As of Monday, September 21, 2026, you can fly over the Napali Coast, paddle the Wailua River, go mountain tubing, ride the coastal bike path, and swim at most east-side beaches. You can't take a boat to Napali, hike Sleeping Giant or Waimea Canyon, tour the botanical gardens, or visit Kilauea Point. Smith's Luau comes back Thursday. That's the short version, two weeks after Hurricane Lowell. The long version with dates is below.
We're writing this from Kauai Shores Hotel on Wailua Bay, on the east side. If you read our post from last week, you know the hotel is open, Lava Lava Beach Club is serving, and the airport is on a normal schedule. This post is about what to do once you're here. Things are changing daily, mostly for the better, so check the date at the top and call us at 808.822.4951 if you're planning around one specific activity.
One line on the official guidance, because people ask. On September 18, Mayor Derek Kawakami said: "Kauai is welcoming visitors, and we are grateful for the support you bring to our local businesses and our economy," and asked people to avoid Wainiha and Haena. The state's visitor page, (updated Sept 18), says to confirm your bookings directly, and if a piece of your trip you can't do without is unavailable, to reschedule Kauai rather than cancel Hawaii. Here's what's available.
Kauaʻi activity status, September 21, 2026
In the air: the one Napali tour you can still take
Helicopters are the only way to see Napali this week, and they're flying. Blue Hawaiian says its Lihue base "remains open and operating" (the Princeville base reopens when power there is stable). Island Helicopters says its aircraft and facilities came through Lowell undamaged and it is open. Safari Helicopters is "currently operating, but flight times are limited." Expect fewer departures than a normal September and book a day or two ahead rather than walking up.
You will see storm damage from the air. Some guests want that and some don't. If you'd rather not, say so when you book, and ask which route spends the most time on the Napali cliffs and Waialeale and the least over the North Shore towns.
On the water: the Wailua River is back, with limits
The Wailua River is a mile from our lawn, and it's the first state park on Kauai to reopen. From 6:30 a.m. on September 21, DLNR allows kayaks and paddleboards on the river and at the designated landing. Three limits:
- Uluwehi Falls (Secret Falls) is closed in its entirety. The hike past the trailhead is "strictly prohibited." So the classic paddle-and-hike-to-the-waterfall tour is not on offer yet. A paddle up the river and back is.
- No kayaks in the Fern Grotto. Only Smith's boats may land there. DLNR says that will be enforced.
- The water is brown. The islandwide brown water advisory covers stream mouths and river water. Paddle, don't swim.
The kayak outfitters on the river have not posted reopening dates as of Sunday night, and the river reopening is one day old, so call before you drive over. The front desk has the numbers. If you want the full waterfall version, our Wailua River guide describes it, and we'll update this post when Secret Falls reopens.
Napali by boat is off. Port Allen's small boat harbor and Kikiaola in Kekaha, the two west-side departure points, are closed until further notice with wrecked piers and sunken vessels. Holo Holo Charters has canceled every tour through September 26 and says cancellations "may extend beyond this date." The other Port Allen companies haven't posted dates. If a Napali boat day is the reason you're coming, this isn't the week; take the helicopter, or move your dates and we'll help.
Luau and culture: Smith's returns Thursday
Smith's Family Garden Luau and the Fern Grotto river boats reopen Thursday, September 24, on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday schedule "until further notice." Smith's is 1.3 miles from the hotel and the luau most of our guests book, so this is the one we're happiest to type. Reservations are open on their site now. If you were booked for a date before the 24th, they say they're refunding in full without you needing to do anything.
Luau Kalamaku sits on the Kilohana plantation in Lihue, and Kilohana's own notice says the plantation railway is closed until further notice after large trees came down and damaged two train cars. It adds that "other businesses and shops located on the Kilohana property may also be impacted." Luau Kalamaku has posted nothing on its own site. Call before you count on it.
Kauai Museum in Lihue is listing its regular hours (Monday to Friday 9 to 4, Saturday 9 to 2) with no storm notice.
Land tours: tubing yes, ziplines no
Kauai Backcountry Adventures reopens its mountain tubing tours on September 21, floating through the old Lihue Plantation ditches and tunnels. The same notice says its zipline is closed until further notice. Outfitters Kauai, which runs ziplines and kayak tours out of Poipu, says only that it's "working hard to reopen after the storm" and to check back daily. No zipline company on the island has posted a reopening date. Cable and tree work takes time; we'd guess October, and we'd rather you hear a date from them than from us.
Kauai Coffee has its visitor center open again, but only from the Eleele side of Kaumualii Highway; Halewili Road is still closed from Kalaheo because of downed poles. Koloa Rum's tasting room and store in Lihuʻe are closed, and its COO told KHON2 they're targeting "somewhere around Oct. 12."
