Kalalau Trail

Jun 11, 2007 7:51PM

A tough hike but arguably one of the best in Hawaii. I highly recommend going the entire distance in one day because the camping is MUCH better at Kalalalu. If you are afraid of heights and ledges you are not going to like miles 6.5 to 8! Getting permits from the State are a real hassle.

Sheila - GoVisitHawaii

Jul 12, 2007 9:57AM

I've only hiked the first two miles in to Hanakapi'ai Beach and back and it was a fantastic hike! I've written up some advice about this hike here: http://www.govisithawaii.com/2007/05/17/hiking-kauais-kalalua-trail/

Jul 23, 2007 1:54PM

The most amazing hike i've done. I live on kauai, and a freind and I did this hike in and out in one day... Its not that bad, but you do need to be cautious and bring plenty of water or water filter! Takes about 14 hrs in and out at a good pace. Beware flash floods... I've seen many tourist (and locals) get stranded for a few days on the opposite sides of some of the rivers here (DO NOT TRY CROSSING IF YOU AT ALL DOUBT THE CONDITIONS) there have been many fatal accidents on this stretch of coastline. Overall great hike, and highly reccomended... just bring enouph water and make sure you hit it during dry weather. Aloha

Aug 06, 2007 11:29AM

We are coming to kauai to hike Napali Coast early October with our 6 & 8 year old children. We plan to pack in for 5 nights. What do you know about trail safety, drop-offs, etc.

Also, how to get there without a car as we don't want to leave a rental car at the trailhead for 6 days.

Thanks for your time.

Aug 06, 2007 6:02PM

Hello,
We're considering hiking the Kalalua Trail (entire hike) in November and are wondering what the conditions are typically like then. Also, we're wondering if the stop in Hanakoa is worthwhile, or if it's better to continue on to Kalalua Beach. How many nights do most hikers spend in all? Thank you!

Aug 07, 2007 12:04PM

I am visiting Kauai in the first week of Oct. & want to hike the Kalalau trail. I don't think I can make the entire 11-mile hike however, I would like to see Hanakoa falls. How far is Hanakoa falls from the beginning of this trail?

Aug 13, 2007 8:23AM

We hiked just the first two miles. The sceanery was absolutly beautiful. We would like to come back and hike the whole trail

Aug 14, 2007 12:22PM

Planning to do this labor day weekend. Is it possible to make it to Kalalau by nightfall if we start early in the morning? How long does the hike back take? I noticed someone mentioned taking young children - is this advisable? We're not planning to bring kids but the information on "narrow trails at great heights" and loose rocks makes me nervous. Then again, if someone took younger children I should hope I could make it :-)

Aug 17, 2007 1:52PM

awesome website thanks! Were spending 5 night in Sept. We're very light campers and were wondering if it was cool to harvest the Taro to make poi. Also if the Taro is relatively easy to find along the streams. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Aloha.

Aug 20, 2007 1:18PM

We are hoping to backpack the Kalalua trail in the middle of March, 2008. Do you know if you need a permit that time of the year? Also, do you have any idea the general weather for that time of the year for hiking the trail? Thank you very much.

Aug 21, 2007 3:41AM

I'm planning to hike to Kalalau and camp for a night before returning the next day. My question is: Is it worth camping there an extra night? If so, what would be do at Kalalau for the extra day (ie: day trips, or just sit on the beach). Thanks for all the info!

Aug 25, 2007 2:47PM

What is the temperature along the trail (in September) and how would you recommend we dress? Shorts?, Short or long sleeves? Jacket in the evening?
Thank you!

Aug 26, 2007 7:33PM

We are going to do the Kalalau trail the last week in October. What is a good way to get out to the trail without a car from the airport?? Is it advisable to go with rain?

Aug 27, 2007 10:50AM

Hi, I am hiking the Kalalau trail in November and plan to do it in one day (both ways)and am very excited. My friends are hoping to do a one way hike from Kalalau beach in December via a zodiak charter. A few years back Captain Zodiak would drop people off at Kalalau to hike out. Now that Captain Andy's has taken over they no longer do this. The boating/parks/enforcement/harbor master that I have spoken with all say that there are some companies that can still do this. I cannot locate them. Do you know what companies could either land on the beach or get close to shore and let them swim to the beach(obviously conditions would have to be considered too)? Thanks!

Aug 27, 2007 12:18PM

I am planning on hiking the entire trail in one day with a few friends. I am 27 and am in fairly good shape. What time would you recommend getting on the trail to have ample time to complete the hike? I was thinking of getting to the trailhead around 4am. Does this sound good? Do you have any pointers? Thanks!

Aug 28, 2007 3:10AM

Hi! My husband and I are thinking about doing the hike in late October. We are in our 20's and are active and in good shape, but are not very experienced hikers. Do you think it's safe for inexperienced hikers to do the 11-mile trail? And is there a service that could pick us up from the beach in October, so that we could enjoy the next day at the beach, but not have to do the whole hike back? Thanks! (Oh, and is too late now to get a permit for late October?) Thanks again!

Aug 30, 2007 12:22PM

Hi,
We've decided to do the Kalalau Trail a year from now - Aug./'08. We are 4 women in our 50s with year to get in even better shape. Our permits are in the mail. I'm only concerned about the notorious Mile 6.5 - Mile 8 "inches wide" part of the trail that seems to stop so many hikers. I also just read the article from The Garden Island June 25, '07 saying the Kalalau Trail is "neglected" and very unsafe. Would you please comment about both points? Do you think the trail might be improved/made safer by next year?
Thanks SO MUCH!

Aug 30, 2007 12:53PM

Yes, we planned on hiking the whole thing [22 miles] in one day. However, a few of them are changing thier mind now. Is it possible to do the hike in one day? A few years back my buddy and I hiked Mt. Whitney from 12,000ft to the summit and back down to 8,000ft in one day with 55lb backpacks on [about 15 miles]. I just wanted to know if we had a chance or not to do it. Thanks!

Aug 30, 2007 5:09PM

i will be in Kauai from sept 12-21 and wanted to hike to and camp at Kalalau. is there a set limit of camping permits that are issued per day? if so, what do you think my chances are of getting one now? thanks in advance for any info.

Aug 30, 2007 5:17PM

Last year we did the ridgeline hike on Oahu. If I can do that, then surely I can complete the Kalalau trail? We are hoping some friends will agree to drop us off early and then pick us up at the end of the day. I am most concerned about the steep parts, but was encouraged by the comments "I never feared for my life." Do lots of folks do the 11 mi in one day? At Christmas?

Aug 30, 2007 5:43PM

i just left a comment regarding camping permits for kalalau but meant to inquire about Hanakoa. thanks

Sep 02, 2007 3:20PM

Great website - thank you!

I was wonderign how steep the ledges are and whether bringing a 65L back pack is going to be at all a danger on the trail because of ledges or rivers or else?

Many thanks and best,
Rudy

pat

Sep 03, 2007 12:54AM

Hi, this is Patrick Sexton. I am wondering if we know eachother. I lived in Kalalau for awhile. I am going back soon and plan to devote some time to the trail restoration I keep hearing about.

I am in website promotion now, and I am pretty good at it. Your website looks great, offers great information, and it is cool as hell that you respond as well as you do to the comments here.
It is an impressive resource.
To see if you know me go to the about page of my website, there is a photo there of me. I used to work everywhere in Hanalei.
I am writing a bit about about Kalalau and will link to you and this page.
Let me know if we know eachother.

My question to you is, what is going on with any trail repair this winter?

tim

Sep 05, 2007 7:54AM

Hey, where can I get a good topo map of the area? Also, should I try for the permit now or wait until I get there? Thanks

Sep 07, 2007 3:45PM

Thanks for the really good details regarding the trail. My 21 year old son wants to hike this trail in December and take younger siblings and cousins -and maybe me. I feel a little relieved as I was imagining one wrong step and the result-sliding down a cliff. I can see that there are plenty of things to be cautious about.

Sep 10, 2007 2:29PM

Hello, a friend and I are planning on doing the 22 mile roundtrip in one day in less than two weeks. We are strong hikers and are not too concerned about the distance or the difficulty, but is a permit required if we are not going to camp, and is it too late to obtain one? Thank you for your response and your great site!

Sep 10, 2007 4:52PM

A question for you - I like to use trekking poles to save wear and tear on my already bad knee. Can you use them at all on the Kalalau trail or should I just leave them at home?

Sep 11, 2007 8:25AM

I plan on hiking the trail in mid-december....what should I guesstimate trail and weather wise? Also, do I obtain my camping pass and any other permits before my trip or when I get there??

Sep 11, 2007 8:52AM

Dear all,
I am going to Kauai tomorrow and plan to visit Kalalau valley during the 13th-17th of September. Does anyone know if there is a boat that can take me and my boyfriend in or out or both ways so we wouldn\'t have to hike. I have a back problem but I am dying to go there.
Thank you very much.
Marianna

Sep 13, 2007 12:58PM

Thanks to all Kauai Explorer Staff for the informative site! We plan on hiking the 11 miles during our visit in late October. We'd love to make it an over-nighter on the beach. Do you recommend hiking back out the following day or chartering a zodiac for the return trip (or even if this is possible)? We'll make sure to pick up the appropriate permit from the DNLR. Yabba Dabba Doo - can't wait!!

Sep 13, 2007 12:59PM

Sorry, I didn't read ahead...and I found my answer. No need to post previous message. Thanks!

Sep 13, 2007 5:35PM

I take great interest in the comments about hiking the entire trail in one day. That is the entire 22 miles. unless you are in tremendous hiking shape it will be extrmely difficult. You also will not enjoy the beauty of the hike and what it has to offer because you will be concerned about getting out before dark. I have been up as far as hanoka valley and back in one day(took 8 hours).Hiking in Nov/ Dec. is rainy more then other months. Keith

Sep 16, 2007 10:28AM

Hi, this site is great! We will be camping at Kalalau beach in late October, do you recommend a sleeping bag or just some clothes and a blanket? I noticed temps at night will be around 68 to 75 degrees F.
Thanks in advance!
Scott

Sep 18, 2007 5:04AM

hi
first of all, I want to let you know that this is THE GREAT site! A lot of useful information - the best resourse on Kauai I've ever seen.

I have couple question:
1. My wife and I (and maybe couple other friends) are going to hit Kalalau trail and spend 5 nights at the beach. We are planning to do this in February-March, so I wondering if this is a good time to do that, in terms of weather / "crowds"?
2. I saw some pictures and videos of those very narrow places that are dangerous around mile 7 (as far as I remember). Could you please tell me what's the condition of this part of the trail at the moment (and are they going to make it more safe?) and how many feet/meters does this dangerous part last?

Thank you for your response in advance.
Alexander.

Sep 18, 2007 9:49AM

Thank you very much for such a fast response. Great service!

One other question: it is very possible that I will make it only with my wife, so it will be only two persons. I was wondering if it is safe there at Kalalau beach, are people friendly there? Is it ok to leave the tent with some not so valuable stuff and hike into the valley, etc.?
Thanks.

Sep 18, 2007 9:09PM

Hi there I have been planning a trip to Kauai for the middle of Oct. I am extremely interested in all the hiking and camping available. Concerned though since I am a female traveling on my own. As well i would like to leave in a months time and do not have any permits yet. Is it likely once i am there I will meet others to hike with and what is my best option regarding permits? Thanks a million!

Sep 20, 2007 5:53AM

Hi. What a fantastic website!
We (8 trail marathon women runners) were planning to do the 11 mile
one way by having a boat drop us off at the end and hike back (next week -Sept. 29) After reading all the comments, it seems like this may not be an option because the boat couldn\'t get close enough this time of year. I also tried calling the number you gave above for getting a permit and just received an answering machine with limited instructions on sending in for one (which at this late date, won\'t work). Can we plan to go into the office next Friday and get the permit that day? If not, what are the penalties/fines? We will not be camping but are also considering doing the entire 22 miles in one day. What time will we need to leave to allow enough daylight to get out. Also, we\'ve never used water purifiers...are tablets o.k.? What about headlamps? Any cell service out there? Thanks so much for your insight.

Sep 23, 2007 10:42AM

my husband and i are planning a trip and we'd like to take 3 days, 2 nights to hike and enjoy the trails. what should we prepare for food-wise? is it reasonable to plan to hike to the falls one day and then the kalalau trail the second day, returning on the third day? we're fit, healthy and eager to explore.

Sep 26, 2007 7:53AM

I am so glad I found this site! I am a little confused about the logistics of the permits.

If we plan to hike all the way to Kalalau in one day, camp there a couple days and return in one day, do we only need a permit for that park?

If we decide to stop and camp on our way back in Hanakapi'ai or Hanakoa, do we need a separate permit?

Also, is it true that we will not be able to swim in the ocean? Snorkel?
Thanks!

Sep 26, 2007 10:30AM

First of all, great site and the comment section is actually very helpful!

Do you happen to know how many permits are issued for any given 5 night period? We have received our permits for early October and are just curious as to how many people to expect on the trail. (Hopefully not many but I know its a popular one!)

Also, I heard that Hanakapi'ai was technically closed to camping recently. Do you know if that is still true?

Sep 28, 2007 4:04AM

This is an absolutely wonderful site. I hiked Kalalau with a friend in the 70's. The most unbelievable hike imaginable. We lived off the land with the hippies and vietnam vets for 2 weeks in Kalalau.

Today, as a father, I would love to take my daughter (8 yrs old) and wife. Are there guided hikes? We plan on going in December.

Thank-you in advance for your response and great website.

Rob

Oct 04, 2007 1:11PM

Hello, I have a question regarding water purification. The Leptospirosis Information Center claims typical filtration systems don't work aginst it. They claim only boiling or iodine will treat infected water. What is your recommendation for treating water on the Kalalau?

Also, is this trail listed on any of the parks/recreation layers in Google Earth? I cannot find it.
Thanks and Aloha,
Troy

Oct 06, 2007 12:19PM

Hi. This site is really great. At the last minute we decided to go to Kauai so we haven't done much planning and we will be leaving in 2 weeks. where do we get these trail permits? Can we buy them from Kauai or do we have to buy them in advance and from where? The sate park's website was not very helpful. I am concerned that we wouldn't have enough time to wait for them in the mail. Thanks.

Oct 10, 2007 6:18AM

Fantastic site!

I too am planning a one-day trip to do the entire 22 mile trip. Unfortunately that's all I have time for, otherwise, I'd stretch it out a bit. Just last month I climbed the 22 mile, 6200 feet up and down Whitney in 13 hours including lengthy breaks. The distance doesn't worry me as much as the river crossings and of course the 6.5 to 8 mile stretches. Can you talk about the river crossings -- number of crossings, how deep they get etc.

Thanks alot

Oct 11, 2007 6:18AM

Thanks W.

Also, any idea where to get a good map of the trail. I'm particularly looking for an elevation profile. The map the parks service provides is photocopied and blurry and hard to read. I don't plan on getting lost or heading off trail, just curious what I have to look forward to on the ups and downs.

Oct 14, 2007 6:11PM

Hi! You're site it fabulous! My boyfriend and I are planning to hike the trail at the end of October and have a couple of questions. Do you know of a place near the trailhead where we can store extra gear for a couple of days? we'll be in Hawaii for a few weeks, but don't want to bring much gear on the trail. Also, is there a bus that travels from Hanalei to the trailhead and back? I've been researching Kauai bus options, and the only schedule that I have found doesn't go farther than Hanalei. Thanks in advance for your help!

Oct 15, 2007 4:29PM

thanks for the response on Lepto, but if you're just using the Katadyn filter, I don't thin it protects you from it, but I'm not sure.

If you've mapped it in Google earth with a GPS, do you think you could email me the *.kmz file (if you have one).???

Much appreciated. You definitely spread the aloha. Can't wait to hike it over T-day.
Thanks,
Troy

Oct 18, 2007 4:47AM

I was just about to ask about parking when I read your recommendation for the YMCA campground. Is it legal to leave a car parked at the trailhead? What are the risks (break-ins or vandalism common)? We're planning to spend 2-3 nights on Kalalau Beach in December -- but don't want to bring all our street/airplane clothes on the trail with us.

Oct 20, 2007 2:36PM

Awesome site. Very helpful! Thank you!

