Nuuanu Pali Lookout

Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout is on the Pali Highway between Honolulu and Kailua, a short drive northeast of downtown Honolulu, and Hawaii State Parks runs it as Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside. From a stone terrace at the brink of the pali, the cliffs of the Koʻolau Range, you look over windward Oʻahu to Kāneʻohe and Kailua, Mokoliʻi and Coconut Island, with Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden and the Kāneʻohe Marine Corps Base in view. This is the site of the Battle of Nuʻuanu, where King Kamehameha I won the struggle that united Oʻahu under his rule, and the battle claimed many soldiers' lives, with many of them forced off the sheer cliffs. The wind is usually so strong you can lean against it, so hold on to hats and anything loose. Falling rocks are a listed hazard here, and there is no drinking water. The wayside is open daily during set hours; Hawaii residents park free and non-residents pay a fee per vehicle. Pets, alcohol, smoking and commercial activities are not allowed.