Sunday, June 15, 2025

Hiking the Kalalau Trail

This morning was our big hiking adventure along the Kalalau Trail.  Originally built in the late 1800s, this popular hike is one of the only ways to access the Napali Coast via land.  The total trail stretches 11 miles along this rugged coastline, but we only hiked the first two miles to Hanakapi’ai Beach.

The trailhead is located in Hā’ena State Park and we had to catch an early morning shuttle to get there.  The state limits both the number of cars and the number of people into the park each day.  You have to purchase online, and they only release tickets 30 days in advance.  I didn't realize just how fast they get scooped up, so I was pleased there was still availability when I checked about three weeks before we left.

This was a gorgeous hike with great views of the turquoise-blue waters of this part of the Pacific Ocean.  We passed through lush tropical forest as well as exposed cliffsides, with a total elevation change of about 1,200 feet for the four-mile round trip.  We experienced several different rain showers which made the trail quite slick and muddy in places.  We got soaked and then the sun came out and we dried out.  We repeated this rain - drying process several times during the day.

Hanakapi’ai Beach wasn't very large. It was completely surrounded with sheer lava rock cliffs and a lush tropical valley that lead inland to a waterfall which was another two miles.  Our original plan was to hike all the way to the waterfall, but given the rain and slick conditions of the trail, we decided to return after our beach stop.  There were several sea caves in the rock face, one of which was large enough to go into and lose sight of the ocean.


Even with the rain showers, this was a wonderful hike and a great way to spend our morning.  Perhaps we can make it to the waterfall the next time we visit.






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