Nu‘uanu Pali is a cliff located at the head of Nu‘uanu Valley on the island of O‘ahu. It was the site of one of the bloodiest battles in Hawaiian history, where Kamehameha I conquered the island of the O‘ahu and brought it under his rule. Today, it offers one of the best panoramic views of the windward (east) coast of O‘ahu. The main highway connecting Kailua and downtown Honolulu runs through tunnels bored into the cliffside.
In 1795 Kamehameha I sailed from his home island of Hawai‘i with an army of 10,000 soldiers. After conquering the islands of Maui and Moloka‘i, he moved on to O‘ahu. The pivotal battle for the island occurred at Nu‘uanu Pali, where the defenders of O‘ahu led by Kalanikupule were driven back into the valley and to the cliff. Thousands of Kalanikupule's soldiers were driven off the edge of the cliff to their deaths 1,000 feet below.
In 1898 a carriage road was built over the Nu‘uanu Pali to connect Windward O‘ahu with Honolulu. This road was later replaced by the Pali Highway (state route 61) and the Nu‘uanu Pali Tunnels in 1959.
Today, the Nu‘uanu Pali State Wayside provides visitors with a panoramic view of the Windward side. It is also well-known for heavy trade winds that blow through the mountain pass, forming a natural wind tunnel.
Hawaiian folklore says that one should never carry pork over Nuuanu Pali, especially at night. Some motorists report that their cars mysteriously stopped and would not start until the pork was removed from the car. However, others report no problems carrying pork of any kind over the Pali.