Cook Landing Site

Cook Landing Site
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
A monument near the site
Location	Southwest of Route 50, Waimea, Hawaii
Coordinates	21°57′6.63″N 159°39′57.03″W / 21.9518417°N 159.6658417°WCoordinates: 21°57′6.63″N 159°39′57.03″W / 21.9518417°N 159.6658417°W
Built	1778
NRHP Reference #	66000298
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHL	December 29, 1962[2]

The Cook Landing Site in Waimea on Kauaʻi 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,^[3] and the January 20 landfall on southwestern Kauaʻi 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.^[3]

References

1. National Park Service (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "Cook Landing Site". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
3. John A. Hussey (May 24, 1962). "Waimea beach (Cook Landing Site) nomination form" (PDF). National Historic Landmark Program. National Park Service. Retrieved November 7, 2010.