Cook Landing Site

The Cook Landing Site in Waimea on Kauai island in Hawaii, is where Captain James Cook landed at the mouth of the Waimea River on January 20, 1778. Cook was the first European reported to have sighted the Hawaiian Islands, and the January 20 landfall on southwestern Kauai was his first arrival upon Hawaiian soil. Cook Landing Site was registered as a National Historic Landmark on December 29, 1962. Hofgaard Park is a small county park in Waimea, a few blocks from the actual landing, that commemorates the historic events of Cook's landing. It is suspected that the land has actually grown since 1778 due to deposition of sediment, so the exact spot is unknown. A small plaque was erected by Kauai County in 1928 which maintains a small county park. The landing site is accessible via Lucy Wright Park. Across the river Russian Fort Elizabeth is preserved in a state park.