I will be spending 4 days (over Thanksgiving) in Kalalau, and am trying to learn as much as I can about that area during that time of the year. Things like usual trail conditions, stream crossings, weather, temperature at day/night, number of people on the trail and in Kalalau, etc.

This will help me greatly on packing my camping gear. Right now I am considering taking my backpacking summer tent, sleeping pad and a blanket style lightweight sleeping sack. Would that do fine at night? I am also debating between bringing my regular backpacking boot
s or lightweight hiking shoes
. Any recommendations?

Another thing is that I will be doing it by myself. I am experienced with hiking and backpacking, as well as rock climbing (thought of mentioning that just because I heard that the trail is very exposed at times), but I have never been to the Kalalau trail, so if there is anything I should be concerned about, it would be great to know now before I am out there in the wild...

Thanks again for all the help!

Oct 21, 2007 2:36PM

My husband and I will be in Kauai Dec. 2007. We are wondering if it is possible to begin by hiking the Kalalau trail and then continue inland end up at Kokee. If this is possible, do you have recommendations for camping sites along the way? Thanks!

Oct 28, 2007 12:38PM

This is a really great site. We are planning on liking the Kalalau Trail when we visit Kauai over Thanksgiving. On the DLNR website I didn't see the day use permits. Do I need a day use permit for this trail? Is there a way to be dropped off at the beach and then hike the 11 miles out? Also what other trail do you recommend if I only have time for one more hike besides the Kalalau Trail?

Thanks for the information.

Colton Gardner

Oct 31, 2007 11:09AM

This is the best place on Earth. This 11 mile hike is one of the greatest hikes I have ever done in my life. With all the beautiful views, I would recommend this to any backpacker. Even if you're not an avid backpacker, you can still get a glimpse of it by hiking in two miles to the Hanakapiai Beach and hiking to the waterfall, but no going past this point without a permit! This is a must-do trip when you have at least 3 days to spend on the trail. Don't forget your camera! I found tons of information about the trail at www.outdoorhighadventure.com! Thanks!

Nov 03, 2007 8:43PM

Just did Kalalau Trail as a day hike two days ago. Hope this info helps someone...

The permitting process has a new wrinkle: in order to go past Hanakoa you now need a camping permit ($10). The day hike permit gets you past Hanakapiai, but no further than Hanakoa. Being the beginning of November, I had no problem getting a walk-up permit at the State Parks office in Likue, but note that they close at 3:30 pm (I got there at 3:15!!).

The trail is quite muddy near the beginning and can be very rock-strewn in places. And hilly, and narrow, and overgrown, and...

But the views are incredible, which makes it all worthwhile.

I started at 6:15 am with a headlamp, taking 4.5 hours to Kalalau Beach. The return took 4 hours. Some route-finding is required near stream crossings and a few other places, but most of the challenge comes from the conditions, exposure, and hills. Oh yeah, did I mention that its hot and humid? You\'ll need plenty to drink.

Rain is your big enemy, as this trail can go from passably muddy to impossibly slippery. And it can rain any day, any time. I\'ve never been a big fan of trekking poles, but they are now on my shopping list.

For reference, I thought this hike was harder than my Grand Canyon rim-to-rim I did a month ago (7.25 hours, 24 miles).

For a warm-up two days earlier, I went to Kokee and did the Nualolo/Cliff Trail/Awaawapuhi loop, with legs for the vista points. Awesome!

--Andy

Nov 11, 2007 4:35PM

Hi, thanks for posting all this useful information. Perhaps it would help to compact them to a smaller version... A lot of them are being repeated.
I was curios if there is a taxi service or somebody you could hire in Hanalei to get a ride from the bus stop to YMCA... Also which other BACKPACKING trips would you recommend on Kauai?? Thanks for your dedication to this website.

Nov 12, 2007 8:13AM

Most informative site/board I've seen so far. A few questions:

1) When descriptions say that this trail is for "experienced" hikers, does this just refer to being in good physical shape or is there actual technical hiking knowledge/experience I need? I'm in very good athletic condition but have limited hiking experience.

2) I'm planning to go around Nov. 19-22. What are the chances of it being rainy and how dangerous would that be for a non-experienced hiker.

3) What are the chances of getting a camping permit with only a week until my trip?

Thanks!

Jeff

Nov 12, 2007 8:25AM

what are the conditions on the trail like? it sounds like 6.5-8 can be dangerous. we're thinking about doing an overnight trip to the beach but don't want to get turned around.

Nov 13, 2007 8:13AM

Just wanted to report back. I just got back from Kauai. Finished the out and back in just over 12 hours, including an hour nap in at Kalalau beach. Overall, I couldn't have asked for more perfect conditions which certainly contributed to me finishing in a relatively quick pace.

River crossings were not at all high, the 6.5 - 8 mile cliffs of insanity were actually not at a problem at all. Looks like they had been recently shoveled a bit. There was only a bit of mud in the first 2 mile stretch but other than that, it never rained on me.

I heard from lots of people and websites that you couldn't do it in one day, but I think if things go well, and you've trained (I did) for the hike, then it is not at all impossible to get it done.

That said, for all of you contemplating doing it in one day, I think it is very possible, but you should be prepared to turn around if you're not hitting your times for the various milestones or if the weather/trail isn't behaving.

Nov 14, 2007 8:03PM

Do any of you know if this is a good trail for the end of dec.? Whats the weather like? I have not applied for a permit yet, do you think it'll be easy to get one? Thanks.

Nov 15, 2007 2:27PM

Fantastic work-from surfing to hiking you all got it down-thanks so much. I\'m gonna slam you with a brick of questions so hold on.

My fiance and I will be heading to Kaua\'i come the beginning of January and staying in Hanalei. First, I realize it will be seasonally wet, is it even encouraged to hike the Na Pali coast at this time? Or am I just look\'n for a good ol\' drench\'n?

Second, I\'ve read that obtaining permits can be difficult, beyond disorganization, but rather do to capacity. Is there a quota and is Jan popular on the trail?

Third, when we land in Lihue, where can we find a gear shop for stove fuel?

Fourth, Is the Na Pali coast through hiked? And if so where do folks exit (if coming from Kee)?

Next, most of the postings/info I read note entering from hwy 56. Is it possible to enter the Na Poli coast from hwy 550 (Kokee SP) and through hike out to Kee Beach Park and hitch into Hanalei? Or from 50 (Polihale SP)for that matter?

Lastly, whats the island hitch hiking like in general? Legal, easy, safe??

I realize lots-o-questions. Thanks for your resourcefulness.

D

ps. I\'m open to additional responses from insightful travelers. Thanks.

Nov 17, 2007 11:06PM

I am planning to do Na Pali as an over night in May '08. I am traveling alone and would like to meet up with other hikers. Can you recommend somewhere that I might meet people to hike with? thx!

Nov 18, 2007 6:50AM

In mid-December, my friends and I are planning to hike the Kalalau trail. This will be our first time...is there any way of meeting up with a group of people and making the hike? Do they do group hikes?

Also, what type of filtering/purification system would you recommend? And is it safe to camp on Kalalau beach during the winter? I've read about the high and strong tides as well as tsunamis?!

Thanks,
Lisa

Nov 18, 2007 8:06AM

I finally found the website that answers all my questions after looking for weeks through all those useless sites. This site should pop up on Google among top three on search for Hawaii.
Thank you very much.

Nov 19, 2007 3:34PM

Thanks W for your last response, very helpful!

Failed to inquire about this YMCA outside of Hanalei. I have been reading about the potential to store stuff there while on the Na Pali coast. Can anyone elaborate? Are there lockers? Is it secure? Does it cost? Any folks out there use the Y as a storage resource?

Much appreciated! Again, you all rock it!

D

Nov 22, 2007 8:38AM

Thanks for your answer. One more thing poped up my mind. I wasn't sure if we should rent a car but now I think we might just to be more flexible and to be able o keep our extra gear in it since there are no lockers. Do you think it is better to get a SUV or you can do mostly without it?? I will be there 11/24-12/10 THX

Nov 28, 2007 5:20AM

We walked it in one day (11mi) 2 years ago. Conditions were dry, thankfully.
The last few miles were virtually impassible due to erosion and damage from the feral goats. Even rangers don't hike past the 6 mile mark. It should be closed to the public in these treacherous areas---certain death should you slip. We passed people who turned back in tears from shear terror. The beach was great at the end, but the hike out loomed and terrifed me. My husband blew out a Teva and almost went over on a goat-path portion of the trail. I gave him my sandal and did the last 3 or so miles barefoot, as my feet are tough. We finished the hike by moonlight at night. Passed out on the beach--so much for all the camping gear!
Think twice before risking the entire trail---you will see your life pass before your eyes! (PS: we were 46 and 57 at the time--and in excellent shape)

Stephen

Nov 28, 2007 12:16PM

My son and I would like to backpack all the way to Kalalau. How are the conditions and should I get a pass ahead of time or just wait until I get it there. We would be hiking in on Dec 11th. Thanks Stephen

Stephen

Dec 01, 2007 10:00PM

There's so much rain right now. Is Kalalau even possible to hike? Do you know any one who has been up there recently? Would you happen to have the phone number for the ranger station? Thanks, Stephen

Dec 05, 2007 7:17AM

Hey there! I must say, this website has been so helpful! My hubby and I will be doing the entire hike in late June/early July. We have a permit for four nights, so we can really take our time and enjoy everything. It may have been posted, but what to do about poo? I usually don't do the deed on long hikes, but just in case... I want to be prepared. Someone said that you should bring a container to haul it out. What is required for the state? Thanks everyone!

Dec 06, 2007 5:44AM

Another question: We are backpacking all the way and will not be renting a car (on this island anyway). Anyone know of a service that can pick us up to the airport and drop us off at the trail head, and maybe an estimated cost? Someone referred Bran's taxi service and said they were good. Also, I guess we need to tell them a estimated time to pick us up. What about hitchhiking? Someone else told me that's the only way they've traveled on Kauai. I guess with anywhere you hitchhike there's a risk.

Dec 06, 2007 8:17PM

I'm travelling to Hawaii by myself late January. I want to walk the full length of the Kalalau Trail. Do you have a guide service or can you recommend a guide?

Dec 06, 2007 8:29PM

Regarding the last question about getting to the trailhead... I just did the trail over Thanksgiving and the way I did it was by catching the Lihue-Hanaley public bus ($1.50) to Hanaley and hitchhiking from there to the trail head. Getting a lift in Hanaley was super easy and took me literally less than 30 seconds, since almost everyone driving by Hanaley going west is heading to the trailhead area. Same happened to the ride back to Hanaley from the trailhead. In Hanaley was also where I bought a fuel canister for my stove at Kayak Kauai.

The trail was in great shape, with just a couple of scatchy spots near mile 7 where the trail is narrow and exposed. The streams were really low. The surf was super high, making it loud at night (don't recommend camping at the beach in Kalalau, but instead at the spots just above it). If you need to camp near the trailhead to start early next day I suggest the Haena Beack Park, which is 1 mile from the trailhead.

The week after Thanksgiving it rained like crazy in Kauai, so I am not sure if that changed the trail conditions very much, but when I went everything was dry and perfect.

Happy hiking!

Dec 07, 2007 8:09AM

Carlos- About how long was the bus ride from Lihue to Hanalei?

I'm a bit worried, because we are supposed to camp the first night at the 6 mile marker. Our flight doesn't arrive until 1:47p. How strict are they with permits? For example, if we didn't feel we could make it the first night, could we just camp at the trailhead and get an early start?

Dec 07, 2007 6:14PM

Miranda - I caught the bus in Kapaa, across from the library, and it took me about 40 minutes to get to Hanalei. The bus runs every two hours, and I am not sure if it goes by the airport, so you might need a connection.

I doubt your plan to sleep at mile 6 would work. Hanakapiai at mile 2 is much better for you giving your schedule, and even that might be hard. Even though I read Hanakapiai was closed for camping there were tons of sites setup and Kalalau hikers camping there when I was there (I also camped there on my first night). That beach is also 100 times better for camping than the woods and mosquitoes at mile 6.

In case you get to the trailhead too late for mile 2, an option is the Kee beach at the trailhead, although I would just consider this option in case
of an emergency, since there was no fresh water or campsites there.

As for permits... while I was in Kalalau I talked to some hippies who live there about it. They said the rangers just patrol the trail once a month, and that they issue a $80 ticket when they find a violation. I would think they would let you pass if you had the permit, but were just off by a day.

Good luck!

Dec 14, 2007 6:33PM

We were planning on hiking the Kalalau Trail this coming week but I know its been raining pretty steadily for the past few weeks. Does anyone have any info on the trail condition and river crossings?

Bart

Dec 15, 2007 8:29AM

We are planning to hike this trail in February (2 nights 3 days). I was wondering if anyone can compare the difficulty of Kalalau Trail to The West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island BC Canada. I realize the WCT is longer and a through hike but both are in mountainous rainforest and along beaches and headlands. Does the Kalalau Trail have ladders, slippery boardwalks, and are ropes required in certain sections? Are there surge channels on the Kalalau Trail? I've hiked the WCT twice and would appreciate a point of reference.

Dec 16, 2007 1:54PM

I have had the pleasure of exploring the very beginning of the trail, and have planned a trip with my son for the summer of '08. Are there any communicaitons you can rely on? Is there any cell reception or maybe a handheld VHF in case of trouble?

Also, I prefer to use the Hennessey Hammock to sleep in. Would I be stepping on any toes or are you restricted to using preset pads for tents? Thanks for the site. D

Dec 17, 2007 6:14AM

Sean, or anyone else. Let us know what the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources say if you happen to call. Happy Holidays everyone!

Dec 18, 2007 7:08PM

Anyone have any more info about Kalalau being closed? I've been planning this hike for the last year and will be on the trail and at the campgrounds next week...please tell me its open...

Dec 19, 2007 8:04AM

For anyone reading this website and trying to decide on whether or not to make this hike, you will be missing the most beautiful scenery on the face of this earth if you do not do so. I have hiked to Hanakapi`ai on 3 separate visits and highly recommend it. If you can get past the very beginning 1/2 mile or so, the remaining 1 and 1/2 miles to Hanakapi`ai is easier. I am in my early 50s, in somewhat decent shape and made it to Hanakapi`ai and back in less than 4 hours with numerous Kodak moment stops.

Please don\'t miss the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Napoli Coast.

Dec 19, 2007 4:05PM

If I leave my car at the ymca camp naue, how far is it to the Kalalau trail head?

Dec 22, 2007 3:42PM

Why are the so many reccomendations not to do his hike alone other than the natural hazards? Thx

Dec 23, 2007 9:04AM

Hi,

Thanks for the great site.
A couple of Q's:
1. We're planning to visit Kauai for 8 days in February. Is this the wrong (i.e. too wet/ streams too intense) time of year to attempt this hike?
2. Just how scary IS the miles 6.5 to 8 section? (We've done some intense hiking here in BC, but reading that the hike gets a 9/10 for difficulty from the Sierra Club AND my disinclination to slide to my death does give me some pause...)

Any info greatly apreciated.

Simon

Dec 25, 2007 11:09PM

I was wondering what companies will drop you off at Kalalau? I wanted to be dropped off on the beach, camp, and then hike back. Also, are there showers at this beach or should I just rely on the ocean to get clean?

Dec 26, 2007 2:54AM

I keep reading that the the trail is extremely narrow between miles 6.5 and 8. Is the trail narrow the entire 1.5 miles or just certain sections of that 1.5 miles? If the trail is only narrow in certain sections between the 6.5 and 8 mile markers, what\'s the distance? I can maybe walk a death defying narrow trail for 20 or 30 feet but 1.5 miles - I don\'t think so.

Also, from the photos I\'ve seen, the trail looks like it\'s as narrow as 1 foot (30cm) along the edge of the cliffs? Is that an accurate measurement?

Dec 26, 2007 6:02PM

Is it safe to leave a rental car at the trailhead for 4 days? State Parks service recommends against it in its brochure.
What do you guys think?

Dec 28, 2007 9:22AM

Is anyone considering going on this hike during the week of January 20th -25th? I\'d love to meet up with other hikers going at the same time.

Michelle, I noticed you mentioned you were going in late January. Any chance that would be during the same week?

