Ni'ihau Lookout: Views of the Forbidden Island

Ni'ihau Lookout

From Kauai's west side, you can see an island that almost no one is allowed to visit. Ni'ihau sits 17 miles off the coast, flat against the horizon with a broad plateau. The Ni'ihau Lookout gives you one of the clearest vantage points of the "Forbidden Island."

About Ni'ihau

The Robinson family has owned Ni'ihau since 1864, when Elizabeth Sinclair purchased it from King Kamehameha V for $10,000. The island remains privately held and is largely closed to outsiders. About 70 Native Hawaiians live there, maintaining a traditional Hawaiian-speaking community. There are no paved roads, no stores, and no running water infrastructure. Solar panels provide electricity.

Ni'ihau is 18 miles long and 6 miles wide. The landscape is dry and arid compared to Kauai, with no streams or rivers. Residents work the Robinson family's cattle and sheep ranch. The island is also known for its prized Ni'ihau shell lei, made from tiny shells found only on its beaches.

The Lookout

The best views of Ni'ihau are from the Pu'u Hinahina Lookout area along Waimea Canyon Drive (Highway 550), between mile markers 13 and 14. The Ni'ihau Lookout is to the right of the same parking lot. On clear days, you can make out the island's silhouette and the small pyramid-shaped island of Lehua just to its right.

Clear mornings give you the best shot. Afternoon haze and clouds often obscure the view. Even on good days, Ni'ihau can be hard to spot since it sits low on the water.

Getting There

Take Highway 50 west from Hanapepe to Highway 550 at mile marker 23 past Waimea. Turn right onto Waimea Canyon Road. The lookout is near mile marker 13. You'll pass it on the way up to Waimea Canyon and Pu'u O Kila Lookout.