Hiking and parks: mostly not yet
Every trail managed by the state is closed, and that includes the ones nearest us. Sleeping Giant, Kuilau, Moalepe, and the Kalalau Trail are all on state land, and DLNR closed all of it on September 17 "into the foreseeable future." The September 21 reopening covers the Wailua River, the bottom of Waimea Canyon for people already there, and one hunting unit. Nothing else.
Waimea Canyon and Kokee are the worst of it. DLNR crews described the damage at Kokee as "unreal," Kokee Road is closed, Waimea Canyon Drive is closed above the lower junction, and enforcement officers are running a 24-hour roadblock at the junction after people tried to drive around it. Don't be those people. The canyon will still be there on your next trip.
The North Shore past Princeville is local traffic only. Haena State Park, Kee Beach, and the Kalalau trailhead are closed, Kilauea Point lighthouse is closed for repairs, and the Mayor has asked visitors to stay out of Wainiha and Haena. North Shore vacation rentals aren't taking arrivals until October 1. Hanalei's cafés and shops are reopening in phases, but a day trip there is still a trip into someone's cleanup.
Beaches and swimming: the east side is open
Many county parks [reopened on September 16. The ones still closed are Haena, Black Pot, Hanamaulu, Poipu, and Salt Pond beach parks, plus the Kapaa and Waimea pools and Wailua Golf Course. Lydgate is not on that list, and neither are Kealia, Kapaa Beach Park, or Anahola.
The catch is the water itself. The islandwide brown water advisory is still in effect: stay out of ocean water near stream mouths, drainage outlets, and harbors. Wailua Bay has a river mouth at its south end, so the beach in front of the hotel is fine for walking and the north end is usually fine for a swim, and the front desk will tell you which it is that morning. The snorkeling spots we usually send people to will be better once the advisory lifts.
Poipu Beach Park is closed, and the South Shore is where the surge hit hardest. South Shore vacation rentals start taking arrivals again September 21 , and the Allerton, McBryde, and Limahuli gardens have canceled tours through September 25. Give the South Shore another week or two before you plan a beach day there.
The east side, on foot and by bike
This is the part of the island that had the easiest storm and the fastest recovery, and it's where you'll be staying. The coastal bike path is open from Lydgate to Kealia and past it toward Donkey Beach. Our bikes are available at the front desk. Kapaa town is open, with some shops on shorter hours. Lava Lava Beach Club, on our beach, is back up and running .
The Mayor's other request was specific: eat at locally owned restaurants, shop at the small shops, and book with local activity providers. Kapaa is full of all three, and several of them told Hawaii Public Radio last week that they've laid off half their staff waiting for visitors to come back. A plate lunch on the east side this week does more than it usually does.
How to plan a week here right now
- Save trails and the canyon for a future trip. Nothing on state land has a date.
- Stay east and south of Princeville. The road past it is for residents and crews this month.
- Ask the front desk each morning. We keep a running list, and it changes.
We'll update this post as DLNR reopens more land and the boat harbors get their dates. Until then, check dates at Kauai Shores Hotel, or call 808.822.4951 and we'll tell you what's open the day you're thinking of coming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What activities are open on Kauai after Hurricane Lowell?
As of September 21, 2026: helicopter tours from Lihue, kayaking on the Wailua River (river only, Secret Falls closed), mountain tubing with Kauai Backcountry, the coastal bike path, and most east-side county beaches. Smith's Fern Grotto boats and Garden Luau reopen September 24. Napali boat tours, ziplines, all state trails, Waimea Canyon, Kokee, Haena, Kilauea Point, and the NTBG gardens are closed.
Are Napali Coast boat tours running?
No. Port Allen's small boat harbor and Kīkiaola harbor in Kekaha are closed until further notice with storm damage, and Holo Holo Charters has canceled tours through September 26. The Nā Pali Coast can be seen by helicopter from Līhuʻe this week.
Is Smith's Luau open?
Smith's Family Garden Luau and the Fern Grotto river tours reopen Thursday, September 24, 2026, and will run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday until further notice. Reservations are open on smithskauai.com.
Can I kayak the Wailua River?
Yes, from September 21. DLNR has reopened the river and the designated landing to kayaks. Hiking past the trailhead is prohibited, Uluwehi (Secret) Falls is closed, and no kayaks are allowed in the Fern Grotto. Kayak outfitters had not posted reopening dates as of September 20, so call ahead.
Are the trails open? Sleeping Giant? Waimea Canyon?
No. Every state trail and state park on Kauai is closed except the Wailua River, and DLNR has not given dates. Kokee Road and Waimea Canyon Drive are closed with a 24-hour roadblock. Sleeping Giant, Kuilau, Moalepe, and the Kalalau Trail are closed.
Can I swim at the beach in front of Kauai Shores Hotel?
The beach is open, and an islandwide brown water advisory tells you to stay out of the water near stream mouths and harbors. Wailua Bay has a river mouth at its south end. The front desk checks conditions each morning; ask before you go in.
Last updated 9/20/2026