Dec 28, 2007 1:29PM

I hiked in after a lot of weather.(12/10-11) The trail was closed but I was not to be turned back. I am a very experienced hiker and glacier skier so I thought this would be a piece of cake. hahaha !!! You can only accomplish about a mile an hour and watch out for goat trails. Its easy to get lost..so think. The hike is medium...just long. If your a walk the dog around the block and think your a hiker, don't even think about this hike. Also if you are afraid of heights...I used a walking stick (Stick Tracy) to displace my weight. I lost about 10 pounds on the hike...I kept cinching in my buckles on my pants and pack. Check in with Mayor Ricky at MP 10 and PLEASE pack it in and pack it out. Most of the garbage that you will see is from the hikers not the hippies. The mile post come at you VERY SLOWLY. You might think you have hiked 3 miles but you have gone only one. I will be back..this time with my wife. Enjoy and be safe.

Dec 30, 2007 10:28AM

Just wanted to know if anyone has been in the past few days 25th-29th and what the weather and trail were like.

cheers
josh

Dec 31, 2007 10:09AM

My sister and I will be hiking the trail next summer and have 5 day permits already acquired. We are interested in having a zodiac pick us up the last day on Kalalau beach as to not have to hike out. Has anyone done this? Are there are boating companies that can or would do this? Does the state allow it? thanks much.

Dec 31, 2007 1:12PM

My wife and I (both mid 30\'s and avid hikers) hiked in/out last Monday-Thursday (Dec 24-27) and I have to say the trail was super muddy and treacherous on our way out...it rained most of our hike out. The narrow cliff section that we\'ve all heard about was to me not the worst/most scary part of the hike...it was other areas that had been washed out due to rain that had some 6-12 inch trails. We also had a challenge crossing the final stream back (was up to my waist) due to the rain. The hike in wasn\'t too bad...good weather and beautiful views. I will concur that the miles do go by very slowly. All in all, I think if you are patient, leave yourself a bit more time that you think you\'ll need and take it one step at a time in certain secions, you\'ll be ok. I recommend a walking stick - helped alot (was my first time using one). Left our car at the trailhead (as did others we met) and luckily no breakins. Met other hikers and \"inhabitants\" and all very friendly and helpful. Took us 8.5 hrs on way in (one day) and 9hrs + 1.5hr on way out (over 2 days). From what I could tell...campsite at Hanokoa not worth staying at...lots of garbage around, bugs...if you have a choice, try to get to Kalalau. Also...we came across a number of people who hiked in one day and out the next - my advice (and I think W agrees) would be to give yourself at least a day to enjoy the surroundings once you get there...and rest your body. You owe it to yourself at such a beautiful place. Well I'm back home now but left with fond memories of a special place. Trying to address some of the things I wondered about before my trip. And if some of you are wondering...the toilets aren't that bad. Thanks to W on this site for such great info. Have fun!

Jan 01, 2008 9:33AM

My husband and I, and another couple, are planning on doing the hike in April, spending one night on the beach. We presently do not have a lot of hiking gear. I am interested in going light as possible. Do you think it would be a good idea to rent some equipment when we get there? This way we would also avoid hauling stuff on the airplane.
We have hiked several times to the falls and have always dreamed of doing the full hike. We do not normaly backpack or spend the night. Do you have any suggestions for some tasty food that is easy and light to pack? I\'m sure we\'ll be plenty hungry when we get there. Thanks for your advice!

Jan 04, 2008 12:33PM

I'm looking to hike in August. The websites to the DNLR are not functional nor is the voicemail. I got enough info to know to send a request with drivers license. Are there two permits involved? one for camping and one for hiking? or is it a single all inclusive permit.

I have hiked the Waipio to Wiamanu trail on the Big Island. How much more (or less) strenuous is the Kalalau trail?

Thanks... this is a very useful website.

Jan 05, 2008 6:20PM

Again, thank you for this effort. This is by far the most informative site I have found about Kauai. What is your best recommendation for getting day permits for the Kalalau Trail? Do you have to get them at the Lihue office? Will they mail them to the mainland? Thanks.

Jan 07, 2008 8:23AM

Great site - really informative.

Quick question about permits, I am going to try and get a permit for when I head there next month but from what I\'ve read here it seems I may have some problems. Are they really strict about this (ie do they turn people back?)

Also, does the DLNR give both camping AND hiking permits?

Thanks!

Jan 07, 2008 9:44AM

I am considering hiking the Kalalau trail in one day (22 miles or as many as I can given my time constraints). Approximately how long does the entire trail take (in and out) and do I need a permit for just the day hike? Also, do you know how far or how long it takes from the airport to the trailhead?

Jan 07, 2008 10:43AM

My wife and I are planning to hike in later this week and do not want to leave our rental car at the trail head. We already have a 5 day permit.

Is there a public transit service to the trail head? Or do you have any other suggestions on access to the trail head?

Jan 08, 2008 8:10AM

We are looking to hike the trail in early February. Can you tell me what conditions on the trail will be like at this time? Also, two members of our party are afraid of heights, although they are experienced hikers. Can you tell me approximately how narrow the narrowest stretches of ledge are at miles 6.5 - 8, and how long these sections last? Also, is it a ledge walk for that entire portion of the trail?? Thanks for this great site!

Jan 10, 2008 4:49AM

Aloha,

I will be on vacation in the first week of March 2008 on Kauai. I plan on hiking Kalaiau Trail to Hanakapi’ai Falls and back to Kee all in one day (8 miles in all). I plan on starting at the Kee trail head about 8am. My question is if I start my hike at 8am and hike to the Falls, spend about an hour at the Falls, then head back to the trail head what time of day can I expect to be back at Kee Beach? Should I plan anything else in my itinerary for this day? I am hoping to finish my hike round-trip about 1 or 2pm in the afternoon so I can crash for awhile at Kee or Tunnels beach before sunset.

John Heineman

Jan 11, 2008 3:51AM

I began my hike solo Christmas Day with the clear intention of making the trip the full eleven miles, camping under the stars, the hiking out the next day. I had read the article in Backpacker Magazine (October 07)listing Kalalau Beach as their number one choice for Americas Best Campsite. I sat many a night drinking a martini with my good friend talking of my plans. Setting out at 8:30am after a very rainy night, what I encountered was beyond expectation. Fantastic views, kind people (the few I encountered), and great photo opportunities. I neophyte at best with full gear backpacking, mistake number one was overpacking. I carried close to forty pounds (all for on night), didn\'t bring poles, and often struggled maintaining balance in the slippery trail. I stopped too often, like a kid at Christmas, taking a multitude of pictures. long story short, seven hours into the hike, a had reached the first campsite in the valley (about 6.5 miles). It was three o\'clock by then and I had to abandon my dream of making it to the beach. It was a treacherous, exhausting, and yet beautiful failure. Time limited my ability to complete the journey, and I\'ll make sure that doesn\'t happen again. Yes, there will be an again! A few tips: Pack as light as possible, Get tablets or a filter (I carried a gallon jug), take poles in the rainy season, take organized breaks, and most of all, embrace the journey! Peace

Jan 12, 2008 2:55AM

A bit of home video has been posted on YouTube regarding the treacherous 6.5-8 mile stretch. I found it while researching as I'll be hiking this summer. Here is the link which will take you directly to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrSKoqm-HCw

I'm not sure exactly which mile this was at, but it at least gives a picture for us future hikers!

Jan 13, 2008 6:48AM

Hi,

We are planning to hike the whole Kalalau trail in May. We would like to stay one night at the campsite and return next day. Can someone tell me where to get the application form and do I need to send the money with ? What is the best procedure to receive the permit as soon as possible ? Thanks for help....

Thomas.

Jan 13, 2008 2:00PM

I read that the Kalalalu trail is an 11 mile trail that begins at Ke`e Beach. If I am hiking the Hanakapiai trail will I get to Kalalalu trail. So then the hike is 15 miles one way? Can I start the Kalalalu trail somewhere without hiking Hanakapaiai? Where is the trailhead? Realistically, can a good hiker hike all 22 miles in one day? in April? I'd like to hike Hanakapia one day and Kalalalu the other. I hope these questions make sense. Thanks

Henry

Jan 13, 2008 4:30PM

Aloha:

I am planing to hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls during the last week in January. What do I need to know about the Falls trail. I read it is tough due to the water crossings, etc.

What can you tell me about it? Does it flood with every rain?

Thanks,

Jan 14, 2008 7:05AM

Hi there, been reading about the lack of water, but I assume there is reliable water at Kalalalu? I like to treat with chemicals, as they are so much lighter than a filter - any reason that wouldn't work? i.e. no stream deep enough to dip a bottle in.

Also, are there any funky hostels on the island worth checking out?

Thanks,
j.

Jan 14, 2008 1:22PM

Just a note to give a "at a boy" to the DLNR. Sent my application Jan. 04 (from Ohio) and just received my camping permit (Kalalau) today. They even called me for additional info they needed. They were really on the ball (maybe due to the slow season?). Anyway they did reallllllllll gooood!!! Will be on the trail Feb. 23...Need this trip to forget about the LSU butt kickin.

Jan 14, 2008 4:10PM

Thanks, W. Just to note, I followed the youtube a few posts up and there were several good clips about the hike and that show what the cliffs look like.

Jan 14, 2008 8:03PM

Great site! How many people are usually camped at Kalalau on an average night, and is it possible to find a tree limb in the woods to use for a walking stick?

Jan 18, 2008 9:31AM

Just wanted to let folks know that I emailed the local DLNR for a permit and received a very friendly note back from Pearl in that office. I sent in the application with a check for the funds, and received the permit in about a week. No problem. I and my boyfriend are hiking the trail starting February 21.

Jan 20, 2008 11:54PM

My wife and I are hiking the Kalalau trail at the end of February, we have family that live on the island. Can we hike only one-way and be picked up at the end of our hike? Or do we have to hike both ways for a total of 22 miles? We hike at altitude in Colorado and 11 miles is very common to hike to summit a fourteener but the return trip is always not as enjoyable(been there, done that)!

Jan 21, 2008 7:31PM

I hiked this trail last weekend with my wife and a friend. Getting the permit was not an issue, just get it early. We camped Friday night at the state park and left our car there overnight without issue Saturday. The trail conditions were fine. The first three miles have a few muddy sections but nothing unmanageable. We made it to Kalalau Beach in 6 hours and made it back the following day in about 5 and a half. A couple tips that are mentioned on this site that I would like to reinforce are to start hiking early to avoid the heat and to pack as light as possible. My pack was just over 30 lbs. and my wife’s was 20 (and that included wine and scotch!). If you are from Colorado and an avid hiker (like me) you will have no problem with this trail.
Below are a few GPS waypoints I took along the way if anyone is interested. They are generally within 150 ft because I couldn’t always get a good signal at the exact point.
Ke’e Beach: N 22, 13.110 / W 159, 34.870
Hanakapiai(2 miles): N 22, 12.507 / W 159, 35.858
Hanakoa (6 miles): N 22, 11.450 / W 159, 37.180
Kalalau(11 miles): N 22, 10.510 / W 159, 39.280
Enjoy and thanks for all the great info on this site!

Jan 23, 2008 3:53PM

Kathy-- and everyone else! If you are wanting to pack light, yet make yummy homemade meals on the trail, pick up Lipsmackin\' Backpackin\' cookbook. It helps if you have a dehydrator, but you can also use the oven. It\'s really great if you want to save yourself some money and make your own meals.

Jan 23, 2008 7:22PM

Does anyone know if there are lockers at the airport where one can leave a change of clothes? The last day of our hike we are just coming off the trail and going back to the airport to catch our flight home (to Seattle) and are wondering if we could leave a pair of jeans in a locker?

Jan 24, 2008 4:24PM

I have found it quite difficult to get permit info from any of the park offices. We need a permit for hiking only (no camping)for the entire Kalalau Trail (Mar 08). What's the best way to get a permit - ahead of time, if possible??

Jan 25, 2008 5:19PM

Okay, here's a question -- we need to stop somewhere between the airport and the trail head to buy fuel canisters for our little backpacking stove (one of those whisperlite things)since we can't carry them on the plane. Anyone know the best place to do this (we'll be hitchhiking).

Thanks!
Arden

Jan 29, 2008 9:59AM

I´ll be coming out in september and am considering the 11 mile hike and camping overnight. I´ll have problems bringing my camping gear for various reasons and was wondering if there is anywhere to rent camping gear on the island. Thanks michelle

Jan 29, 2008 10:49PM

We have applied for a permit for mid-June 2008. Anything unique or different about hiking this trail this time of year - mid-June - that we should be aware of? Thanks.

Jan 30, 2008 8:04PM

Just wanted everyone to know that although the bus sounds like a great option, they do not take backpacks. I'm not sure why unless it's so that the taxis get more business. Anyway, it would be something to lobby for to have either the taxi companies have a flat rate for travel to the trailhead or that the buses change their policy and encourage use by tourists coming from the airport. I realize they probably have to limit the size of items somehow but maybe somewhat larger than the dimensions allowed now would help.

Feb 04, 2008 6:11PM

For those looking for a place to leave their stuff, I did notice some lockers in the Post Office in Hanalei, that might be an option. Alternatively, you could put it in a trash bag and hide it in the woods somewhere. I stayed at the YMCA, and they directed me to a woman named Betty across the street who keeps stuff for hikers, but I do NOT recommend this option, as she is very busy, and it was very inconvenient to get my things back ... and then she tried to hit me up $5 for all her "trouble!" OTOH, at that point I was staying in Hanalei and hitching back and forth (couldn't travel after dark) - if I had had a car or been staying at the Y, I'm sure it would have been easier.

I met so many nice people while hitchhiking around the North Shore - definitely recommend it!

Feb 04, 2008 6:38PM

For those concerned about the heights, I have to say that I was completely terrified. I turned around at mile 8 - which I hear is after the worst part, but the thought of putting more dangerous trail between me and home was more than I could stand at that point. The \"cliffs\" around mile 7 are short, but starting around mile 4, there are many, many sections where a slip could have bad consequences, or at least it seemed so to me.

That said, I am a big chicken when it comes to heights, and there were plenty of people trotting by in flip-flops where I was scooting on my butt. Give it a shot, if you\'re not particularly scared by mile 6, it doesn\'t get all that much worse ... if you are scared, realize that there will be significant distances that are as bad or worse than what you\'ve already done.

FWIW, the advice that I heard over and over from locals was - if the trail is sketchy, slow down and be careful, don\'t let nervousness make you speed up to get it over with.

Feb 04, 2008 7:10PM

Oh, one thing about sleeping bags - I took only a thin sleeping bag liner, but I was cold just about every night in my tent. At least for cold sleepers visiting this time of year, I would recommend something along the lines of a light sleeping bag, not just a sheet or bag liner.

Feb 06, 2008 1:31PM

Hey just looked at the videos of the kalalau trail on you tube... prety cool! I can see why people are afraid!!!!! What I didn´t see from those great pictures was tropical landscape. I realize the cliffs edge must be dryer landscape but what about the parts of the trail that get away from the cliffs edge. Is this "rain forest/tropical"landscape? because hawaii conjures up pictures of the tropics and I don´t want to be dissapointed. Also W you suggested staying and exploring at the end of the trail for two nights. What exactly is there to explore, are there trails and what is the landscape like there? Thanks for the great site! MG

Feb 07, 2008 10:29AM

any word on why the trail is closed and or how long? Is itdue to the recent weather conditions? I won´t be there till september, is it likely to be closed until then? Thanks again for the quick reply!

Feb 07, 2008 9:59PM

Thanks for the incredibly helpful Q&A. I am headed to the Kalalau trail with 3 friends at the end of March and have picked up some great tips from this thread. My first question pertains to water purification. Do you know whether iodine tablets are effective against leptospirosis? Similarly, do you know if the SteriPEN is? Additionally, I read somewhere that the local Sierra Club chapter offers rides to the trailhead in exchange for a donation. Any sense of whether that is true? Thanks again.

Feb 10, 2008 10:04PM

Oops, should have read all the posts before asking my question about transportation to/from the trailhead.

Is the YMCA Camp Naue really the best option for this? Safe to keep rental with luggage on site .. clean accomodations .. ?

Thanks.

