The Garden Isle is an area of the world that captures the natural tropical rainforest beauty of Mother Nature. Some of you may know this part as Kauai, one of Hawaii’s largest islands that can only be fully explored and experienced through hiking upon it. After all, there aren’t many roads to drive on to get to the most resort places the island has to offer.
What are some of the greatest hiking trails to explore on the Garden Isle?
Hoopii Falls Trail: For beginners, this trail is one to hike with ease. It is 2 miles long and goes about 296 feet above sea level. Travelers love this adventure amongst nature because of its lushes green forest and beautiful waterfall with rainbows. Along the trail, you will spot tropical birds, rare wildflowers, and be able to experience walking amongst the wildlife. It is open year-round and you can always bring your four-legged travel companion as long as they are on a leash.
Awa’awapuhi Trail: Moderate hikers will love this trail with its 5.7 miles of raw tropical forest to travel through by foot. It takes about 4 hours to complete and ascents about 2,000 feet above sea level. At the beginning of this hike, you can experience muddy conditions so bring proper foot gear. It tends to rain the most in this area of the world. Once you reach the middle of the trail which is about 2.5 miles in it does become dry, lush and you become surrounded by thick beautiful rainforest, but don’t get worried about becoming lost because they do maintain it well. Many hikers take this footpath journey because it offers views of the land and sea that are unforgettable towards the end of the adventure.
Na Pali Coast Trail: Advanced hikers will love this 20-mile trail that ascents about 9,225 feet above sea level. The start of the trail is easy as it ascents off from Kee beach into the rainforest that runs right along the beautiful Pacific Ocean, which you will be able to see while adventuring on this challenging slippery at times trail of paradise. Thankfully though, there are areas you can rest and just take in the views surrounding you, but two of the favorite spots are the waterfall and beach known as Hanakapi’ai. With all that said, this trail is outstanding if you want to capture the raw natural beauty of Hawaii’s coast and forest. Sometimes if you are lucky you can see whales swimming along this coastal trail of pure magnificent.
What are some of the other ways you can experience remote areas of the island?
If you aren’t an experienced hiker, but still want to experience some of the remote areas of the island, Kauai does offer helicopter, plane and boat tours to view the coast and skylines of the island. The luxurious Kauai hotel on the south shore can provide you with information on how to book one of these tours so you can view one of the must-see spots such as, “Waimea Canyon.” You can tour this area not only by air but by water, traveling in a kayak. Travelers will tell you another must see and do on your journey is a whale watching tour during winter months, which also allows you to view the gorgeous coastlines from tour boats. Some tours will even tall ake you to remote spots to picnic and explore the island by foot without strenuous work of hiking.
Bottom Line for Traveling to Kauai, Hawaii
As you can see not all remote spots have to be done by foot. With that said, Hawaii’s Island of Kauai is best experienced that way if you want to experience all the views the island has to offer such as the volcanic mountain tops, Pacific ocean, and coastlines and lush green tropical forests filled with gorgeous flowers and wildlife.