April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and few places epitomize the ideals of the modern environmental movement like Kauai, where the community is committed to maintaining its characteristic embrace of nature.
The south side of the island features a drier climate ideal for beach activities, kayaking on Hawaii’s only navigable river and treks into Waimea Canyon, a 14-mile-long, 3,600-foot-deep stretch of rust-colored rocky peaks and plunging gorges.
The annual precipitation levels climb as you head north, reaching the rugged, jungle-sheathed Napali Coast and its trails that both strain the lungs and reward the adventurous with breathtaking vistas of hidden beaches and towering waterfalls.
Garden Isle authorities recently approved measures to both increase funding and manage crowds at the most popular sites, including Haena State Park and Waimea Canyon.
Recently, a handful of providers have introduced outdoor activities that are great options for exploring Kauai’s natural gifts once the Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted in the Aloha State:
• Kauai Safaris has created a safari truck tour at Kilohana Plantation, a working 105-acre farm. Participants will get an inside look at fruit and vegetable production, meet farmers and see farm animals and also take a stroll through a rainforest in the Kahuna Nui Valley. The tour ($55 per person) also includes a rum tasting and speciality cocktail made from farm fruits and herbs and local Koloa Rum.
• Introduced for the 2019-2020 humpback whale season, the new kayak whale-watching and snorkeling tour ($155 per person) from Kayak Kauai runs from October to April. Heading out from the southern Kauai coast at Poipu, paddlers head west for stops at Spouting Horn, an ocean blowhole; Lawai Valley; Nomilu Pond; and the cove of Wahiawa. There is a chance to rest weary arms and shoulders with lunch on a sandy beach and a snorkeling session, and participants are likely to spot dolphins, sea turtles, whales and other marine life.
• Kauai’s National Tropical Botanical Gardens are beautifully manicured preserves of plants and trees, some found nowhere else in the world, and feature an extremely knowledgeable staff offering a variety of tours. This year, the McBryde Garden on the south shore has introduced a waterfall tour ($45 adults, $22.50 for ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and younger) that leads into some of the most beautiful and private sections of Lawai Valley before reaching the Waihulili Waterfall. The leisurely trek continues to the Canoe Garden, a botanical treasure trove of exotic species introduced by ancient settlers.
• For a nature experience that also reminds visitors of the long history of the people who walked the land before them, Kauai ATV has crafted a new tour highlighting one of Hawaii’s top archaeological sites. The four-hour Makauwahi Cave Tour (starting at $342) includes stops at movie filming locations, an old-growth forest, tortoise ranch and a fossil-rich limestone cave that has attracted researchers from around the world. Guides share what scientists have learned from the 10,000-year-old artifacts and bones and what the early development of the island looked like. Finally, participants can plant a tree at the Makauwahi Reserve and test their survival skills with catch-and-release fishing.