Feb 12, 2008 5:20PM

Do you have any insight as to when the trail will be open again? Is it closed due to trail waashout and needs to be rebuilt, or simply higly river crossings?

Ashlie

Feb 13, 2008 2:45AM

My husband and I are going to be in Kauai next week and this sounds like a great hike. I think we\\\'ll probably just hike to Hanakapi\\\'ai Beach and back. I\\\'m in pretty good shape (run about 15 miles a week) and my husband\\\'s in ok shape as well. I\\\'m notoriously clumsy and I wanted to know how difficult the first two miles are? What sort of shoes should I wear? Any recommendations on where to pick up a hiking stick or is this not even necessary?

Feb 14, 2008 10:18PM

Areden and I are going to be on the trail from 2/21-25th. This is my 2nd time on the trail and I write this because of the excitement that's welling up. I was on the trail in 97 and have never forgot the beautiful views and beaches. We plan to hitchhike from the airport as before. We have tried to come up with better transportation to now luck. I guess it will be a nice way to meet someone. I noticed a structure at the beach on google earth. Is that a bathroom? Is anyone else planning on being on the trail?

Feb 15, 2008 3:00PM

Hi, I\'m planning to hike the Kalalau trail up to the beach in a day and a half, then stay 2 days and a half at beach then come back. So thats 5 days of camping. I was wondering how long before the trip I need to get permits for hiking and camping? Is there any permits emition limits? (The DLNR site is down) Can I plan to just get there and pickup my permits once I reserved from Canada?

Thanks a lot!!

Feb 15, 2008 6:55PM

Aloha!

I was thinking about hiking the Kalalau trail on a last minute trip! Does mid-march has nice weather??

Feb 17, 2008 2:27PM

Been reading many posts about permit problems, just wanted people to know my sister and I had absolutely no problem getting a 5 night permit from DLNR! We applied last October for June/July '08 and my sister even found the office staff in Lihue to be very helpful! One other question: I keep hearing how horrible the camping at Hanakoa is. We'll be camping there one night in and one out, is it really that bad? Should a person bring a tarp to put under the tent? Advice?

Feb 18, 2008 6:43PM

I hiked this trail over 30 years ago. I remember it being incredibly beautiful and of some difficulty.

My friend and I, both about 19 years old at the time; we were inexperienced and carried a canvas army pup tent, canned food and no stove (just matches). His was an old boyscout back-pack and the frame broke when we were walking on one of the gravely places with a sheer 1000 foot drop to the ocean. He lost his balance and I caught him by the arm before he went over.

We never got a fire going that was worth a damn, so our food was cold straight out of the can. Our last night was spent at the Hanakoa shelter where we ran into two Hawaiian hunters fresh from a wild goat kill. They managed a roaring fire and we ate well that evening.

I'm taking my wife to Kauai this spring. We're going to hike into Hanakapiai, but no further. I'm really looking forward to being there again.

Feb 20, 2008 4:05PM

I was wondering if you have any information on trail conditions since they reopened the trail last week ? I have a permit for late March. Thanks

Kyle

Feb 23, 2008 12:54PM

Thank You All for your invaluable insight into "The Best Trail in the World!"

I'm hiking it for the second time in a month as a much needed respite from UH - Manoa. Kalalau Valley feels exactly like I would imagine heaven on earth to be. College life demands many adventures outside the classroom for true wisdom to be attained. Last time I ventured to Kalalau I learned how important it is to get the required permit beforehand; it's much cheaper and way more enjoyable than the alternative I experienced my last day in the valley. :-) Have Fun, and ALOHA. Kyle

Feb 27, 2008 4:34AM

Kauai Explorer staff: what do you recommed for purifying and filtering water? Has anyone on the staff used the Steri-PEN REI sells? The REI online staff recommeded the First Need Deluxe instead. Any ideas? What have other folks used? I'm not sure what to purchase with so much out on the market. thanks.

Feb 27, 2008 6:16PM

My boyfriend, Robert and I just came off the trail. We knew it was going to be difficult and beautiful. It was all of that. I am afraid of heights and going in the two miles stretch between 6 and 8 got to me. Thankfully Robert is an old adventure guide and mountain climber and he literally talked me through it. We carried too much weight and can only stress KEEP THE WEIGHT LOW. It really makes all the difference. Also -- good hiking boots should be required. Nothing else will do really. It poured at Kalalau the last night and we hiked out in the rain part of the trip. It was easier for me going back. We did see people along the way who looked unprepared for the trip. One couple we saw late in the day headed to Hanakoa -- too late in the day to get there but we could not deter them. We hope they made it.

We hitchiked from the airport in and out and met great people. Every one went out of their way to take us where we needed to go. For that we are thankful and grateful and wish we could do something to say thank you.

We have beautiful pictures and great memories of this once in a lifetime trip. Next time we kayak around the top end or go inland to the waterfall at mile two. You need to take frequent breaks to enjoy the views as you are looking at your feet most of the way. Stay hydrated!

It is very hard to do the trail in one day. Two days is better in and out and at least two full days at the beach. I can't stress enough PACK LIGHT - no more than 20 lbs. for women and 25 or 30 for big guys.

Curious George made it the whole way too.

Feb 28, 2008 3:34PM

Aloha,
My husband,a friend, and I just hike the first 1/2 mile of this trail. Unfortunately it was all we had time for, but it was enough of a taste that we would get permits and do it as an overnight. It appears to be an amazing trail.

Mar 04, 2008 4:52AM

Thanks for the great resource. I am planning on hiking the trail in late April, and would like to get an early morning start. Where would you recommend I stay the night before? I will be renting a car (with 3 other people) and would also like a safe place to leave my car (ideally at the hotel or place we stay the night before). Any recommendations on good places to stay that are close to the trailhead? Thansk!

Mar 04, 2008 10:16PM

My husband and I are hiking the trail in May. We have a 6lb backpacking tent, but are considering leaving the tent at home and opting for lightweight hammocks with mosquito netting for Kalalau. We will be camping everywhere else we go in Hawaii though, and I am wondering if hammock camping will be possible/advisable at other campgrounds. Thanks, any advice is appreciated!

Mar 06, 2008 8:17PM

Aloha, I am planning to hike/camp/bowhunt back the Na Pali trail in a couple weeks (late March 08). I am still awaiting my permit, but dlnr says they sent it. I have very limited time and am wanting to find a goat as soon as possible. Any suggestions on the highest goat concentrations? With limited time, Do you suggest I just try up the Hanakapai trail for a goat or from what I've heard I should go past Hanakoa. Do you think I could make it just past Hanakoa, find a goat and pack it out all in one day? Mahalo for any advice.
AK Andy

Mar 06, 2008 9:00PM

Aloha from a remote Alaskan Island again. I forgot to ask: I use a Jetboil stove to boil water with. I cannot travel with the fuel cannister in my luggage. Is there a store on Kauai where I can buy a small fuel canister for use with a jet boil?
perhaps Waipoouli Variety store in Kapa a? AWESOME website man,I can hardly wait for this trip, I am really hoping to find a goat quick because me wife won\'t go hunt with me and I will have to be away from her while camping with my bow. anyhow, Mahalo for any advice on where to get a fuel canister and anything you can help me with a likely spot to find a goat?

Mar 08, 2008 2:41AM

Special thanks to the staff of Camp Naue for giving me a ride to the trailhead on Feb12th. I strongly recommend the YMCA camp for budget minded backpackers. Only $15 to camp or bunk, $5 to leave your car at their safe location. They are located right on the beach, next to multi million dollar homes. Cute dog too.
Thanks Camp Naue!

Mar 10, 2008 6:45AM

AK Andy-

There is a store for gas in Lihue. I think it is called Gas Pro. Go about a mile north of the airport, then turn right by some car dealership. Also I think hunting season is in the fall. Have fun.

Mar 11, 2008 1:07PM

Are there any boating outfits that do the drop off at the beach so as to only camp and then do the hike out? We are coming to the island the first week of April.
Thx

Mar 12, 2008 11:34AM

Hi
We are planning a hike in Sept. We already obtained our permits.However, were wondering how much of a problem it would be if we arrived at the Hanakoa camp and felt like going on to the beach and stayed there 2 nights instead of split. Also, can you recommend a good sporting store to buy our food for the trip? Thanks,
Love your site. Mel

Mar 12, 2008 12:15PM

Hi guys, this comment thread is the best source of information about this trail I\'ve found so far! Good job!!
I\'m heading to Kauai next week. I got my permits a couple weeks ago in O\'ahu. Just to let you know, camping limits are 20 persons max per night at Hanakoa, and 60 max per night at Kalalau. Still, Hanakoa is easily available and Kalalau not as easy.
I had to get some days in Hanakoa and others in Kalalau because of this. So I have a couple questions:
1- Are the permits often required on the trail?
2- Do you think I can get in trouble if I\'m sleeping at Kalalau having a permit for Hanakoa??

Mahalo.

Mar 12, 2008 9:14PM

Aloha,

Do you know if there is a trail going to manawaiopuna falls and how to get there. I know people have been in there before, and it is long and very difficult, but I am a serious adventurer and don't care if the trail is maintained. I'm looking for directions on how to get there. Thanks for any help.

Mahalo

Mar 12, 2008 9:16PM

Weird feelings right now.. 1st of all.. great website..

Supposedly secured permits here in Honolulu for a trek out in June. Wanting to stay somewhere on wednesday night (either at hotel or at hanakapi'ai) then start the rest on thursday.. Called YMCA lady said they are booked, and we can't even leave our car there for $5 a night... Kauai Colony is booked for 5 day min guest.. Where else can we leave our car and have it somewhat secured?
Thanks..

Monica

Mar 13, 2008 6:14AM

I am planning a hiking trip with my boyfriend in May. My boyfriend is in great shape and I am in average shape. I\'m wondering what time you would recommend we start the Kalalau trail hike to get there by sunset? I would really love to see the sunset at Kalalau beach. I\'ve read several postings and am probably one of those who will need to take frequent breaks along the way - and I do not want to get stuck at Hanakoa to camp. Everyone\'s postings of their experiences and the feedback you have provided have been so helpful. Thank you in advance.

Mar 15, 2008 4:14PM

Hi,
As many others have said, this is the best site I\'ve seen for information! Thanks! I have a couple more questions though.
We will be hiking the Na Pali coast in April. We had planned to hike to Hanakoa the first night, Kalalau the second night and back to Hanakoa the third night giving us plenty of time to go slowly and see the sights. From what I\'m reading here maybe we should try to change the permits and stay at Kalalau all 3 nights?
We are experienced hikers particularly when it comes to mountaineering (glacier travel, rock climbing etc.) but have little experience near the ocean. I am concerned we will pack too heavy. It looks like you\'re recommending packing very light. The only tent we own is a 4 season tent which is very light to carry but will this just be rediculously warm? Should we look at purchasing a summer tent?
As for footwear, a co-worker told me he saw people on the trail wearing some type of knobby footwear that looked like it worked well in the mud. Is there anything in particular you recommend?
Lastly, do we need tide charts for this hike or other knowledge of the ocean?
Thanks!

Mar 17, 2008 9:27PM

Aloha from Arizona!!!
I've read through most of the blogs and only have a few questions!!
In reference to the permits, both for hiking and camping, I would like to know if they are available to pick up the day of at the District Offices?? On their website, they mention that the easiest way to obtain permits is at the physical location...if this is true, I would like to just purchase my permits when me and my posse arrive in May. Is this an OK route to go??
Also, I've seen that Hanakoa Falls and Hanakapi'ai Falls are in route along the Kalalau Trail, how far off the immediate trail are they?? We will probably visit the closest one to the trail because our main focus is Kalalau Beach! And is the water from the falls safe to drink, or should we stick to tablets?
And lastly, are there many visible wild animals on Kalalau Beach?? My mother-in-law is concerned with wild boars or chickens!!! I told her I haven't seen any comments about the wildlife, but I have to put her thoughts to rest!!
Mahalo!!

Mar 20, 2008 5:15PM

Thanks for providing a site with such detailed info. My question is, my cousin and I are planning on flying to Kauai in mid-July to do the hike. It being March, is it too late to get permits for the hike? From what I've read it can be a bit tricky in general, so I just want to make sure before I book that plane ticket. Thanks for your insight and keep up the good work!

Mar 22, 2008 9:07PM

We are debating whether to hike the Kalalau Trail or take a kayak tour. which is the best way to see the coast line and get to remote beaches and caves? Also, is it possible to kayak by yourself without a guided tour group?

Mar 23, 2008 7:34AM

Aloha!
We're coming your way in a couple weeks and already have our permit for camping at Kalalua Beach on the 16th of April. We're in good shape and not too worried about getting to the beach, but wonder if Hanakoa is the best falls with pool option on the trail or if there are other options close to Kalalau Beach (We ruled out Hanakapiai as too far off the trail). We're only staying one night, so it will have to be something pretty close.

Thanks in advance for the help, your site rocks.

Best,
John

Mar 23, 2008 7:39AM

My husband and I are planning to hike the trail this week. Do you have any updates on current trail conditions? Especially the 'sketchy' part -- 6.5 to 8 miles in? I saw that there may have been some 'improvements' to the trail recently? Is this true?

Mar 24, 2008 4:30PM

I am planning to hike the Kalalau trail around May 23-25th; I noticed that you don't advise women to hike alone. How dangerous is it (alos, is it the hiking or the camping alone that is not advisable), and is there a way to find a fellow companion for the hike?

Thanks!

Mar 24, 2008 8:48PM

I was wondering if you could recommend a few places on Kauai to buy fuel canisters for a backpacking stove. I'm looking for the fairly standard 230 g canisters of Primus 4-season mix. Also, I'll be on the trail later this week. What is the weather looking like at the moment? (I know it's capricious.)

Rigo

Mar 26, 2008 1:49AM

Hi! I will be in Kauai next week and want hike the Kalalau trail, anyone have an update on the trail? Very excited!

Thanks!

Mar 26, 2008 2:41AM

We are hoping to hike the 1st 2 miles of the trail, camp, then hike the additional 2 miles to the falls. We are coming in early April this year. Is this a safe trail for two young children, ages 5 and 9? I noticed someone else asked this same question but didn't see the response.
Thanks.

Mar 26, 2008 10:34PM

My family & I will be staying at Hanalei Bay Resort April 15-22. I have been researching several websites concerning bowhunting opportunities. I know about the $95.00 non-resident fee & the need of my hunter safety certificate. Do you know if there is a 3 day or short term non-resident license available? Do you know what available areas are close to the resort? Thanks for your time.

Mar 29, 2008 1:28AM

These are the same GPS waypoints Nico posted a while back, except their Google Maps friendly. Hope this will be useful to someone!
Ke’e Beach: 22.2185, -159.58116
Hanakapiai(2 miles): 22.20845, -159.59763
Hanakoa (6 miles): 22.19083, -159.6196
Kalalau(11 miles): 22.17516, -159.6546

Mar 30, 2008 7:01AM

Hello! First off, thanks for putting up such a great website. My boyfriend and I are going to Kauai next week and are planning on hiking part of the Kalalau trail. We want to do the whole thing but only have 2 days and one night to get there and get back. I really think we\'d be pushing it to do the whole trail 2 days in a row. Do you recommend doing the first six miles and camping at Hanakoa (assuming we can still get a permit) or only hiking the first 2 miles and then hiking back to stay somewhere near the trailhead? Thanks!

Mar 31, 2008 8:37PM

Great Website!!!

Apr 01, 2008 9:40PM

hi
want to say once again about GREAT web site (you're the best!) and great service in terms of quick responses.

we should be on Kalalau trail for 5 nights starting April 21st and I have one question. Is there any cell phone coverage along the trail / on Kalalau beach / in Kalalau valley? Especially GSM-phones, do they work there?

Thanks in advance,
Alexander.

Apr 03, 2008 8:41PM

Hi - I did a rushed version of Kalalau last December. We hiked to six mile on day one, then I went to Kalalau and back on day 2, and then back out on day 3. Clearly, I need to do it again except with more time in the Valley.

I just ran into the possibility of going, but it would be the second week of June. My questions are:
1. Do I have a chance of getting a permit for June at this late date?
2. Do the chances for permits increase if I were to get a Hawaiian resident to get the permit for me (versus via mail)?
3. Does the valley lose some of its luster with the allowance of the zodiacs / kayaks? Or is it still just as special?

