Kaua'i - Hawaii - page 1027

here. You'll also enjoy a welcome reprieve from the sun as you notice how the park's mi-
croclimates shift the ambient air temperature rather unexpectedly.
In ancient times, only Hawaiian bird-catchers resided up in this part of the island. The
trail that once ran down the cliffs from Kokeʻe (ko- keh -eh) to Kalalau Valley on the Na
Pali Coast is extraordinarily steep and has taken the life of at least one Western trekker.
Though one of the park's locally revered charms is its choppy, almost impossible 4WD
roads - which, unfortunately for tourists, happen to access the majority of the best trail-
heads - the state has reportedly been plotting (despite misgivings by many Kauaʻi resid-
ents) to pave much of Kokeʻe. Advocates against this decision have argued it would rob
the area of its reclusively rugged character.
Another potential moneymaker (of equally controversial status) is the state's plan to
further modernize Kokeʻe by adding a helicopter landing pad, which would, in turn, in-
crease air-tourism revenues.
This park's boundary starts beyond the Puʻu Hinahina Lookout . After mile marker 15,
you'll pass a brief stretch of park cabins, a restaurant, a museum and campground.