The Kalalau trail in Kauai is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful trails in the state of Hawaii. Winding along the Na Pali Coastline, the formidable 22 mile hike traverses five valleys, each effortlessly boasting their unique landscapes.
Although I am from Hawaii, Kauai feels much different than my citified island of Oahu. There are less people. Less cars. Less noise. In fact, a quick google search informed me that 97% of Kauai’s land is undeveloped mountain ranges and rain forests. A dream scene to those lucky enough to experience it.
Sun rays over Kalalau Beach
Trail length: 22 miles, in and out style trail.
Elevation Gain: 800 feet.
Trail Difficulty: Extreme, due to the length and trail condition.
Trail location: The Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. (In order to access the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, visitors have to go through Haena State Park.)
Trailhead: Ha’ena State Park at the northwest end of Kuhio Highway.
Campgrounds: Camping is only allowed at the Hanakoa (mile 6) and Kalalau (Mile 11) campgrounds.
Fees: 25$-35$ per person per night to camp plus 20$ per night to park.
Best time of year: Summer generally has the best weather but the trail can be hiked year round.
Weather: Temperatures usually range from 65-85 F year round. Rain showers are common in all seasons.
Permits: Yes, permits are required year round for camping. They are available for purchase 90 days prior to arrival. See permit section below for more information.
The Kalalau trail was built in the late 1800s as a way to access the Na Pali coastline by land. It is currently maintained by the state with a permitting system in place for those seeking to go beyond the first 3 miles.
Permits to camp in Kalalau Valley are 25$ per person per night for Hawaii residents and 35$ for non-residents. They can be purchased 90-days in advance and will oftentimes sell out the same day they are released. Undercover park rangers have been known to request permits from people with packs along this trail. Please support our local community here in Hawaii by actually purchasing your permits through the Hawaii State park page. You can browse availability here. [Note: Be sure to either print or screenshot your reservation prior to arrival as you will not have cell service at the trailhead.]
(*Note that as of May 2022, additional permits will be available to walk-in applicants at the State Parks Office in Lihu’e. They will be sold at 8 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until all capacity is exhausted.)
Drone shot of Kalalau Beach
Overnight Parking Permit – (Best option) – In my opinion parking at the trailhead is the best option as it will allow you to start early and give you some flexibility when hiking back out. To do this, you will need an overnight parking reservation at Ha’ena state park lot. Permits will run you 20$ per night and can only be reserved once you have secured a campground permit. The Ha’ena state park lot is highly regulated now, (unlike previous years) so I would not risk parking there overnight without a permit. You can find the parking permits here. (This reservation process did not work on mobile for me – only desktop)
Kauai North Shore Shuttle – A shuttle will pick you up at the Princeville Makai golf club or Waipa Park and Ride for 11$ round trip. Info can be found here.
Taxi/Ride Share – Arrangements must be made in advance as there is no service at the trailhead.
Kalalau trail wrapping around the coastline
When hiking the Kalalau Trail you have the option to hike the entire 11 miles to Kalalau campground in one day, or break up your hike by camping one night at the 6-mile mark, Hanakoa campground. You do not need to decide which option you will doprior to starting the hike. Meaning, if for example, you had initially planned to do the entire 11 miles in one day, but find that you are moving slower than anticipated, you can opt to stay at Hanakoa campground for a night.
The trail starts on a paved and heavily trafficked path through taro plots. It soon twists up the hillside to give views of the Na Pali coastline. Many day hikers use this first portion of the trail to get to Hanakapiai beach, two miles in. For the most part, this portion of the trail was wide and well maintained.
Between miles 1 and 2
At mile 2, you will reach your first river crossing. If you follow the river down to the beach, it becomes much more shallow making the cross easier. Shortly after crossing, you will have the option to fork off the kalalau trail to Hanakapi’ai falls, adding an extra two miles to your journey. We chose to continue on the Kalalau trail toward Hanaoka campground (mile 6).
The next mile, (mile 3) after Hanakapi’ai was brutally muddy and mosquito ridden. Even with DEET repellent and mosquito bands we were getting eaten alive. The trail was also noticeably more overgrown from this point on. We often needed to push ferns and branches out of the way to get through.
The Hanakoa campsite was located just after another major river crossing around mile 6. The lack of scenery between miles 4-6 and our increasing exhaustion made us question our motives for hiking this trail in the rain. Luckily many of the sites had picnic tables, composting toilets and small shelters that allowed for an easy set up.
Waterfalls we could see from the trail
We woke early the next day and started the second half of the Kalalau Trail. Quickly after departing, between mile 6 and 7, we arrived at the infamous “crawler’s ledge“, appropriately named after hikers getting down on all fours to yes, literally crawl along the ledge.
Prior to the ledge, you need to descend a slick dirt path along the cliffside. This was pretty dangerous at the time due to the recent heavy rainfall. The hillside was very slippery and we relied heavily on our hiking poles to get us down. (The first time I did this trail back in the summer of 2014, it hadn’t rained in days and we passed this section without a second though.)
Crawler’s ledge
Miles 7 & 8 were pretty strenuous as they consisted of mostly uphill stretches. However, the second half of the Kalalau trail was much more exposed and thankfully much drier than the first half. (We were no longer sprinting from mosquitos!) We also saw a few goats and pigs on the trail here.
Miles 9-11 were beautifully scattered with views of the Na Pali coastline and Kalalau beach. When we made it down to the campground we picked a site surrounded by trees, overlooking the beach. There were composting toilets at the campground and a waterfall at the far end which campers use as their fresh water source. (I personally would still treat or filter the water you collect here.)
Mile 11 – descent into Kalalau Valley
Mile 11 is when you will hit the Kalalau stream. The Kalalau campground is approximately half a mile more away. Once there, you can choose any open site. Note that the freshwater source and composting toilets are located at the farther end of the beach.
Kalalau beach
After setting up camp, we walked along Kalalau beach soaking in the layers of jagged peaks, accentuated by the sunset’s golden glow. We spent a total of 2 nights in Kalalau Valley and hiked the entire 11 miles out on Day 4.
Sunset skies over the Na Pali ridgeline
If epic is what you’re after, the Kalalau trail in Kauai should be at the top of your list. We left with full yet heavy hearts, knowing that we’d be back again someday.
Photos were taken in Collaboration with Matt Tonokawa
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