I appreciate any help. And thanks for the site ... it made my prior trip wonderful, and is hopefully going to help again!

Apr 03, 2008 8:58PM

My wife and I hiked in on Thursday (3/27/08) and back out the next day. The conditions of the trail were actually quite good and the views unbelievable. I\'m in my late twenties and in great shape and this trail absolutely kicked my butt. The first day in was fine but the second day out was quite tough due to muscle fatigue and general soreness from the previous day. If you are considering doing this trail in 2 days (or 1!) please make sure you know what you are getting into and leave yourself lots of extra time by leaving early. I hiked in with a 20-25 lb pack and my wife had a 10 lb pack. I saw a few hikers with 35-40 lb REI packs hiking in TEVA\'s who were in utter exhaustion so that is definitely not the way to go!
Miles 6.5-8.0 were in great shape trail-wise. The water crossings were all low and safe due to the lack of steady rainfall. There were about 20 people on Kalalau Beach. Apparently there is also a film crew camping in the woods filming a documentary. I did not see them however while I was there. I saw a group of three kayakers make an albatross landing on the beach. I\'ve never seen a kayak get launched upside down in a wave that bad in my life. The beach was surreal and the hippies and other campers were all really friendly. Best hike of my life!

Apr 04, 2008 2:35AM

Great website! I wish I would have seen this when I tried to obtain my permit 2 months ago! See you on the trail!

Apr 04, 2008 2:27PM

A great website guys and a tremendous resource for those planning trips to the area.

My wife and I will be coming to the island at the end of May and have applied for permits for two nights at Kalalau beach. Can't wait!!! This site has provided a wealth of info and helped answer some key questions about the trail.

Does anyone want to sound off on how this past winter treated the trail? Has there been a lot of rain? (by that I mean more than usual)Any really "bad" areas at the moment?

Gym Brasil

Apr 04, 2008 6:49PM

Hi Rick! this site is very great!!!

Apr 04, 2008 6:55PM

Any more info about the recent closure of the trail? I am on oahu, and heard about it on the radio and read the article..

Apr 07, 2008 4:04PM

Any thoughts on the best area to pitch your tent at Kalalau Beach? Obviously close to the waterfall would be nice, but right on the sand or in the field/grove area?

Also... on the issue of nudity... I've read a few articles that imply it's OK and actually fairly common on the beach; is that indeed the case?

Apr 09, 2008 1:25AM

Is there a good and constant source of fresh water if you are hiking all the way to Kalalau, camping, and hiking back? Would chlorine or iodine tabs work fine with the water or would a filter be necessary?

Thanks,
Will

Apr 09, 2008 9:57AM

do i need tent for the kalalau hike to keep bugs off me at night or will i be just fine sleeping on my pad on the sand?? want to carry less as possible..maybe mesh bivy for bugs or lightweight tarp for rain?????

Apr 09, 2008 11:08PM

You guys are fantastic!!! I am planing a five day trip in may. I understand that the water along the trail must be treated. My question is whether or not I should bring a lot of water to start with or are there enough spots to fill up that I can pack a bit lighter? I would like to just bring one bottle and just re-fill it at every source. Is this plausible? Also I am ditching my tent for a hammock with an integrated net and fly (much lighter). Are there sufficient areas where I could set my hammock up? Being a tropical island I would think there would be plenty of water and plenty of trees.

Thanks, Dave

Apr 12, 2008 12:29AM

Hey guys! I will be packing into Kalalau in the next two weeks and I'm not sure what to do with my car. I've heard parking at Ke'e isnt a good idea. Do you think I'll be ok at YMCA campsite location or pay to park and take cab??

Apr 15, 2008 2:39PM

Hello,

I will be hiking the trail in about two weeks, and have a question about what to bring for sleeping. I see that in most seasons, a tent with a sleeping pad and a top sheet is sufficient. Will this be enough for end of Apri? Or will it get cool enough at night to warrant a sleeping bag. Also, for cooking, can I bring a propane burner? I have experience backpacking and camping, but please let me know if there are other details specific to this trail that I should know of, in terms of sleeping and eating.

Thanks!

Apr 17, 2008 6:40AM

Hey Morgan,

I hiked the trail a few weeks back, I went in with a ultralight tent, 40degree bag, and a jet boil stove... worked out perfect, wasnt going crazy on cutting back supplies and had right around a 20lb bag

i'm a big advocate of less weight == more fun too

have a great time!

Apr 17, 2008 2:56PM

hey all,
my boyfriend and i hiked the kalalau trail last week. we hiked in monday, camped at kalalau, and hiked out tuesday. it took us about 8-9 hours each way.
we are both pretty fit (both avid rock climbers and i run quite often). the trail was HARD. be prepared to hurt all over. if i was to do it again, i'd take at least 3 days. it's hard to appreciate the beauty of the trail when you're focused on getting in or out by sunset.
we left all of our other stuff (minus vauables) in the car parking lot at the trail base and had no problems with theft. we only had a filter for our water and we were okay.
the trail is gorgeous and the views are totally worth it!

Apr 17, 2008 3:15PM

Aloha!

As I was saying before - GREAT site! You guys a so cool!

We're finally going to hike Kalalau this next Monday and spend 5 nights on Kalalau beach.

I have three questions:

1. I was wondering if the stove is really needed there or it is legal to cook on open fire?

2. Is there a place on Kauai where I could store a bag while I\'m hiking Kalalau?

3. Do we need to take warm clothes, or shorts and t-shirts will be sufficient?

Thank you very much in advance,
Alexander.

Apr 21, 2008 2:27AM

Hi all,

First of all I'll point out what many others have already said, great website! I've been scouring for a site like this and I've finally found it. I've read the entire site, but still have a few questions:

1) Fuel: I'll be arriving into Lihue at 7:30 PM and leaving for the trail head the following morning at crack of dawn. This leaves a problem regarding fuel, because I imagine stores will be closed by the time I arrive. I have a GigaPower Snow Peak stove that uses a blended isopropane/butane cartridge with threads. Any ideas what I can do?!

2) Shoes: I'm debating whether I should wear a pair of light trail runners with socks (timberlands) or a pair of sport sandals (Keens) without socks. Any comments on experiences with the latter option?

THANKS!
Greg

Apr 21, 2008 2:58AM

I heard the trial is closed due to dangerous conditions. Is this still true? I clicked on the link to try and get a permit and that\'s the message I got. I would like to visit in the next two weeks. Do I have time to get a permit via email, if they are available?

Thanks, Alison

Apr 21, 2008 5:19PM

If this topic has already been addressed then I apologize.

I have heard that there is a lot of nudity at Kalalau beach from the residents there and the visitors. Its not a big deal to me but I was thinking of taking my 10 yr old son. We are going to be taking our time and spending a night on the trial and a few nights on the beach. I was just wondering if I should prepare him ahead of time. I don't think it will be a problem, I just want to prepare him.

Thanks

Apr 22, 2008 1:12AM

I appreciate the quick response on the Awa trail hike I left a few weeks ago and now we are just a few days away from coming to the island. We've decided to bypass the NaPali kayak to do a little more hiking if the conditions aren't good and are thinking about doing just the front leg of the Kalalau trail up to the falls. Couple of questions- 1) how long should we expect the hike up to the falls and back to take if we want to spend some time up at the falls?? 2) We looked at the weather tonight and it looked like 50% chance of rain from Friday thru next Wed- I know last yesr we were all freaked out about the weather saying that it was going to rain everyday in dominican republic and it ended up being gorgeous- is that kind of the standard weather forcast for Kauai?? Or should we plan on a wet vacation no matter where we are on the island? Can't wait for the trip rain or shine- thanks for all of your help

Apr 23, 2008 6:27AM

Can you please tell me about the mosquito /bug condition along the Kalalau trail? We\'ll also be camping overnight at Kalalau and were wondering how bad the bugs were? Additionally, can you please clarify possible parking areas? I read in earlier posts that parking is available at the YMCA and a later post indicating that it\'s only available to guests? I\'ve tried calling the YMCA, but they were not answering their phones. Finally, how far is the YMCA from the beg. of he trail?

Apr 26, 2008 5:27PM

Hi there,

I am just wondering where I might be able to get a pass to hike this trail, and how far in advance I would need it?

We are hoping to hike the trail at the end of September this year, on our honeymoon.

Thanks!

Apr 26, 2008 10:39PM

Aloha!

Yesterday we returned from Kalalau beach... It was amazing!
With help of this great site (I asked several questions here) I was prepared very well for the hike and everything went just perfect.

I'm going to post a lot of photos with more detailed hike information on my page later (will provide link here if this is ok), but for now few words about our hike...

First day we started not so early - almost around 8am. We hiked 2 miles to Hanakapia\'i beach and spend about 40 minutes there. Very beatiful place! Nice place to put your legs into the cool stream and bite an energy bar on the beach.

After that we hiked to Hanakoa valley. We were going to stop there for a night to take a little rest and in the morning continue to Kalalau. We were told that Hanakoa doesn\'t really worth it though - a lot of bugs and mosquitos. As for me, I didn\'t see a lot of bugs (we found much more of them in Kalalau) and mosquitos were not a big problem (it was also not that bad as expected). There\'s a nice stream in Hanakoa and we found pretty nice place to camp across this stream (If somebody wants to camp there, location is: you should cross the stream and go up the trail for 20 meters or so and then turn up to the left, there\'ll be couple of places to camp. It\'s pretty nice, because it\'s not right on the stream, it\'s not near the toilets, few steps from the trail, but not very much visible from the trail).

Also, if you walk on the rocks down the stream a little bit you will find pretty nice pool where you can take a shower - there\'s a small waterfall and small pool, and this place is not visible from the trail.

On our next day we started around 7:40am. Our main worry was about 6.5-8 miles part of the trail and the narrow and eroded. When you go there for the first time it looks really dangerous, though very beatiful and impressive. I didn\'t worry much about myself passing this part, I was mostly worrying about my wife, because she was very afraid of it. But we passed it ok, no problems. Just don\'t look down while you\'re walking and concetrate on the tral and you\'ll be ok. If you want to look down, just make a stop in a safe place. Views are just amazing! There are only couple of really dangerous places in this part, but in general it\'s ok and pretty safe. As for me, it was almost the easiest part of the trail, because there\'s no lush vegetation there and it\'s easy to walk (as long as you don\'t afraid of heights that much and concetrate on the trail). There were a lot of goats on this part of the trail, so watch them, because if they are above you they can make rocks fall down on you.

After mile 8 the trail is not very difficult, though it still has several ascents and descents. It also has some small streams.

Finally, you will reach the red hill and at the bottom of it there\'ll be Kalalau valley. You\'ll have to cross one more stream and after that just go either to the valley or to the beach.

We camped on the beach under the tree almost where the sand ends. There are a lot of places to camp and all of them look just great, so there\'ll be no problem to find one.

At the end of the beach there\'s a nice pool that people use as a shower - it was really the best shower I\'ve ever had.

Kalalau beach is very very beatiful place! Sunsets are terrific!

There\'s a lot of nudity on the beach. Most of the people are very friendly.

On our way back we got up at 5am, packed and started around 6:15am. There was a small rain, but it was actually good, because the trail was better after small rain.

We made 11 miles in 7.5 hours without pushing ourselves and with 20 minutes stop at Hanakoa and 40 minutes stop at Hanakapia\'i. Just start as early as possible and you\'ll be ok.

On our way back my wife passed 6.5-8 miles part w/o noticing it at all. I just told her that we made it and she didn\'t believe that first, she thought that the dangerous stuff is still ahead of us. But she was really glad when we she realized that we already passed everything.

As for us, the hardest part of the trail on the way in and out is from Hanakapia\'i to Hanakoa. It\'s 4 miles of a lot of ascents and descents in jungles, some of them are pretty long.

Couple advise:
1. Wear good hiking boots. We were using good hiking boots with Gore-Tex, ankle support and very good traction and we were feeling very confident on the trail, especially this is important on 6.5-8 part of the trail.
2. Start as early as possible. It is really hard to hike under the sun, especially judgle parts of the trail.
3. Walking sticks help a lot! I didn\'t have one, so I found a good tree stick somewhere on the trail.

ok, I\'m going to enjoy my vacation and will post a link to photos and other info later.

Mahalo!
Alexander.

Apr 27, 2008 2:11AM

I hiked this trail on April 5, leaving at 12:45pm and wondering if I would make it before dark since I was carrying a 50 lb backpack for a two-night stay (permit was acquired!). Once I got past the 5 mile mark I decided that there was no turning back! The coastline became more beautiful, more wild and mysterious, and the further I hiked in, the more unusual were the hikers I encountered. There were more bohemian barefooted hikers hiking or out, though very few. The weather was perfect, and fortunately the trail was dry. Yes, the trail does become more challenging to one's fear of heights between miles 6.5-8. One should only do this hike if one is a strong experienced hiker, is fully alert, not fatigued, and not too afraid of heights, but be sure to have your camera at the ready at all times. Just be sure that if you want to look at something for more than a few seconds, check where your footing is on the trail and then stop to look. If you have a heavy pack, it can be harder to balance in certain situations.
There are several water crossings along the 11 miles, though on the hike back out after some rain I counted at least 18 water crossings of varying flows and widths, all of which were able to be crossed without removing shoes and wading across, though iam sure this can be a whole different ballgame after a heavy rain.
I made it in at about 6:15, just in time to set up my tent and watch a beautiful sunset. I had arrived just days after the massive invasion by the authorities to kick out the illegal film crew and a few loud gun-shooting drunks who were fired from their jobs the next day. I initially encountered a cute topless girl and her boyfriend who were very friendly and helpful about campsite information. Next time I will arrive sooner in the day in order to get a better campsite.
What can I say? A waterfall on the beach, whales breaching the ocean in the distance, eating oranges right off the tree, swimming in the Big Pool (and other pools), witnessing naked AM yoga on the beach, people just doing their thing.
The hike out was a bit more nerve-wracking for me because it had rained enough that some of the trail was slippery, but there was no incident, though at mile 2 I encountered a woman who had apparently sprained her ankle (unfortunately it does happen usually within the first two miles of the trail because many people are inexperienced hikers and wear tennis shoes, flipflops or are out of shape). Once I finished the hike, I called 911 to get her some help. Ironically,I have been working at the ER at Wilcox Memorial Hospital as a travel nurse!
If you are up for the challenge, THIS is one of the best or THE best hike I have done in my 11 years of hiking.

Apr 28, 2008 2:59PM

I am visiting Kauai in June. How do you access the trailhead, and are there any tourguides willing to take just one person the whole 11 miles? I'm not so sure this would be a good solo hike.

NikonDigital

May 01, 2008 10:05AM

Dear all,

I did the Kalalau Trail end of February 2008 and it was a wonderful experience. For preparation I used mainly this site and I am very grateful that it exists.
Thanks to all. I hope that I can pay back a bit with the pictures that I shot. You can find them at: http://nikondigital.zenfolio.com/p203939567/

n.b. btw, because of all my photo gear my rucksack did weigh 30kg (60lb) - this was the only advice ("travel light") that I had to ignore from this site - I hope it was worth it

May 05, 2008 3:58AM

I have just finished reading the entire forum and found it to be very informative. However I cannot believe some entreprenurial person has not started a shuttle service business from the airport to the trailhead and back!
I would do it but I am not a U.S. citizen. There has to be some local person reading this forum who recognizes an opportunity here.
A shuttle bus that can pick you and your luggage up at the airport. Stops at a shopping centre for stove fuel, supplies and food, then drives you right to the trailhead or the ymca campground. The shuttle service could also arrange the permits and provide storage for extra luggage you may want to store while you are hiking.
Hey wouldn't it be great if this service was up and running by the time my wife and I come in Feb. '09 to hike the trail!
Anyway, we will be staying the max. 5 nights on the trail. I believe in the adage; "If you are going to do something, you may as well do it right the first time".
You just never know when or if you will be back.
Keep up the good work on this site!

