Pali Highway

The Pali Highway runs from Vineyard Boulevard to Castle Junction, through the Pali Tunnels to windward Oʻahu. Driving up through tall trees and dense forest, the city falls away, and the highway passes Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout on the way between Honolulu and Kailua. The Pali Lookout is the site of the Battle of Nuʻuanu, where Kamehameha I won the struggle that united Oʻahu under his rule. Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside looks over windward Oʻahu from the brink of the pali in the Koʻolau Range; it is open daily during set hours, and non-residents pay a parking fee there. Between the tunnels, a catchment fence and a rock shed over the Honolulu-bound lanes guard against rockfalls and landslides, and the hairpin turn has a high-friction surface and glare screens, so take it at a careful speed. Landslides have hit this stretch before, so check road notices before you drive.