The Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve covers the highest, wettest portion of Kauaʻi's interior — a montane bog and cloud forest that averages 11 metres of rain a year and supports a community of plants and birds found nowhere else on earth. It occupies the caldera of the shield volcano that became the island, now so eroded and waterlogged that the landscape looks more like the Scottish Highlands than a tropical island.
The main access route is the Alakaʻi Swamp Trail, reached from Kōkeʻe State Park. A boardwalk leads through the forest for about 1.5 km before the trail continues into muddier terrain — bring waterproof boots. The trail ends at Kilohana Lookout with views north toward the Hanalei valley and coast. The hike is not technically difficult but the mud can be deep after rain, and the cloud cover means temperatures are considerably cooler than the coast.
Bird-watchers make specific trips to the Alakaʻi for endemic species: the ʻapapane, ʻiʻiwi, and Kauaʻi ʻelepaio are all present, along with the extremely rare puaiohi and Kauaʻi ʻamakihi. The forest has no mongoose — the species was never introduced to Kauaʻi, which is why its native bird populations have survived better than on any other Hawaiian island.