May 06, 2008 5:12PM

Hi everybody,
I've heard that camping permits for the Na Pali Coast State Park are selling out fast, especially during summer months. Is this true? I am planning to hike the Kalalau trail somewhere begin july 08... (I've already sent an e-mail to the DNLR but i'am not getting any response. Since I'am European, Hawaii office hours are like right in the middle of the night so calling isn't really an option for me. So, can I just print the application form, fill it out and send it in without checking for availability first?)
Thx

May 10, 2008 9:17PM

I just did this Hike a few days ago. We did one day in, spent the night in Kalalau and then hiked out the next morning. It is a beautiful place out there, but I only recommend doing it if you have a few more days, it is very strenuous and took a lot of work to hike out first thing the next morning after we had just arrived. Also, make sure you bring a water filter and tablets. Once we got out there our water filter broke and we were forced to drink the stream water. A bunch of people on the trail will tell you that is it ok to drink. DO NOT. Two days after I returned home I was very ill from the "lepto" that can be found in the streams. So my main advice is take your time and bring a couple things to clean your water with.

May 11, 2008 9:13AM

Hey there, the information on this site is great! I'm flying to Lihue on Tuesday and trying to find a ride that's cheaper than the cab fare of $120...i'm "iffy" about hitchhiking solo...can you give me an idea of how safe it is for a 6'3, 200+ lbs. haole boy to hitchhike at night?

Kevin

May 12, 2008 9:19PM

Incredible!!

Things we wish we had thought of but didn't:
1) Hiking poles-with all the up and down, they really should be a requirement for any one doing the trail.
2) Matches for fire- just forgot

My wife and I (27 and 28, respectively) started off from the Haena campgrounds at 0715. We stopped occasionally for water brakes and pictures, and once at Hanakoa to filter water. Otherwise we kept walking while munching on energy bars and arrived at Kalalau Beach 6.5 hours later. The hike was incredible and I would agree that it is every bit as difficult as everyone before has mentioned. The well spoken of portion on the cliff edge was terrifying for me, less so for my wife. Of note, that section was really easy and not as scary on the way back. We had incredible weather. The surf was great as my wife and I are great swimmers and we enjoyed the power of the ocean, although the current was a little to strong to swim to the next beach over. We stayed two nights, woke up on the morning of our departure at 0400, left at 0430 and made it back in 5.75 hours. Our ealy departure was only possible with the use of our headlamps and my trusty Garmin 305 GPS. Otherwise, I certainly would have been worried about taking the wrong turn in the dark.

Our two nights of camping was the end of our vacation after a week stay at the Marriott in Lihue. It was such an incredible end to our adventure as we felt such a strong connection with nature. This hike should be on everyone checklist of must-do experiences if you are able, and I hope to be able to do it again one day.

One other suggestion is to pack as light as possible. We both carried "Day Pack" backpacks and shared the weight of a tent, 2 sleeping pads, and an incredibly light silk sheet. We saw far two many people struggling on the trail with heavy packs. If you really require all the creature comforts of home, by all means bring them along. However, I think you will have a much more enjoyable hike with the least amount of weight possible.

Kevin

May 12, 2008 9:22PM

One more comment...please do not go into the Kalalau valley more than 0.25 to 0.5 miles. We got hopelessly lost with all the trails up there. There are a few larger type pools. If you are really into that, I would try hiking in there with someone who knows where they are going. I would suggest hiking in until you find some Guavas to munch on and enjoy and then head back to the beautiful beach.

May 14, 2008 3:27AM

hi, my friend and i are trying to get permits to hike the Kalalua trail the first week in august. we live in FL and have called the DLNR a couple of times but get different stories about permits. One time it was that there were permits availabe starting june 31 but we had to come in person to get them (ya, so how would we do that?) and the other was they were not giving permits out for those dates. Do you have any suggestions in trying to get permits? And, BTW, what is the penalty for getting caught without a permit?

May 14, 2008 5:29PM

I’m an experienced backpacker from the NW, but I have never been confronted with such difficult logistics on how to get from the airport to trailhead. Too bad YMCA wont let you park at their place anymore; that would have made it pretty easy. So how do you get to the trailhead, without having to park your car there? I guess a taxi might be the only route right now…getting the taxi to show up to take you back to the airport is a concern. Does the trailhead have cell phone coverage?

Oh and thanks for taking the time to answer questions on this great site.

May 17, 2008 3:08AM

My husband and I are hiking the trail this weekend. Is the vog terribly bad out there?

May 17, 2008 5:26PM

We were lucky enough to get permits to camp at Kalalau for one night in early September, but no campsite map was provided. Where exactly do people camp there? Are there designated areas? Anywhere along the beach, away from the cliff face and the shoreline, of course? Thanks!

May 19, 2008 12:16AM

I'm planning to hike the whole Kalalau Trail in June. I'm planning on using a shuttle service on the island to get to and from the trail head from Lihue, but was hoping to be able to camp at the trail head the night before starting my hike to allow for an early start. What's the closest place I can camp to the trail head? If I were to stay in Hanalei or nearby how could I get to the trailhead early?

May 21, 2008 3:00AM

I'd like to share my experience about getting to the trail head and spending a night before the hike...

We hiked this April and found people in Kapaa who were heading there as well, so they gave us a ride right to Kee beach.

We spend a night on Kee beach, right under the first big tree, in 50 meters from the trailhead, and next morning we started our hike. I think that's the best way to do it - spend a night on Kee beach, because you don't have to go to the trail head - it's right there. It is of course ILLEGAL though (as far as I know)... :)

BUT. If you do like we did - come there around 9pm when it's dark, nobody's gonna be there (except similar Kalalau hikers), so you can easily set up a tent anywhere you like. This is the very end of the road, so nobody's gonna check illegal camping at that time of the day. If you arrive early, there'll be a lot of people on the beach, and probably ranger's car; so basically just have fun in the ocean and wait until it's dark and everybody's gone.

On our way back, we simply hitchhiked again - the first car we saw stopped and nice people gave us a ride right to Kapaa - almost to the door of our hotel that we had reservation in.

From our experience I can say that there's no problem with hitchhiking in Kauai - we did that many times.

May 21, 2008 11:39AM

My fiance and I will be visiting Hawaii for our honeymoon at the end of October, and are looking forward to hiking the entire trail. I've read this forum and it seems that the only way to hike the entire trail, is to go IN and OUT. Is there not a way to leave the car at the end of the trail, shuttle or cab it to the top and then just go one way??? If not, do you think it would be possible, to have a cab drop us off at the top, and then we ask them to meet us at the end at a certain time?? Curious to know what if any creative option we have to do it just one way. We are short on time, but would really love to have the experiance of hiking the entire trail. Thank you

May 21, 2008 11:58PM

Thanks for posting my comments.

I'm aware that camping at Kee is illegal, just I wanted to share my experience with others, so they can act on their on risk.

One other important thing about camping there is that there's NO fresh water at Kee, so keep this in mind.

May 22, 2008 1:00AM

The haze in the air is vog from Kilauea on the Big Island. The Kona winds bring the to vog to Kauai and the trade winds blow it away. The volcano has been releasing a lot more sulfur dioxide, haze and other particulate matter into the air lately.

May 23, 2008 4:01PM

I tried to do this trail a few years ago but it was pouring rain and we turned around at about 6 miles. I fear heights and think I wouldn't be able to make the part of the trail with the handholds in the rocks. Is there someone who provides an excursion - like a kayak or zodiac that can take us in and let us camp a few days and take us back? Definitely on the list of things to do before I die.... just don't want to die doing it :>) Thanks for any help - great site!

May 25, 2008 8:04PM

What do you guys recommend as far as water treatment goes? Iodine tabs? Chlorine tabs? There seem to be a few other products available too. I'm familiar with the severity of lepto and definitely want to take the right precautions. Thanks

May 26, 2008 3:01PM

Have a few more questions. I think I read on the site somewhere that the highest point on the trail is 1200ft, is that true? What is the water situation in september normally? I realize it´s the dry season but is there enough water to filter/and or treat along the way in order to stay hydrated in september. In the "dangerous" cliff areas are there drop offs on both sides or one side. Thanks

May 26, 2008 5:11PM

Awesome site! We will be on Kauai in three weeks and will be doing a day hike to Hanakapiai. We will likely take the additional 2 miles to the falls. How accessible are the falls? Can you get pretty close? It looked like from some pictures that I saw that there is a pool of water at the base of the falls. Is it safe for swimming?

May 27, 2008 3:53AM

Just came home tonight from a wonderful seven-day trip to the island. My wife and I spent Wed, Thurs and Friday at Kalalau Beach and had some tremendous experiences and met some very cool people. I got plenty of photos and video, particularly shots of the trail and the notorious \"cliffy\" portions, which I hope to post on youtube this week.

There are many, many things I could recommend to folks considering this amazing trek-- nothing new, just the same things that more experienced hikers have already offered here, but stuff that begs repeating:

1) This has been said dozens of times before on this forum, but DO NOT bring a pack heavier than 30 lbs, regardless of whether you think you\'re in shape or not. I would think 20 lbs max would actually be best if you\'re going the distance and plan on staying a few days. Of course i say this, because like a fool i disregarded that counsel and paid dearly! If i was not a thoroughly fit, distance runner my headstone might\'ve been somewhere up around mile six. Sierra Club rates the trail a nine. I say that\'s accurate provided you are packing extremely light. But pack over 40-50lbs in the summer and this trail is EASILY a 10 in my opinion!

2) For those hiking the distance to kalalau beach be careful at mile two that you dont inadvertedly pull left to Hanakapi’ai Falls at the compost toilet. This is an embarassing admission, but my wife and I were having so much fun, talking and getting into a good rhythm that we veered off and went all the way to the falls. THIS ADDED FOUR ROUGH MILES TO OUR ALREADY RUGGED 11-MILE TREK!!! Unless you\'re game for a one-day, 15-mile jaunt (which we ended up doing unfortunately) go slowly at mile-two and look at the signs.

3) There is a point soon after mile eight that my wife and i got off the trail briefly and it was a nightmare. I believe this is fairly common because once we got to Kalalau Beach we met two other people who made the exact same mistake. All I remember is after a fairly wide, rocky area on a bluff overlooking the water, there\'s a path that is well-worn that cuts back inside, with black dirt. This is a hazardous detour. You have to travel along a VERY sketchy, sloping, narrow path that at one point moves precariously around a large rock. This was easily the most perilous and unnerving portion of the journey and my instincts told me something wasnt right. One wrong move here could be tragic and there\'s virtually nothing to grab onto if you start sliding. The ACTUAL trail is behind you, back at the bluff and moving upwards on a higher ridge.

4) The last thing I\'ll add is the importance of using really good shoes on the trail. My wife and I both had brand name hiking shoes/boots. My wife\'s boots (about a year old, but never offcially hiked in) completely fell apart about 4 miles in. My swoosh brand hiking shoes did the same about six miles in, Mine was catastrophic (the right sole just peeled off like a banana, followed by the left one) and caused us to almost abort the mission. A man I know only as \"Mango Wine\" Tom, who lives out there, came and sat with us, saw my dillemma and traded me shoes on the spot. I offered cash for his boots but he flat-out refused. A real good samaritan. I walked the rest of my jorney to Kalalau Beach in Tom\'s size 10 1/2 tattered boots. He slogged his way out to the trailhead in my dilapidated shoes, held together with nothing but shoelaces. My eyes were filled with tears of gratitude. Thank you brother!

Amazing time on the beach at Kalalau. Worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears. The only thing that eclipses the beauty of that place is the vibes from other travelers whose paths you cross. Thanks to Jamie & Kerr, Jamie & Jason, Myron and Dean & Wynona for good times, laughs and friendship.

Thanks also to the moderators of this site. What a fantastic resource for people contemplating this and other hikes on Kauai. Great job!

Pax!

May 28, 2008 8:57AM

hey i am a little bit confused about where to send my money and application for the permit for camping. Do I send it to the DLNR in honolulu or in Lihue? I have only been able to find the address for the office in Honolulu.Help?

May 29, 2008 2:23PM

Just wanted to add a comment on Greg\'s comment #3 about taking a wrong turn around mile 8 just after the river... My wife and I made the same mistake. We were hiking the wrong way for about 100 meters or so and also thought that there\'s something wrong with this trail. It was too dangerous. We hiked around big stone but after that found that this is the false trail. Don\'t go there! It\'s really really dangerous. Much more dangerous than 6.5-8 miles.

May 30, 2008 7:24PM

So glad for your site and all the helpful info! My husband and I plan to hike in and stay a couple of nights the first week of November. I am terrified of heights so I am trying to prep myself for this mug! I was wondering though if we need both hiking and camping permits or just camping? I have called the DLNR and just keep getting the recording which is hard to hear. If u know, correct me if I\'m wrong...Send in a letter of request with the place u want to camp and when, photocopies of all drivers license, money orders for $10 per person per night to DIVISION OF STATE PARKS 3060 Eiwwa Street, Suite 306,Lihu\'e,Hawaii 96766. Do you know if the dates have to be specific or you can just let them know the week you plan to be there and hike?? Also, if they are full, do they just refund your money? If u have any info to help me out, I would TRULY be appreciative. Thanks for helping us crazy tourists plan amazing vacations!

Jun 03, 2008 1:39PM

Re: the dangerous off-trail diversion after mile 8...

As Alexander said, this section is far more terrifying than anything on the \"cliff\" portion of the actual trail. Fortunately, it\'s a very short detour that ends abruptly. Unfortunately, it is also exceedingly dangerous. I can easily see how exhausted hikers could slip and fall to their doom there. It is an eroded dirt path that looks for all the world like a continuation of the actual trail, at least at the beginning.

It took me about 5-10 mins to get the guts to shimmy around the big rock with my 50lb pack, only to get past it and have the trail end after about 30 meters. My wife and I were overwhelmed with frustration and dread, realizing we were off-trail and that we had to go back around the \"rock of death\" AGAIN! My wife took her time and went back carefully, I on the other hand refused to tempt fate again and chose instead to climb straight up a steep embankment to the real trail, which was about 20ft directly above.

Jun 03, 2008 9:58PM

I am planning on hiking to Kalalau in late July. I tried to obtain a permit on the days DLNR said they were available but by the time my application was recieved the dates had already been taken. What are the chances I will be caught if I camp without a permit. Also what is the penalty if I do so?

Jun 07, 2008 4:17AM

I'm planning to hike Kalalau in a week, where can I get water along the way? I have a filter/purifier pump but am wondering how much water I should keep on me and where I'll be able to refill.

Jun 09, 2008 7:39PM

Aloha travelers. I am a bit puzzled that backpack magazine would publish this sacred spot to the world and envite the world in without really explaining how difficul this trail is and really explaining this isn't a "tourist trap" people have died on this trip and I believe in 2005 a man dissappeared and hasn't been found since. If you do this trip, prepare physically for months and importantly,, as a local that lives in Kauai, enjoy it, keep it a secret and leave without a trace. Mahalo...

Jun 10, 2008 6:37AM

Helllo, everyone. I read on another site that someone guestimated that with all the ups and downs on this trail you actually end up hiking about 5000 ft in elivation, even thought the highest point is only about 800 to 1000 ft. Does that seem about right to anyonw who has done it? Thanks for the site!

Jun 12, 2008 7:10PM

Mahalo Kauai Explorer Staff for this site! Pretty much all my questions were answered by others and I felt totally prepared. I filled a simple day pack w/ compressed foods and had 4L for H2O. I only needed 2L bottles, @ every ridge I found H2O to filter. BUT there is a misconception by the hippies on the trail that its safe to drink the water sans treatment!! Not safe. I bought the 'Steri-Pen' UV H2O treatment and it worked perfectly. Enough water and fast, no filtering-it retards all virus and bacteria so they r unable to regenerate inside your body. thats cool

Jun 12, 2008 7:43PM

I know several people have had questions about trail altitude gains, I found the following chart on another blog and thought it could be helpful to someone:
http://great-hikes.com/blog/images/KalalauTrail04.gif

Jun 17, 2008 1:57AM

I'm going to be in Kauai on buisness, will only have one day to hike/bike. I'm a strong hiker/biker. 11 miles one way on foot is too far for my one day. What would you suggest?

Jun 17, 2008 5:36AM

Hi, just wondering if there is still an ex-Marine named Bill working on the trail - I met him when I was there last winter and he was so nice - and the trail obviously needs him, so I was just kind of hoping he is still in the area.

