A day on the water leaves you half a day on land. Before you plan a day of sailing in Kauai, know which places near the harbour are open, and which the storm has closed for now.
The boats and the parks answer to different rules. The water off the coast has no gate, so a sailing trip does not need the park open. The trails, the canyon road and the beach parks do.
If you booked a state park reservation for a closed day, DLNR says you get an automatic refund, minus the service charges. Check the notices page the evening before any land plan. It changes as roads and trails are cleared.
Every Na Pali boat leaves from Port Allen Marina Center in Eleele, on Hanapepe Bay. Your nearest town is Hanapepe, just across the bay and the river. It sits on Route 50, 17 miles west of Lihue and 6 miles short of Waimea.
Hanapepe is one of the few towns on Kauai that sugar plantations did not create. Its name means "crushed bay" in Hawaiian, which may point to old landslides nearby. A slow walk and a late lunch there suit the afternoon after a morning sail, when you will be tired and salty.
Waimea town is the next stop west. From there the road climbs to the canyon, when it is open.
DLNR describes Waimea Canyon as a deep, colourful gorge, seen from a scenic drive and a row of lookouts. One of them looks out to Niihau. Higher up, Kokee State Park looks into the Kalalau Valley from the top, with forest trails and camping.
Both are closed for now. On 28 September 2026, Kokee Road was shut until further notice. Even before the storm, the main canyon lookout had been closed for safety works since July 2025, with roadworks and limited parking.
When the road reopens, the canyon suits the morning of a sunset-cruise day. Leave a wide margin before your check-in: roadworks slowed the drive even before the storm.
By land, only the eastern end of the coast is open to you. The Kalalau Trail starts inside Haena State Park, at the far end of the north-shore road. It runs 11 miles to Kalalau Beach.
The west half of the coast has no trail at all. You see it by boat or from the air, which is why the boats run full.
Polihale State Park is the last beach west, where the Na Pali cliffs begin. DLNR warns that the road in is an unimproved dirt road that can flood and become impassable. It recommends four-wheel drive, and rental companies may not allow their cars on it.
The beach is long, hot and dry, with dunes behind it. Swimming is for calm summer days only, and the state warns of strong offshore currents. The morning snorkel sails pass this coastline on the way out, so you can see it from the boat without the drive.
If your cruise leaves from Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor, you are on the east side, close to Lihue Airport. Just inland, the Huleia River bends around the Alekoko Fishpond, also called the Menehune Fishpond.
Its 900-foot wall stands at a bend in the river. It is thought to date from the 15th century and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Tradition credits the Menehune, a legendary people, with building it.
The 90-minute bay cruise goes up the river past the pond and the wildlife refuge beyond it. That is the easy way to see both, with a drink in hand.
| Your day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning snorkel sail | Check in at Port Allen early; on the water about five hours, breakfast and lunch aboard | Hanapepe town, a short drive west; rest, you will be salty and tired | Dinner near your hotel |
| Na Pali sunset cruise | Hanapepe, or the beach near your hotel | Drive to Port Allen for the afternoon check-in | Dinner aboard, back after dark |
| Bay cruise at Nawiliwili | Anything on the east side; the airport is close | A beach near the harbour | Ninety minutes on the bay at sunset, drinks aboard |
Book the boat first, early in your stay, and fit the land around it. If the sea cancels your trip, you want a spare day to go again.
Morning snorkel sails, Na Pali sunset dinner cruises and the Nawiliwili bay cruise, compared on hours, meals and price.
The closures, the trail rules and the fees are DLNR's own pages, checked 28 September 2026. The town and the fishpond facts are from Wikipedia. What each cruise passes is from its own listing.
Five and a half hours on a 60-foot catamaran from Port Allen, checking in at 6:45 a.m.: breakfast treats, a reef snorkel with gear, a waterslide and a sandwich lunch, with an open bar for over-21s. Children from age 3.
From $233 per person
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Four and a half hours from Port Allen on a sailing catamaran: appetisers on the way out, dinner on board and a champagne toast at sunset. Cancel free up to 7 days ahead.
From $247 per person
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Ninety minutes from Nawiliwili on the bay and up the Huleia River at sunset, with the captain's stories, wine, beer and cocktails. It does not go to the Na Pali Coast.
From $114 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see the map, read the best time to sail, or compare every boat on Kauai Sailing Tours.