The Na Pali coast owes its steep cliffs and rugged terrain to the effect of the trade winds, rain, and the age of the island. These natural canyons provided a defense barrier for native Hawaiians trying to protect themselves from raiding parties; attack could only come from one direction. The Picture on the left is of Kalalau Valley.

The pictures to the right and left show the northern most point of the Na Pali coast. This is the end of the road to the north side of the island. There are a few trails that go beyond this point of the island but even these give way to the rugged terrain of the Na Pali. Access to much of the Na Pali is only possible by boat.

Because of the large amount of rainfall and the heavily eroded terrain, finding waterfalls on Kauai is very easy. Many of the main waterfalls can only be accessed by helicopter as these two examples show. The picture below is of Hanalei Bay on the north end of Kauai.