Jun 17, 2008 9:29AM

I would like to hike this trail around the end of August with my girlfriend, since she is coming out from Missouri! How hard would it be to get a permit to hike this trail in that amount of time and where would I go to get it?

Thanks and God Bless,
Justin

Jun 17, 2008 3:40PM

Thanks Justin! Exactly what I needed to know. Looks like its less than 3000 ft of incline and decline. That sounds a lot better than 5000! Although the ups and downs look STEEP! But this gives me a better idea on what to be prepared for. Thanks again.

Jun 17, 2008 5:45PM

Great site. We are leaving Seattle tomorrow (Wednesday) and will start our five-day trek on Friday, June 20. We feel pretty well-prepared, thanks in part to info from you folks.

Any last-minute developments we should know about?

Jun 18, 2008 1:20AM

Hello Explorer staff! This website has been incredibily helpful in preparing for this hike. Thank you for maintaining it. Thanks to everyone who has hiked it and contributed excellent advice. I leave the June 21st for Kauai and will be on the trail the 26th. I've been looking at the Kauai forcast (Garden Island paper online) and have been seeing thunderstorms in the forcast for next week. I'm concerned about mud, I did the first 2 miles in dry conditions last year. Last year I also did the Pihea trail to the Alakai swamp trail in mud and it wasn't very fun. I'll be camping at Hanakoa the 1st night (with my sister) and continuing to Kalalau the next morning. We have a 5 day permit and are so pumped about Kalalau! I read some campsites are closed at Kalalau and are near the pit toliets. Is this a problem with the amount of campers there?

Jun 18, 2008 5:01PM

Great site - thx
Few questions...

When is goat hunting season?

Is there any good snorkeling near Kalalau? Know the riptide can be rough in the winter, but how is it in late July? If not bad, any good areas worth snorkeling in? If a no-go there, any suggestions for day trips on the east side of Kuaui (IE on way back to airport) or near Hilo? More remote/less people, the better...

Also, do you have any recommendations for places to camp nearby the night before hitting the trail that\'s not to far from the trail and easy to find late at night? Even better if there\'s good snorkeling nearby

Lastly - is there a consensus re: transportation from Lihue to trailhead, hitchhiking aside? Cab easiest, but tough to time pickup on the way out, I assume given lack of cell coverage. Any idea of cab cost? Or cost of shuttle services? Or is a rental car for $350 for a few days the easiest way to go?

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

Jun 18, 2008 5:37PM

forgot 2...

Is there any worthwhile fishing in Kalalau? If so, any shops you might suggest speaking to in the area re: bait, etc?

Lastly, are there any boat services who would pick up from Kalalau and drop at Polihale? Assume a charter is needed for this - if so, would you have any suggestions as to who to contact?

Thank you again

Jun 20, 2008 3:28AM

It is probably one of the most amazing hikes one can do. I stayed in Lihue and drove up in the morning of June 2 (5.15am) and started walking at 6.20am and did the return trip in one day i.e 9.5 hours of walking and got back to Kee Beach at 5.25pm leaving enough time to have a nice dinner back in Lihue. This is a tough return walk and I would only attempt it if you have a solid endurance background.

Jun 22, 2008 9:28AM

My wife and I are looking at hiking the trail next month. We are both in shape and have hiked for many years in the Northeastern section of the US. We are considering hiking the 11 mi trip IN/OUT (22 mi) in one day but not sure of a few things.

1. What a good extimate for time departure and return??

2. Do we need a permit if we are not camping?

3. Do we need to bring gaitors for our boots?

4. Is there a lot of traffic on the trail?

Thanks in advance!

Jun 24, 2008 10:53AM

hi everyone!

just wanted to share some photos from our Kalalau hike this April.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/achopenko/sets/72157605674256321/

(There are some photos of narrow steep places between mile 6.5-8 if somebody is still afraid of it :) )

Jun 28, 2008 12:16AM

First of all, thank you for this web site. You do a great job with all the information!
I live in Hawaii (on Oahu) and started planning my Kalalau trip a few months ago. Ever since I was a teen in the 70\'s and hearing about Taylor camp, I have wanted to experience Kalalau and the NaPali coast. My dream came true this week as we started out on June 23, and came back yesterday, June 26. I have to tell you, this is a trail that will delight, fill you with a sense of place as well as challange you! Please use extream caution on the entire trail. I read about the \"cliffy\" section over and over, this is actually one of the most stable areas of the whole trail since it is on rock ground. Other areas of the trail are on loose dirt, that is what you should be most cautious of!
On thing I would like to remind everyone of that is planning on doing this hike is that this area is to be respected. By that I mean this palce is old, it has ruins of old villages and heiau (Hawaiian alters). Please be mindful of this when passing through this trail and give proper respect(you are lucky to experience this). I also encountered a few hikers who thought they were still in \"the city\" crowding fellow hikers space and on their heels for long periods of the trail. Please be mindful of other\'s space.
If you are lucky enough to do this hike you will not be let down!

Jun 29, 2008 3:15AM

Hello- Is there a shuttle to the kalalau trailhead? I'm from Oahu but don't have friends or family on kauai to shuttle us out there. It would be great if you could let me know! Aloha, Tara.

Jun 30, 2008 5:28PM

Can this trail be done in one day? I have hiked the halfdome trail in yosemite many time with no problems. I know I can hike 22 miles in one day, but hte question is can this trail be hiked in one day?

Thanks

Jul 01, 2008 8:26PM

Thanks for the great site! I am looking for further details about camping Na Pali, are there guide books detailing regultaions? In Canada we have fire bans frequently even for cooking fires. Are fires banned at any times and how is the information posted?
Is there a book you could recommend for food we could forage for?

Thanks in advance for your answers. We are to hike/camp Nov 21-29/08

Jul 01, 2008 10:46PM

John: You can hike the trail in one day, but it would be a real waste if you did, and would just be plain hard. The beach at the end is worth several days - its really a piece of paradise not to be missed. There are spots on this trail where you are going about an hour per mile. Also, you need to be looking down at your feet for much of it due to the terrain -- therefore, you have to stop and look out and see the scenery. You'll want to add some time for that. If you have the opportunity to come back and do the trail when you want, then by all means go for the fitness challenge -- it just depends on what your goal is.

Jul 03, 2008 11:31AM

I just got back from spending two nights on the trail. Wow, what a beautiful place! My only regret is that I didn\'t stay for longer. I got to do most of what I wanted, but I didn\'t have enough time or energy to go exploring up into the Kalalau Valley, and I didn\'t read the book \"On the Na Pali Coast\" by Kathy Valier. It\'s quick and informative read that points out some plants and history to check out on the trail.

This message board was a huge resource in preparing for my trip. I know there seems to be some longstanding concerns that everyone keeps mentioning (cliffy section, where to park...), so I\'d like to offer my experience.

Buying fuel canisters for stoves like Jetboil, MSR Pocket Rocket, Giga Power: Pedal Paddle in Halalei sells the large size but a short walk up the street (towards Lihue), Kayak Kauai also sells them. Kayak Kaua\'i, however, sells much more camping equipment than Pedal Paddle. Go to Hanalei to buy fuel before the day of your hike. White gas is probably available at any Kmart/Walmart/Ace Hardware.

Where to leave your rental car: Kayak Kauai will let you leave your car in their parking lot (in Hanalei) for $10/night. They should also be able to drive you to the trailhead by 7:30am for $10/person. If you are in decent shape and hike somewhat regularly, I think a 7:30 start would be fine for doing the whole hike in one day. If you\'re a slow hiker, I\'d recommend taking a taxi from Kayak Kaua\'i (or wherever) to get at the trailhead by first light. End of June seems like between 5:30 and 6 would be perfect. Better to get more miles out of the way while the day is still cool. If Kayak Kaua\'i is driving you from their shop to the trailhead, you\'ll probably be able to buy isobutane canister fuel the morning of.

The \"cliffy\" section between mile 7 & 8: No problem. Bill is doing an excellent job of maintence and there is plenty of foot room. Still, this area should not be dismissed too quickly. If one were to fall down the side while wearing a large pack, that would pretty much be that since you probably wouldn\'t be able to stop yourself from tumbling all they way down.

Water: Obviously there\'s the leptosporosis to be concerned about. I would recommend a carrying capacity of 2 liters per person. Between mile 2 and mile 6, there was only one small area of trickling water (around mile 4?). If you decide to pass up on refilling at the trickle (if it\'s even still there for the rest of the summer), you\'ll appreciate filling up 2 liters at Hanakapi\'ai. Other than at Hanakapi\'ai, you probably could get away with only filling up 1 liter at each river crossing (Hanakoa, mile 8, Kalalau), but a little extra is always nice to have.

What to pack: Keep it light. I can\'t imagine anyone would need a sleeping bag. An insulating sleeping pad, long underwear, warm hat, and something to stop the breeze from blowing heat away like a light tent, bivy or tarp pitched to the ground in spots should work fine. There are creepy crawlies, so many people will probably prefer the protection of a tent with floor and bugscreen, but I had no problems sleeping on just a pad under a tarp. Mosquitoes are a problem at Hanakoa, though.

Trekking poles, staff, or a sturdy walking stick will make all the steep ups and down much easier on your legs/knees.

Footwear: The terrain will tear the soles off of cheap shoes. I\'d recommend a very breathable pair of quality trail running shoes. Also, bring moleskin or something that to keep blisters from forming. Extra socks helps, too.

The official camping sites are at Hanakoa (mile 6) and the end of the trail at Kalalau Beach (mile 11). If for whatever reason, you\'re somewhere in between the two and you won\'t make it, there is plenty of level ground near the helicopter pad at mile 8. There is also water just beyond this point. When I went in june, sunset was around 7:30 and by 8:30 it was too dark to hike without a flashlight (moon wasn\'t up yet).

Most of the folks that start on the trailhead are only going to hanakapi\'ai beach or the falls. After that beach, trail traffic thins way down. By the way, going to Hanakapi\'ai falls for the day isn\'t an easy day hike for someone who doesn\'t hike. It\'s a total of 8 miles and the last mile to the falls is pretty much just on slippery rocks. I saw too many people who hadn\'t brought enough water or anything to snack on. But I suppose if you don\'t mind eating mangoes...

Jul 05, 2008 7:02PM

I'll echo many of the other posts here to say what a fabulous resource you have provided here. My wife and I hiked the trail in 2003 (to Kalalau in one day - highly recommended), fell in love with Kalalau (but didn\'t spend near enough time there), and are planning on hiking again in a few weeks. However, our trip this year is not as well planned and we are still working on permits. Fingers crossed and hopefully it is not too late. If we make it on the trail, I\'ll be happy to post an update when we return. Aloha.

Jul 06, 2008 11:04AM

Question on Waimakemake Falls (a.k.a. Davis Falls) located in Kalalau Valley. I can't find much information about this on the web, and my trail book briefly alludes to it, yet it sounds intriguing enough. Is it worth the 1,500-ft elevation gain hike up the valley to it? My buddies and I will be camping at Kalalau in a few weeks.

Jul 06, 2008 11:09AM

Another quick question: On the Kauai bus website, there is a clause about the prohibition of "oversized backpacks." Does anyone know of problems backpackers have had riding the bus from Lihue airport to Hanalei enroute to Na Pali/Kalalau trail? I don't want to wind up being denied entry on the bus and have to find other means of transport, arriving late at the trailhead.

Jul 10, 2008 8:13PM

Hello to Kauai Explorer, your site has been indispensable as a resource and guide! And Mahalo to Teresa and the DLNR in Honolulu for coming through with my permit - I was afraid after reading all the horror stories about the permit process, but there is hope after all!

I will be on the trail in mid-August for three nights. I'm sure I won't have much trouble finding great trails while I'm there, but my question is if you can suggest some good day trips inland from the Kalalau camp site? I don't want to miss out on any spots, maybe even some secret spots if they exist? Something that really captures the spirit of the place? If you would rather send directly to me, my email address is dbrusser@gmail.com or I'll check this site for your reply.
Thanks and mahalo!

Jul 10, 2008 11:57PM

Should you take the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources serious when it comes to the Na Pali? HAHAHA! The Governor does not seem to think so. She just announced $1.2 million to rebuild the first 2 miles of the trail and the DLNR does not get a penny. Why? Because the state knows the DLNR is a joke on Kauai and has never maintained the trail, leading to the death and disappearance of many poor souls. That IS negligence plain and simple. So the state is going to hire a private company to do the DLNR\'s job! I love this! Save your money on permits. Take a chance you won\'t run into one of the freak commando rangers they send in there to harass the peaceful residents. Live free as an outlaw. Use the permit money to bring supplies to the volunteers like BILL who are actually making the trail better and safer for all. Or just donate to a charity on Kauai.
Oh yeah and this propaganda the DLNR is pushing that long term campers litter is a laugh as well. I lived back up in there for 3 months and never saw a single ranger pick up a single piece of trash. Rather, it was the \'outlaws\' that I witnessed collect at least a dozen trash bags full of crap that tourist hikers left behind while rangers sat at their station playing cards. Remember, this trail is going to kick your butt no matter what bra! The tourists, exhausted, usually leave all of their useless walmart camping equipment behind before they hike out. Don\'t be one of them. I repeat, it is not the \'outlaws\' littering! They worship that valley and would never disrespect the Menehune spirits out there with garbage. They live Pono with the Aina. Tourists... no respect. I saw a grown women once so beat by the hike that when she got to the Kalalau river she dropped her HUGE pack, popped a squat right on the trail, 10 feet from the river and started urinating. I witnessed this because I was swimming in the river directly down stream from her. AAHHGG! Lets just say I gave her a little piece of my mind when she was done.
Good luck to all who make it out there. It truly is paradise... so have some respect and hike out what you brought in. Don\'t wash in the river with harmful soaps, don\'t relieve yourself within 100\' of any water sources, and report any violent or belligerent individuals you meet to some of the friendly native guys living out there. They will know how to take care of any problems you may run into, while the DLNR spends permit dollars on their toy helicopter fly overs. Just my opinion though... peace!
P.S. Some of the DLNR rangers on Kauai are great human beings... and then there are the storm troopers, I hope you never meet one.

Jul 12, 2008 4:38PM

Great Website!! My family is vacationing in late Aug thru Lador Day. We haven't done any hiking at all, but would like to try something new, nothing too hard but with a little of a challenge. I have 2 daughters, ages 13 and 7. Which of your trails would you recommend? Mahalo

Jul 13, 2008 8:12PM

Aloha! My sister and I only did half of this trail as we packed WAY to much. We should have listened to others on this post board, we had close to 40lbs each, should have had half as much. We met Jed both before and on the hike. Heed his advice. We decided not to continue past Hanakoa due to the balance issue of heavy packs on "the cliffs" at mile 7. We also met Bill and many others passing through both directions on the trail. Even though we didn't make it to Kalalau, this trail was an incredible experience and all the people we met past mile 2 were generous and very kind. Thanks again for this message board, it is by far, the best advice for this hike.

Jul 15, 2008 9:56PM

Is it possible to arrange for a boat ride back to Ke\'e beach if we only want to hike one-way the full 11 miles from Ke\'e beach to Kalalau Beach?

Jul 18, 2008 10:02AM

I hiked this trail in one day!!! It can be done. If you are a fit hiker this trail is no problem. Best way to impress the locals. (It does freak them out, when you tell them that you did it in a day, I went on a NaPali catamaran cruise afterwards and told the Capt we hiked it and he flipped!!! It is long, with many ups and downs. Bring lots of water, my brother drank 12 liters!!! Stash bottles on the trail side for the return trip. There are lots of goats and pigs on the trail, so you need to clean the water if you drink out of a stream. A Steripen UV sterilzer works great, I drank liters of creek water, decontaminated with the pen and no lepto!!! Eat a good meal the night before and in the morning, be on the trail by 6:00 am and you will be back by 7:30 pm. Don't hang out too long in Kalalua (treat it like the everest summit). The trail trolls are interesting (check mile 8 hut resident!!!) This is the most beautiful and challenging day hike in the world DO IT!!!!!!! you won't regret it!!!

Kauai Rules!!!!

