A Tropical Delight By Kauai's North Shore Is Teeming With Terraced Gardens, Trails, And Natural Beauty

Kauai, Hawaii's fourth largest island, is known for stunning natural attractions like Waimea, the remote and uncrowded small town where you will find canyon and valley vistas. It's also famed for spectacular beaches like the gorgeous, secret beach of Moloaa Bay Beach with its turquoise waters. Known as the "Garden Island," Kauai is covered in verdant valleys with exotic and vibrant plant life. The crown jewel of this lush paradise is Limahuli Garden and Preserve, an unspoiled, raw beauty and one of the most biodiverse valleys in Hawaii.

Located in the valley on Kauai's northside, Limahuli Garden and Preserve is a 985-acre sanctuary hidden gem many people drive past when visiting the iconic Ha'ena State Park, a mere 0.2 mile away. It's worth spending a couple of hours exploring the trail of trickling streams, geological wonders, and native flora and fauna. The scenery is so astounding that it will transport you back to a time before humans inhabited the island.

Limahuli Garden and Preserve is 37.5 miles from the Lihue Airport (an hour and 20-minute drive). Since parking is limited, the best way to reach it is by the North Shore Shuttle. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes. It's a $35 roundtrip, and tickets must be purchased in advance from the Go Hāʻena website. If you decide to drive, book your tour in advance to ensure parking from the National Tropical Botanical Garden's website. The self-guided tour is $30 per adult, and children under 12 are free. The guided tour is $60 per person and is only available for people 13 and older. If you ride the shuttle to the garden, you will receive a $5 discount for the tours.

The Limahuli Valley has been a vital ahupua'a, a traditional community where generations of Hawaiians performed sacred rituals, songs, and poetry. Before the area was appointed to Juliet Rice Wichman, a member of a local tribe, the land was used for grazing cattle, which destroyed its delicate biodiversity. When Ms. Wichman took guardianship of the land in 1967, she recognized that it needed to be preserved. She put up fences to keep the cattle out of the land and created the initial infrastructure for the garden preserve we see today. Throughout her life, she donated parcels of land to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. Eventually, after her death, her grandson, Chipper Wichman, endowed his family's remaining land to the organization. He continued cultivating it to restore it to serve its former ecological and cultural purposes.

Today, visitors can be in awe of this authentic Kauai landscape, which the American Horticultural Society awarded the "Best Natural Botanical Garden." Though the horrific storm in 2019 flooded much of Limahuli Garden and Preserve, it is now open to the public again after a long and careful restoration process. In addition to the stunning surroundings, visitors can learn how ancient Hawaiians irrigated taro crops. Limahuli focuses on conserving plants that are native to Hawaii or are significant to the culture — vibrant and aromatic flowers, decadent tropical fruits, native palm trees, and plant species brought by the early Polynesian migrants and the colonizers in the mid-1800s. Visitors can learn more about these during their tours.

The park is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with the last check-in at 2:15 p.m. Pack a water bottle and sun protection. Also, rain gear and insect repellent are always a good idea when visiting a natural preserve in one of the wettest places on the planet. The guided tour is led by a knowledgeable and friendly guide who will take visitors through the beautiful garden while sharing stories and legends of Hawaiian culture. You will learn about the intricate biodiversity of the land and the ancient traditions that nourished it. The tour will take approximately 2.5 hours.

The self-guided tour lets you roam the ancient terraces, precious forest, and a ¾ mile loop trail with 200 feet in elevation. Along the way, you will see pristine streams and towering peaks surrounded by the chanting of caregivers who are more than happy to share a story or two about their traditions and tips on living in harmony with the land. The self-guided tour will take approximately 1.5 hours, but feel free to stay longer — it's easy to lose track of time.

After your day in the garden, you can put up your feet at one of the resorts nearby. Hotel Hanalei Bay, a favorite on Tripadvisor, is a luxe, oceanfront retreat only 12 miles away. If you are on a budget, The Cliffs at Princeville, located on a cliff overlooking the North Shore, is a great option, and it's about 11 miles from the garden.

Can't get enough of Kauai? Head to Kalalea Mountain for one of the island's most iconic landscapes.