Hike & camp in one of the most magical places on earth!
Hiking Severe
Warm beaches at the edge of epic rainforest mountains with fresh mangos & active wildlife make the Nā Pali Coast & Kalalau Beach one of the most magical places on earth. Hike this 35.4km coastline trail through picturesque beaches & lush rainforest where Jurassic Park was filmed.
The trail begins at the end of the road into Ha’ena State Park on Kauai’s North Shore. You’ll traverse along the edge of the mountains on the coast line, passing through the Hono O Nā Pali Natural Preserve, as well as the Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness park. Around 3km in, you’ll turn a corner with an epic view of the majestic Hanakāpīʻai Falls. The rest of the trail travels through damp, often muddy rainforest terrain with a section of loose rock that wraps around the edge of cliff about half-way through the hike. Towards the end, you’ll see a wooden sign for Kalalau Beach, reminding you to respect the land to ensure future generations can take advantage of this magical experience. After this sign, you’ll begin your descent to Kalalau Beach down the heavily corroded Basalt bluffs. The ground is heavily corroded, and often extremely slippery when wet, so take it slow down this part as you’ll likely be fairly tired by this point. At this point, you’ll likely encounter the wild goats running around the coastline & at the top of the bluffs. If you’re lucky, you might even catch them fighting and locking horns!
As you descend, you’ll intersect a few streams, that are good water sources for camping (filter required), as well as the “End of Valley Trail”. This trail will take you up into the valley, where you’ll find fresh mangoes, guava, passionfruit, oranges and more on trees. Designated camp sites will appear as you reach the beach and the Ho‘ole‘a Falls towards the end of the beach is serve as a great freshwater source. Again, a filter is highly recommended!
There’s lots of exploring to do in this area, so staying more than one night is highly recommended. Walking a few meters down the beach will bring you to unique sea-caves and the Honopu Arch. You might also want to try your luck fishing, as Ō'io (aka Bonefish) are fairly common in the area and can often be caught from the shore with a rod.
DOGS Unfortunately this trail is NOT dog friendly.
NOTE: You are required to purchase a Camping Permit, even if you are planning to day-trip this trail). They are $35 per person per day, and are available 90 days in advance from the State of Hawaii Website. Reservations book out very quickly, so make sure to get on this early!
You’ll also be required to purchase an overnight parking permit for Hā‘ena State Park, available online at gohaena.com.
RECOMMENDED GEAR: Water Filter (i.e. HydraPak), Poles, Bathing Suit, Camping Gear, Gaitors, Stove, Knife, Fishing Gear.
Severe
Hiking challenging trails where simple scrambling, with the occasional use of the hands, is a distinct possibility. The trails are often filled with all manner of obstacles both small and large, and the hills are very steep. Obstacles and challenges are often unexpected and can be unpredictable.
Some trail sections have exposed ledges or steep ascents/descents where falling could cause serious injury.
Little chance of being seen or helped in case of an accident.
4 m away
The Kalalau Trail is an 11 mile (18 kilometre) trail along Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai (Hawaii) from Keʻe Beach to the Kalalau Valley. It is considered to be incredibly beautiful but also not without danger and should not be underestimated.
Difficult Hiking
25 routes · Alpine Climbing · Hiking
10 routes · Hiking