Hiking the Kalalau Trail

For out of this world views and a workout that is not for the faint of heart, the infamous Kalalau Trail, on the even more infamous Napali Coast, does not disappoint.

On the way to the trailhead, you will walk through dense rainforest from the parking lot. This trail will take you to both the trailhead and to Kee Beach. 

Before you reach the trailhead, you will begin to encounter warning signs. These apply to both Kee Beach, which requires no hike, and also Hanakapiai Beach, which is 2 miles down the Kalalau Trail.

So it begins….

More warning signs greet you as you begin the ascent. The first mile of the trail is basically entirely uphill. As this trail is on the north shore, it will most likely be wet and slippery.

The trail will bring you in and out of the rainforest, so sunscreen and mosquito spray are both a good idea. You will trek through a lot of mud. We were here in November and the entire trail was muddy and wet. I highly recommend bringing walking sticks to help keep you steady on your feet. 

My first waterfall crossing! Your shoes will get wet and full of mud. Some areas are incredibly slippery, make sure to wear appropriate shoes. During the winter, the trail sometimes becomes impassable due to high amounts of rainfall leading to flash flooding. 

This is a good representation of the uphill climb. Rocks, mud and hills, oh my!

If you haven’t turned back yet, approximately 1/2 mile in, you will come to the first truly stunning lookout point. You will know you are there because you will be able to see Ke’e Beach to your right and the cliff lined coast to your left. You are almost at the highest point of the hike.

I haven’t mentioned the wind yet. It’s very windy when you are not in the rainforest. We saw several hats get blown off heads and over the cliff. Be very mindful of where the cliff’s edge is, the wind gusts can be very strong and knock you back a foot or two. Make sure to bring enough water, the wind will make you feel even more thirsty than the hike.

This is the view to the left. My husband tried to convince me to stand on the dirt mound for a selfie. 

After I finished my lecture on “That is how people die when hiking,” we took our picture in a Tracy deemed safe location. I also have lecture series on “Shark Safety,” “Bear Safety,” and “Why You Should Bring a Whistle When You Hike” which my family regularly ignore at their own peril.

We originally were planning on hiking the first mile, which brings you to the highest point of the hike. Because the trail was so slippery, it took us longer to get to the 1/2 mile point than we anticipated. Rain was forecasted to start in less than an hour, so we decided to head back, as we didn’t want to be doing this hike in the rain.

Things to Know Before You Go:

1. Both the Kalalau Trail and Kee Beach require reservations. The reservations are for certain time slots, if you think you will want to stay longer, you will need to reserve two spots.
2. There is ample parking, but you need your reservation to enter the lot.
3. You should print your reservation form or have a picture of it on your phone. Cell service is not reliable here. 
4. Cost is $10 for the parking voucher plus $5 per person. There is also a shuttle available. 
5. Reservations open 30 days prior.
6. The first mile is uphill, the second mile takes you down to Hanakapiai Beach. If you hike past that, you need a permit.
7. Hanakapiai Beach is not safe for swimming. It’s also not that pretty, Kee Beach is much nicer, so don’t feel bad if you decide not to hike to Hanakapiai.
8. There are dangerous sections on this hike. If you don’t feel safe and confident, turn back.
9. The entire Kalalau Trail is 11 miles (22 RT) and requires a camping permit. Remember, anything beyond Hanakapiai Beach requires an additional permit.

In regards to the difficulty of this hike, we witnessed people on it who had no business being there. We saw multiple falls, inappropriate footwear and an older, very out of shape gentleman who looked like he was about to pass out. We stopped to ask him if he was ok, he said he was (he didn’t look it). We stayed with him for a little while, he told us his family was ahead of him, and then continued our hike back to the car, wanting to beat the rain and find his family. After a while we came to his wife, who was also struggling. Her young adult children were up ahead telling her to hurry up. We told the woman to stop and rest and then caught up to their children to tell them that their father was not doing well and they needed to go back and help him. Do not overestimate your ability. This is a very difficult hike. There are other ways to see the coast, either by boat or helicopter, and they are just as amazing.

We made pretty good time on the way down, although on slippery rocks, I think down is harder than up, and we had enough time to check out Kee Beach before the rain started. As this has been a long post, I will save Ke’e Beach for next time. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life. 

Some of My Favorite Hikes

Hiking Cathedral Rock in Arizona

Hidden Valley Trail in California

Arch Rock Nature Trail in California

Hiking Across Kilauea Crater in Hawaii

Pipiwai Trail in Maui

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