Kauai is known for being home to one of the most beautiful and recognizable coastlines in the world: the Nāpali Coast. It’s a breathtaking combination of rugged cliffs and steep valleys that abruptly drop off into the ocean. The grandeur of the topography is memorable in and of itself, but what really makes the Nāpali Coast dazzling is the palette of glittering greens and blues, in stark contrast to the neutrals of the underlying foundation. From a day hike to a multi-night backpacking trip, this choose-your-own-adventure trail should be at the top of your to-do list when visiting Kauai.
While going on a hike seems simple enough, you would find some unforeseen obstacles if you’d hoped to just show up the day-of. Below we’ve detailed everything you need to know to ensure you actually make it on the Kalalau Trail. Cheers to enjoying this beautiful gem of Kauai!
Two of us have made our way to Kauai and hiked the Kalalau trail— one visit in October and one in January. Hard to say which time of year is better, because this hike is as memorable as it is breathtaking, practically any time of year!
Walk It Out
Kauai does not have a road that circles the perimeter of the island as they were unable to carve out a path through this beautiful but tenuous coastline. As a matter of fact, one of the only way through the Nāpali Coastline by land is via the Kalalau Trail. This trail is a 22-mile round trip hiking adventure, not designed for the faint of heart. The trail crosses through five valleys before ending in the Kalalau Valley. Experienced backpackers will tackle the trail in its entirety, but visitors looking to explore a more palatable 4-mile hike to Hanakapi’ai Beach make the trek in spades every day.
Reservations
The Kalalau Trail extends predominantly through the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park; however, the trail starts in Hāʻena State Park. Both Hāʻena State Park (HSP) and the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park (NCSWP) were closed for over a year from 2018- 2019 due to severe flooding throughout the north shore of Kauaʻi. Upon reopening the parks, the quantity of visitors permitted each day was limited.
In order to gain admission to the parks, advanced reservation is required. For most, that means making a HSP Entry Reservation. Hikers with this reservation are granted access as far as the Hanakapi’ai Valley. If you plan to hike farther or do any camping, you must acquire a NCSWP camping permit. This will grant you admission into the park as well as the right to camp in authorized areas, for up to five days.
Reservations for both HSP entry and NCSWP camping become available at midnight 30 days prior. These reservations go extremely quickly. With a 4-hour time difference between Hawaii and Wisconsin, we assumed we could wake up at 6am and book our reservation without issue. By 2am (HAST) all the ‘parking + entry’ passes had been sold out. We had flexibility in our trip, and were able to wake up and secure the passes the following morning; however, we were shocked at just how fast the passes went.
What’s a Gal to Do
Your HSP entry reservation will provide access to Ke’e Beach, which requires no hiking to reach. There’s a short (< ½ mile) walk from the parking lot to the beach, but this is easily reached by anyone without profound mobility impairments. Along the Kalalau trail, you will be permitted as far as the Hanakāpīʻai valley, but even with this boundary, there’s still a couple spots to adventure to. Most popular, the hike to Hanakāpīʻai Beach is 4-miles round trip. You can also make the longer trek to Hanakāpīʻai Falls, which is a longer 8-mile round trip adventure. Due to time constraints we just hiked to the beach and felt we saw a gorgeous slice of the coast.
Tips & Recommendations
Tip #1
When you’re making your reservation, the ‘parking + entry’ is going to be the preferential option for most people; however, the shuttle + entry is a good back-up option. It will require a bit more planning and flexibility, but at the end of the day still affords the same adventure experience.
Tip #2
If you already own hiking poles and you have room whilst packing, you won’t regret bringing them with you. If you don’t, there’s a collection of 30-40 walking sticks that people borrow and return to the trailhead. The nature of the trail is quite muddy, so even if you consider yourself to be above-averagely fit, I would recommend grabbing a walking stick.
Tip #3
Right before you reach Hanakāpīʻai Beach, there’s a small stream that must be crossed. When we were there, it was possible for bold hikers to hop across a handful of rocks to cross without soaked shoes (actually hopping was involved, it wasn’t the easiest of crossings). The level of the stream could change the feasibility of this. A more popular option was changing into a pair of water shoes and fording the river.
While it’s a little cumbersome to carry the extra weight of shoes throughout the hike, we actually recommend crossing in a pair of water shoes as the cool water feels extremely refreshing after the warm hike. Ensure to pack a small towel as well to dry your feet off before putting your boots back on.
Tip #5
For hikers that stop to admire the surf at Hanakapi’ai Beach, it can be tempting to think about going for a swim. This is HIGHLY discouraged as drownings have happened here in the past. Instead take a dip in the stream previously aforementioned as its an equally cool but much safer alternative. The ankle to mid-thigh depth water may not be ideal for swimming but it’s quite refreshing with a much lower risk of drowning.
Tip #6
Cell phone service is pretty terrible even as you approach Hāʻena, so you’ll want to ensure you screenshot your reservation in advance. In that same vein, if you are visiting the park with a group that plans to split up, agree on a specific time and place to meet back up to mitigate any future concerns.
Tip #7
The full 22-mile hike was a bit more adventure than we were looking to get into for this vacation adventure, but there’s loads of awesome resources to help backpackers prepare and pack for the journey.
Final Notes
The Nāpali Coast is the crown jewel of Kauai, and we so hope you are able to enjoy exploring the coastline and views. This is such an unforgettable day hike and a must-do adventure on your next Kauai trip. Make sure you set a reminder to ensure you can snag reservations! We wish you all the best in your hiking endeavors.
Looking for what’s next on the itinerary? Curious about what else there is to do in Kauai? Check out our perfect, action packed four-day itinerary to maximize your time on Kauai. Hiking the Nāpali Coast is one thing, but seeing it by boat or plane is a whole other exhilarating experience.
written by Hannah
Hannah has learned the hard way to be careful what you wish for— sometimes happily ever after lands you with a husband and puppy… in the Midwest. Despite leaving Florida to move to Wisconsin, Hannah maintains her bossy big sister role with regular phone calls to keep up with all the little sister shenanigans. Notoriously chatty with her patients as well, Hannah stays busy as a physical therapist, but loves spending weekends exploring newfound hikes.
One reply on “Preparing for A Day Hike On The Kalalau Trail”
[…] Pro tip #1: A limited number of people are allowed into Haena State Park each day, so you must make reservations in advance to be admitted into the park. The tickets for daily admission go VERY quickly. They become available 30 days prior, so if you are hoping to visit Haena State Park, you should be ready to purchase your ticket early in the morning 30 days out. Spots go quickly! For more information, check out our blog post on The Kalalau Trail. […]