Emily Miller

The 4000 ft. high Na Pali cliffs begin here above Ke'e Beach, at the end of the road on Kauai's north shore. The beach opens onto a shallow triangular lagoon protected from the ocean surf by a fringing reef. To the right of the main stretch of sand, this late summer aerial view shows a tiny, seasonal sandy beach that disappears into the rocks during the pounding storms of winter.

Tucked above this seasonal beach is a hula platform, visible as an open, grassy area shored up by lava rocks. This heiau, Ka Ulu O Laka, is the site of a historic and contemporary hula school. It is a sacred place for Hawaiian culture.

At the far left of the painting is a restored taro patch, or lo'i. To the right of the beach, the Kalalau Trail climbs up into the Na Pali coast. A few open lookout points on the trail are visible above the heiau and rocky beach area.