Kalalau - Wettest Spot on Earth

Issue #011 - Kauai: The Na Pali Coast

Just beyond the top of the soaring cliffs of the Na Pali coastline, is the equally incredible mountain landscape of Koke‘e. This is one of the wettest spots on earth. The large flat plateau near the summit, called the Alaka‘i Swamp, is the source of five of Kauai’s rivers. Two of them are large enough to be navigable. The Alaka‘i is the largest swamp in the Hawaiian Islands, covering almost ten square miles.

The western edge is about four thousand feet straight up on the rim of the Na Pali Cliffs. Waimea Canyon, on the southern edge of Koke‘e, is a staggering panorama of red cliffs and green foliage. Called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, the 2800-foot-deep canyon was carved by the erosive power of water flowing from this mountain over the ages. The summit of Mount Wai‘ale‘ale receives an average of over five-hundred inches of rainfall each year! Some wet years bring over fifty feet of rain. So you can probably count on getting a little damp up there, especially in the afternoon.