Landmark· Niihau· Hawaii
Niihau (Private Island, Public Waters)
21° 54.4′ N · 160° 9.0′ W
The 'Forbidden Isle': a 72-square-mile, privately owned ranch island 15 miles west of Kauai where Hawaiian is still the first language, with deserted beaches, monk seals and glass floats along a coast that almost no yachts visit.
Practical
Owned since 1864 by the Sinclair-Robinson family; 2020 census 84 residents (largest settlement Puuwai near the south end); visits ashore are by invitation, except for helicopter and hunting tours run by the owners; a Navy installation on the cliffs supports the Pacific Missile Range Facility. Coast Pilot: semi-arid, no streams, highest point 1,281-ft Paniau; the north and east ends of the tableland are 600-1,000-ft cliffs. There is no shore support for visiting yachts: arrive fully provisioned, with fuel and water for the round trip from Kauai. The leeward (west) coast has the anchorages; the north end lies in Kauai's lee in trade-wind weather. Niihau shell lei (lei pupu) are protected by a 2004 Hawaii law against counterfeits. Access: Niihau is privately owned and residents may tell you to leave; the beaches up to the vegetation line and the surrounding waters are public (Pacific Cup cruising notes; Noodle's Notes). Stay below the vegetation line, do not go inland, and if residents appear, the guide's author recommends simply returning to the boat.
Best for
A remote, self-sufficient summer cruise beyond Kauai
Season
May-Sep; all anchorages exposed to winter north/northwest swell
Nearby
- Kaununui Anchorage (Niihau)1.9 NM away
- Niihau Beachcombing and Glass Floats2.3 NM away
- Niihau Leeward Anchorages3.6 NM away
- Kuakamoku Rock and Reef (Niihau)4.3 NM away
- Nonopapa Landing Anchorage (Niihau)5.5 NM away
- Kii Landing Anchorage (Niihau East)6.4 NM away
- Puukole Point Anchorage (Niihau)6.5 NM away
- Niihau Hawaiian Monk Seals6.8 NM away