Aloha, Kauai Shores Hotel is open. The hotel, dining, and all amenities are running as usual.
As of Tuesday, October 6, 2026, you can fly over the Na Pali Coast, paddle the Wailua River, go mountain tubing, ride the coastal bike path, and visit Smith's Luau. A few Na Pali boat tours have started running again from Port Allen. You still can't hike Sleeping Giant or Waimea Canyon or visit Kilauea Point, and the North Shore past Princeville is still local traffic only. Hurricane Nolo passed about 300 miles west of the islands in late September. It did not hit Kauai, but it brought rain and surf, and it's the reason for the water advisory below.
We're writing this from Kauai Shores Hotel on Wailua Bay, on the east side. If you read our post from three weeks ago, 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 23), says "most accommodations, restaurants, shops, tours, and activities have reopened and are welcoming visitors," and asks you 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.
Kauai activity status, October 6, 2026
Hurricane Nolo update: Nolo passed well southwest and west of the islands September 28 to October 1. Kauai saw heavy rain, flood watches, and high surf on south and west shores, with no direct landfall. Nothing in this table changed because of the storm itself, except the water advisory.
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 is booking tours from its Lihue base. 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 still the only state park on Kauaʻi that's open. Since September 21, DLNR has allowed 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.
Call the kayak outfitters before you drive over; not all of them have posted reopening dates. 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.
Na Pali by boat is partly back. Port Allen's launch ramp reopened October 2, though the slips and moorings are still closed. Lucky Lady has been running since September 21 and Lady Kailani since September 28. Holo Holo Charters has paused its tours through October 10 and says it may extend that, so check before you book anything with them. If a Na Pali boat day is the reason you're coming, call the operator the week you arrive. Expect smaller schedules than usual, and expect rough surf on days when Nolo's swell is still running on west-facing shores. Helicopters from Lihue are the dependable way to see the coast.
Luau and culture: Smith's is back
Smith's Family Garden Luau and the Fern Grotto river boats reopened September 24, and Smith's now says it is "operating as usual." Smith's is 1.3 miles from the hotel and the luau most of our guests book. Check show nights on their site when you reserve.
Luau Kalamaku sits on the Kilohana plantation in Lihue. Kilohana's own notice says the plantation railway is closed after large trees came down and damaged two train cars, and it points to a mid- to late October reopening. Luau Kalamaku hasn't posted its own date. Call before you count on it.
Land tours: tubing yes, ziplines mostly no
Kauai Backcountry Adventures runs mountain tubing through the old Lihue Plantation ditches and tunnels. Its zipline tour is now listed as open and bookable on its site. Outfitters Kauai says only that it's "working hard to reopen after the storm," with no date. Call before you drive over.
Kauai Coffee has its visitor center open again. Koloa Rum's tasting room and store in Lihue are closed, and its COO told KHON2 they're targeting "somewhere around Oct. 12." Kilohana, where the tasting room sits, is targeting mid- to late October for the whole property.
Hiking and parks: mostly not yet
Almost every state trail is still closed, including the ones nearest us. Sleeping Giant, Kuilau, Moalepe, and the Kalalau Trail are on state land, and DLNR closed all of it on September 17 "into the foreseeable future." Since then DLNR has reopened a handful of forest reserves and hunting units, none of them visitor trails, and it warns that "unidentified and unmitigated hazards may still exist in state parks and forest lands even where access has resumed." Kokee Road is still closed as of October 5.
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.
Haena and Wainiha are 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. Parrish Kauai, one of the island's biggest rental managers, says guest arrivals have resumed. 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: most of the island is open
Many county parks reopened on September 16. Black Pot reopened by September 25, and by September 29 the county's only closed beach park was Salt Pond. The Kapaa and Waimea pools are still closed. Wailua Golf Course reopened its front nine on September 28.
The water is the catch. On October 3 the Department of Health issued a new islandwide brown water advisory for Kauai, after Nolo's rain. Stay out of ocean water near stream mouths, drainage outlets, and harbors, and follow the Ocean Safety flags. Wailua Bay has a river mouth at its south end, so the beach in front of the hotel is good for walking, and the north end is usually fine for a swim. The front desk will tell you which it is that morning. Poipu Beach Park is open, but Ocean Safety is advising no swimming while the advisory stands.
Poipu Beach Park has reopened, but the South Shore is where the surge hit hardest, so expect cleanup crews. Rental arrivals there have resumed, and Allerton and McBryde gardens are running limited tours from NTBG headquarters (reservations required). Salt Pond Beach Park is closed. So are the Kapaa and Waimea pools. Wailua Golf Course reopened its front nine on September 28.
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.
North Shore vacation rentals started taking arrivals again October 1, but Kuhio Highway past Princeville is still open only to local traffic, and Haena State Park and Kee Beach are closed. If you're driving to Hanalei, expect to turn around at the checkpoint.
How to plan a week here right now
- Book the helicopter first. Fewer flights, more demand. Pick a morning slot for the clearest air.
- Book Smith's early. The Fern Grotto boat in the afternoon, the luau at night, both 1.3 miles away.
- Paddle the Wailua River. Ask us which outfitters are running that day, and stay out of the water near the river mouth.
- Save trails and the canyon for a future trip. Nothing on state land has a date.
- Stay east and south of Princeville. The highway past it is for residents and crews.
- 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 October 6, 2026: helicopter tours from Lihue, kayaking on the Wailua River (river only, Secret Falls closed), mountain tubing with Kauai Backcountry, Smith's Fern Grotto boats and Garden Luau, the coastal bike path, and east-side county beaches. A few Na Pali boat tours have resumed from Port Allen. Closed: Sleeping Giant and other state trails, Waimea Canyon and Kokee, Haena, Kilauea Point, Limahuli Garden, and Kilohana.
Are Napali Coast boat tours running?
Some are. The Port Allen launch ramp reopened October 2, and Lucky Lady and Lady Kailani have resumed. Holo Holo Charters is paused through October 10. Call the operator before you book, and check the surf forecast for west-facing shores.
Is Smith's Luau open?
Yes. Smith's Family Garden Luau and the Fern Grotto river tours reopened September 24, 2026, and Smith's says it is operating as usual. Reservations are on smithskauai.com.
Can I kayak the Wailua River?
Yes. DLNR reopened the river and the designated landing to kayaks on September 21. Hiking past the trailhead is prohibited, Uluwehi (Secret) Falls is closed, and no kayaks are allowed in the Fern Grotto. Call the outfitters to confirm they're running.
Are the trails open? Sleeping Giant? Waimea Canyon?
No. Almost every state trail and state park on Kauai is closed, and DLNR had not given dates as of October 6. A few forest reserves and hunting units have reopened, but none are visitor trails. Kokee Road is closed until further notice. 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. A new islandwide brown water advisory was issued October 3. 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, so ask before you go in.
Did Hurricane Nolo hit Kauai?
No. Nolo passed about 300 miles west of Lihue between September 28 and October 1. Kauai had heavy rain, flood watches, and high surf on south and west shores, but no direct impact. Hurricane Lowell is the storm that caused the damage described on this page.
Last updated 10/06/2026
