks, Kauai District
3060 Eiwa Street, Room 306
Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766
(808) 274-3444
If you need to see them in person, Eiwa Street branches off of Rice Street, the main thoroughfare of Lihue. The counters for the Division of State Parks and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife are next to each other in Room 306, but they act independently. You should address inquiries to each separately.
Division of Forestry and Wildlife
You may also apply for Division of Forestry and Wildlife permits in advance by mail; they do not require identification. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife is at:
Department of Land and Natural Resources
Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Kauai District
3060 Eiwa Street, Room 306
Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766
(808) 245-3433
See also the note on actually going into Lihue to see them in person in the paragraph above.
If you put off getting agency permits until you get to Kauai, you will have to go into Lihue to get them.
Weather
The short of it
Let’s face it: Kauai is a rainy place. You need to know that it’s:
Rainier on the north shore, which gets up to 45 inches of rain a year
Less rainy on the east side, which gets up to 30 inches of rain a year
Driest on the south and west, which get as little as 5 inches a year at Polihale and up to 20 inches a year at Poipu.
Rainy in the mountains, like Kokee State Park, especially the nearer you get to Mt. Waialeale, the rainiest spot on Earth.
If you want to get away from the rain, head for the south and west coasts. The image on the previous page summarizes the situation.
The long of it
Hawaii’s weather is temperate to a degree that puts the so-called “temperate” zones of the world to shame. The humidity is moderate, too: 50–60%, not the sweltering horror of some other tropical lands. You are still in the northern hemisphere, so it is warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter, but nothing like the sweltering/freezing mainland.
Hawaii’s mild climate is determined largely by its tropical location and also by the northeast trade winds that sweep across it. The north-east trade winds—so-called because sea captains took advantage of them on their trade routes—are dependable, steady winds that blow from the northeast west across the thousands of miles of open sea that separate the Hawaiian Islands from the continents. They are responsible for keeping the temperature and the humidity moderate. Since they are the prevailing winds in this area, the side of the island that faces them is called the “windward” side. The opposite side of the island is the opposite of windward; in nautical terms, “leeward.”
Sometimes the trade winds fail and are replaced by “kona” winds from the south. “Kona” means “leeward,” because it’s the leeward side of the island that more or less faces these occasional winds. Kona winds bring hot, sticky air. Fortunately, they are rare in summer, when they would be really unpleasant, and occur mostly in winter, when the lower overall temperatures moderate their effect. Kona storms are subtropical low-pressure systems that occur in winter, move in from the south, and can cause serious damage. There is apparently no pattern to them; in some years, they do not occur at all, but in others they occur every few weeks.
On Kauai, average temperatures along the coast range from highs of 79–84° F to lows of 60–68° F. The “cooler” ones are winter temperatures, the warmer ones summer. It’s rainier from November through March than it is the rest of the year. Expect colder temperatures, more wind, and considerably more rain if you are in a mountainous region, like Kokee State Park.
You may have read that Mt. Waialeale, Kauai’s second highest peak, is the wettest place on earth. What that means is that over many years, Waialeale has had the highest average annual rainfall (I’ve seen figures ranging from 450 to 480 inches annually). Other places may have a year or two of torrential rains that exceed that figure. But on Mt. Waialeale, every year is that rainy. The trade winds pick up a great deal of moisture on their long sweep across the open ocean to Kauai. The first serious obstacle they encounter on Kauai is Waialeale, and there they unburden themselves. Rain clouds enshroud both Waialeale and Kawaikini, Kauai’s highest peak and Waialeale’s neighbor, almost constantly; it’s a rare moment when you can see them. The huge amount of rain they get nourishes all of Kauai. West of Waialeale and Kawaikini lies an immense, forbidding swamp, the Alakai Swamp, maintained by the constant rains and home to some of earth’s rarest plants and animals. However, Waialeale’s constant rain need not concern you much, as there are no trails to Waialeale.
The driest sections of Kauai are along the southern and western coasts approximately from the big resort area at Poipu to desertlike Polihale and on up the Na Pali Coast almost to Hanakoa Valley. The east coast gets more rain; the north coast still more; and the mountain interior the most. At any given time, it is almost certainly raining some-where on Kauai, but in the coastal regions, it’s seldom prolonged or unpleasant. The passing showers offer you a chance to enjoy rainbows with your hikes. But if you’d rather not be rained on, head for the southern or the western coast.
If it’s rainy on the coast, you can be pretty sure it will be even rainier in the mountains. You may want to postpone your visit to Kokee State Park or Waimea
