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Hawaii, USA · North America · northern hemisphere
Kauai is at its best for hiking in April to June and September. Good but not prime in July, August and October. Crowds peak in August and bottom out in October.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming | 19 | 8 | 37 | 63 | 89 | 91 | 89 | 91 | 90 | 72 | 48 | 21 |
| Lakes & Coastline | 20 | 42 | 65 | 97 | 93 | 78 | 56 | 71 | 83 | 95 | 65 | 9 |
| Hiking | 19 | 18 | 47 | 100 | 93 | 89 | 66 | 64 | 80 | 70 | 37 | 10 |
| Crowds |
Swipe the table sideways for the rest of the year.
When Hanalei is under rain, Poipu is usually dry — two different climates on one small island, and the Na Pali trails are at their best April to June. The north shore shuts after big storms and the state parks can stay closed for weeks afterwards, so check Hawaiʻi DLNR’s park notices before planning around the Kalalau, Haena, Waimea Canyon or Kokeʻe. South-shore beaches are rarely affected.
Day walks from the road, muddy and slippery after rain. The Na Pali needs a Haena reservation, and a permit past Hanakapiai.
October to April is the north-shore wet season — muddy trails, stream crossings that shut the Kalalau, and the occasional washout at Hanalei. Haena also needs an entry or parking reservation, released 30 days ahead.
Christmas and New Year, plus June and July
Poipu on the south shore has the calmest, most reliable swimming. North shore surf in winter is genuinely dangerous and drowning is the island’s real risk, not anything on land.
The north shore is lusher, wetter and pricier; Poipu on the south is sunnier and better value. In winter the south shore is the safer booking by a wide margin.
The north shore takes very large winter surf and the wet season runs November to March. Hanalei can flood and the road beyond it closes.Jan · Feb · Mar · Nov · Dec
Central Pacific season. Direct hits are rare — Iniki in 1992 is the one everyone still refers to.Aug · Sep
Kept out of the score on purpose. Averaging a rare catastrophe into a monthly number would tell you something false; the warning is the honest form.
Everything on the north shore depends on how much it has rained. Haena State Park entry and parking reservations are released 30 days ahead and go almost at once; a separate camping permit applies only past Hanakapiai.
0 is this destination’s own quietest month and 100 its busiest. The scale never compares one destination to another. Source: Wikipedia — Kauai