Jul 18, 2008 5:56PM

hate to sound lame, but how common are the creepy crawlies when camping out at Kalalau? I live here in Kauai so I know there's a lot of insects, but I am usually seeing them from inside my windows at night or when I am digging up dirt. When I went out to Hanakapiai, I did see a medium centipede on the trail but I am imagining all sorts of people camping attracting lots of giant roaches that will run over my unsuspecting feet at night. Am I being phobically paranoid?

Jul 27, 2008 9:37PM

We are hiking into Kalalau for a 3 night stay in August. Any advice on how rainy it will be. Or what time of year to avoid this trail due to rain?
Also could you reccommend some good plant guides for the island and trail and good places to get them?

Jul 28, 2008 3:14AM

Aloha,I have hiked the whole waimea canyon hike,down in and back up in 2 days.am I ready for Kalalau?44yrs old,power walk 4.5 miles every day.
is there a way to bypass mile 6.5 to 8?
a little afraid of heights...does permitt have a limit of nights,can I stay a week?Mahalo so much.....

Jul 29, 2008 1:55PM

My husband and I are planning to hike the Kalalau Trail as part of our 10th anniversary trip this year. We are not set on a specific date and wonder which of the following months are generally the best bet as far as weather goes -October, November, January, February or March? I've also heard that much of the beach disappears during the winter. Is this true?

Jul 30, 2008 12:36AM

My friend and I were there from July 5-9. We spent the first night at Hanakoa which was a good call for us. We also took the bus to Hanalei with our packs. This website had me worried about the cliffs from mile 6.5-8, but we were fine. No problems. Something that we were suprised by at the end was that the local airline took away our stove, despite the fact that there was no fuel attached. They said that this is what they were doing and produced documentation to prove it. Funny how we were able to get it from CA to HNL and to Kauai before they took it away. We had to have some friends pick it up and mail it back for us. We met a couple out there that was burning kukui nuts for fuel - this would certainly be a lighter way to travel as they are in abundance out there. All in all, a great trip. It was hard and challenging - so pack light.

Jul 30, 2008 8:18PM

Mahalo for maintaining this informative web site. My daughter will be turning 40 this year and I\'ve invited her to hike to Kalalau with me in late August. Having done it once before, I know at least a few of the pitfalls, but it was good to learn about the \"bad trail\" at Mile 8. Also learned the hard way about too much weight. I left about 10 lbs of clothes and food hanging about 5 feet off the ground from a tree near Hanakoa on my way in. Came back for it 2 days later and the goats and other critters had scattered my stuff all over the forest floor. Nothing edible left, of course, but clothes were salvagable. Main weight issue for me now is knowing how much water to carry. Time before, I hiked in winter and there was plenty to get from streams. But if Hanakapiai, Hanakoa, and Kalalau streams are year-round sources (I use a Steripen bug killer), seems like a 3L bladder should do it, don\'t ya think? That\'s 6 pounds or 25% of total bag weight, which is a lot, but I\'d hate to run out of water on a hot August day.

Also, our permits are for 1 night each in and out at Hanakoa, and 3 at Kalalau. But we really would like to make it all the way in to Kalalau the first day. Think the rangers would give be ok with that, given that as you have indicated before, sometimes ya never know that the trail will throw at you....could be great footing, cool day, and fast walking to allow us to make it in 10 or so hours (we plan on leaving at 6:00 am)

Mahalo for any information/advice you might care to share.

Jul 31, 2008 8:48PM

Aloha,

Just wanted to clarify. I had planned on picking up the entire bag full of extra weight when I came back through Hanakoa and taking it all out with me. Needless to say, I did pick up everything the goats had thrown about and left the forest just as I had found it: quiet, green, and trashless. I won't underestimate the goats again though.

Cheers

Curt

Aug 02, 2008 12:22AM

Curt, I was hiking the trail end of June/beginning of July and brought a 3lb water bladder. All the smaller streams were dried up, (Kauai was in a drought at that time), and I filled my bladder to the full 3 lbs., as the only places to get water were mile 2 & 6 (I only made it to mile 6--packed to much weight, plan to return in March to complete the trail). I'd suggest filling the bladder up totally, you certainly don't want to run out of water mid-hike.

Aug 04, 2008 11:07PM

Mahalo for your thoughts about water, Julie. I recently purchased a 3L (6 lbs of water) bladder and based on some trial hikes here on the mainland, believe that the four main streams should provide sufficient quantities for my use while hiking the Kalalau again. Of course, I\'ll be using my Steripen or tablets to purify.
Aloha nui.

Curt

Aug 10, 2008 3:20AM

hopefully I am emailing the right site. We are coming to hike the Napali Coast in early October and were wondering about the weather and ways to get to the trailhead without leaving a rental car at the trailhead for the time we will be in there.

Aug 10, 2008 7:21PM

Hi. We are visiting just til Wednesday and are considering hiking the first two miles with kids age 7 and 10. At home, they hike a few times a year, but i\'d still call them beginners. What are your thoughts about this hike for them? Also, it\'s been raining a fair amount since we arrived a couple of days ago. Any effect on the trail that we should be aware of?

Thanks.

Aug 10, 2008 8:52PM

I just hiked the Kalalau Trail August 4-6 with my 20-year old daughter and 13-year old son. It was beautiful. Beware of mosquitos in Hanakoa Valley - apply repellant at Space Rock before descending into Hanakoa Valley. We want to thank Bill for his work on the trail, which has improved conditions for all. Shelf/Ridge area at mile 6.5-7.5 very passable. We used a Steripen to purify our water along the trail. Very lightweight. We won\'t forget the folks we met along the trail, the residents of the Valley, or those incredible sunsets.

Aug 12, 2008 12:19PM

I am planning a trip to hike the full length of the Kalalau trail in Oct. and I would like to know what the weather is like at that time, specifically rain. Also, I will not have a car. How difficult is it to get to the trail head and back to the airport? Thanks for your help.
Mike

Aug 15, 2008 2:00AM

we will be hiking the kalalau next friday am - sunday pm. we have a permit to camp at kalalau the 1st (friday) night and the 2nd at hanakoa. is this a reasonable itinerary? our flight leaves at 6:45pm on sunday, so i was hesitant to plan on just hiking the full day out on sunday - but would you recommend this instead to give us more time at/near kalalau valley? what stops would you suggest on our ascent out?

lastly - is there somewhere on the island to pick up a detailed map of the trail?

mahalo!

Aug 15, 2008 4:22AM

How long must water be boiled to kill lepto?

Aug 17, 2008 5:39PM

Is it permitted to get married at the Kalalau Beach?

Aug 17, 2008 5:44PM

I\'m doing the full hike (camping 1 night) in about a week... I did the 2 mile hike to the beach and the additional 2 miles up to the waterfall about 3 years ago and am so excited that I get to do the whole thing this time around. Question for you... I\'m a 5\'3 female with shorter legs, do you suggest hiking poles? Also I\'ve purchased Salomon Techamphibian shoes to walk in; are these good enough? Thanks, great site. Lots of good information!

Aug 17, 2008 9:24PM

We hiked the first two miles on August 11th. The trail was a little muddy in places but was one of the highlights of our week in Kauai. We thought about heading up to Hanakapiai Falls, but decided we would do that next time. Instead we spent a couple of hours exploring the beach and enjoying the scenery. We got an early start and were able to park right next to the trailhead. The view at about mile 1 where you can see Ke'e and the Na Pali coast is spectacular. There weren't very many people around us on the way in, but we passed a lot of people on the way back. It was interesting to see the variety of people and foorwear. I saw grandparents and kids as young as 3-4 years old. There were people with hiking boots and those with flip flops. The one common thing is that we were all muddy, but having a great time. If you don't hike much or exercise regularly I would suggest doing a little training before you arrive in Kauai. There are some serious climbs into and back out from Hanakapiai.

A question: are the 2 miles to Hanakapiai Falls as difficult as the hike to the beach?

Also great job with the website!

David

Aug 19, 2008 5:35AM

Someone who works for the State just told me today (8/18) that there was a fire at Hanakapiai, which resulted in trail closure. I can't seem to get any information about this on the web. What is the latest status? I'm scheduled to be in Kalalau shortly, and I'm concerned.

Aug 19, 2008 5:26PM

I assume the trail is closed for the time being due to fire. Does anyone have an idea how long that may be the case?

Article from Star Bulletin

http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/19/news/story07.html

Aug 20, 2008 9:58PM

Wed. 8/20 i just called DLNR regarding the fire (i am to hike the trail 9/4) and she said closed \'indefinitely\'...

Aug 21, 2008 1:12AM

aloha.

unfortunately, i contacted the kauai state parks office in lihue and was told that "there's NO WAY that the trail will be opened up by this weekend... the fire is still uncontained." this will effectively kill my trip this weekend, which is too bad - but i thought i'd pass it along to any other would-be hikers who were thinking about heading out this weekend to kalalau.

cheers.

ryan

Aug 21, 2008 2:39AM

I've been looking forward all summer to coming to Kauai to hike the trail only to find out about the fire! Do you have any comparable alternatives? We were going to hike to the falls. Thanks- great website.

Aug 21, 2008 4:44PM

Any updates on the trail closing situation?
We are supposed to begin hiking into Kalalau on Sunday, Aug 24th. Sure hope they get it open by then. Thanks

Arius Hopman

Aug 22, 2008 5:06AM

Great website and a good service. See above link...or google islandbreath Na Pali for a detailed desription of the K trail before and after Volunteer Sommers year-long work. Dozens of photos.

Cheers, Arius

Aug 23, 2008 12:47AM

Aloha,

I have been planning a trip to hike the entire Kalalau Trail for over a year now. My wife and I have had our 5 night camping permit and airline tickets from Colorado for over 9 months. Now with the fire it appears we will not be able to do the hike. I read above about being dropped off by kayak but our permit doesn\'t start until Aug 31st and the last day to have kayaks legally out there is Sept. 1st. That info came from the parks dept. and in speaking with them they also said that all the other permits for all the other parks on the entire island have been booked. Please give me some ideas of what I can do. I do not want to have to cancel the entire trip due to money lost of rebooking airfare and hotels but at this point it doesn\'t seem like I have any options. Any info you might have would be greatly appreciated. Any chance it may be open by Aug. 31st? Being from Colorado I am no stranger to wild fires and 40-50 acres seems pretty small. We just had one down the road with over 400 acres burned. Any chance we could still hike in even if it was not legally open? Please help!!!!!!!!

Aug 23, 2008 2:23PM

We have had permits since January to hike the Napali coast from August 31-September 5. This is our anniversary trip. Yesterday we got a call saying the trail is closed indefinitely. The NLDR is of no help whatsoever. They said all other campgrounds were full. What do we do? We\'ve been planning this trip for months. We looked into rescheduling, but it will cost us double if we do. This is our one and only chance to get to Hawaii. We\'re coming from Colorado. Any suggestions? We were told kayaking wasn\'t allowed because of the dates we were coming. Please help!

Aug 23, 2008 8:19PM

To Adam & Jodie ... my girlfriend and I are in the same boat as you guys are, we planned on hikig the Kalalau Trail Sep 4 , camp a couple nights, and either hike out or get a boat to take us out. and i also just found out (like you did) that the last day for boats (legally) is 8/31, so even if the trail is still closed the first week of Sep., we apparently cant even plan on hiring a boat to take us in and out, which would have been my 'worst case' scenario. we have been 'training' for this hike for a couple months, and i personally have been kind of 'dreaming' of doing the actual hike for a few years, so 'cheating' and taking a boat both ways would still be a pretty big letdown,since i REALLY REALLY have been pumped to hike the entire trail ! but at least we could still experience the Kal. valley and beach for a couple days. if you guys hear of any 'options' or ideas , please post them here or email me tsx500@yahoo.com . i was thinking the same way you were, like if the trail is still 'officially' closed come Sep. 4, then maybe we would still give it a shot, however i dont know how smart that would be (?). i'm gonna stay positive up until then ! Tim , Chicago

Aug 23, 2008 9:48PM

I went to the trailhead early this morning (5:30-Saturday Aug 23) Within about 2 minutes of my arrival, two park rangers and 4 potential hikers arrived. Clearly we all that same thoughts in mind.

The rangers related that the trail has apparently not been impacted by the fire, but that the trail remains closed because helicopters and firefighters are continuing to work on extinguishing the fire. Allowing hikers to pass through the area would hinder those operations and put the hikers at risk, according to the rangers, which is why the trail is still closed. They also stated that the fire is a difficult one to put extinguish because it is burning and smoldering along the ground and under accumulated leaves, brush, etc. They also mentioned that anyone caught attempting to use the trail would be issued a misdemeanor citation, apparently not a good thing ot have on one\'s record. Apparently at least a couple were issued yesterday.

I too am totally bummed out by this unfortunate event. My daughter arrives this afternoon at which point our plans (in effect for almost a year) were to begin loading our backpacks for a five day camping trip to Kalalau starting tomorrow morning. But the gendarmes will be at the gate, ticket book in hand, unless today\'s efforts by man and Mother Nature result in some quick quenching of the hot spots.

Frankly, since the threat seems to be limited to getting a load of water dumped on our heads by an errant helicopter, and since there are workers on the ground there as well, I don\'t see why \"through hikers\" with permits to camp at Kalalau couldn\'t be allowed to enter, either as a group or individually (since there are so few of us) and be \"escorted\" past the hazardous area, since there is no telling how long the current fire situation will remain in effect. So if anybody from Kauai Parks is reading this, how about thinking \"out of the box,\" showing some Hawaiian hospitality to the folks that help pay bills, and figuring out a win-win situation for all.

Continued thanks to Kauai Explorer for maintaining this site and allowing us, like Kilauea, to vent.

Aloha, Curt

Aug 24, 2008 2:21AM

To everyone in the same boat as us....I talked to the fire department today on Kauai. They said that they think the trail will be open by the time we arrive, which is Saturday, August 30th. Would you agree Kauai Explorer Staff member? If, for some reason, it is not open yet, they said to call them and they would help us find other campgrounds and trails to hike. Not exactly what I want to do since we've been looking forward to the Kalalau Trail for almost a year now, but better than nothing. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that mother nature looks out for us this week.

Aug 24, 2008 3:30PM

Curt, reading your post actually makes me feel a little better about my situation(planned hike on Sep. 4) . hearing that the fire did not actually affect the actual trail sounds encouraging, and hearing that the fire is out and just 'smoldering' a bit underneath , makes me think that by Sep. 4 there shouldn't be a problem with re-opening the trail . fingers are crossed . . . . . . . hopefully the DLNR feels at least some sort of 'pressure' to get the situation resolved asap . Tim,Chicago

Aug 24, 2008 7:37PM

Yea!!! Thank you for all the information you have provided. Without this website, we'd still be wondering what we were going to do. Thanks again!

Aug 25, 2008 6:24PM

My wife and I were a couple of the 28 hikers that were rescued by a fire dept zodiac on the first day of the fire. The fire did cross the trail and burned along it for a good half mile. I could see an erosion problem with much of the vegetation that held the soil in place now being charred.

Here are a couple of photos from the fire:

http://www.websitesalaska.com/scvolz/Hawaii_424.jpg

http://www.websitesalaska.com/scvolz/Hawaii_434.jpg

Aug 25, 2008 9:38PM

Steven, thanks for sharing the pictures. Where did you get stranded and where did yo utake the pictures? I'm glad we got to see the trail on August 10.

David

Aug 25, 2008 10:22PM

Hi,
my husband and I are also going to hike the trail starting on Sep 4 - if the DNLR gets the trail ready(my fingers are of course crossed). I just found this website about one week ago and wanted to say thank you for all the amazing information and help I have found on this site!!!
We hiked the first 2 miles 5 years ago and have dreamed of doing the whole 11 miles since then and finally we got our permits in order to do it. I am very excited that it looks like the trail will open soon.
Mahalo again for all you amazing work!!!

Aug 26, 2008 8:20PM

We were on our way back and the fire had everyone stuck at Hanakapi'ai Beach. I tried to go up the trail to see if it was passable and found the fire burning on both sides. It was about that time that members of the fire department came through and had us go back to the beach. The told us that there one helicopter was down for maintenance, but they would try and send a boat. The smoke was very thick and we were getting ash and live embers dropped on us. From the beach we could clearly see the fire through the smoke (see link to photo in my previous post). After several hours the fire dept was able to send a zodiac but were unable to land because of the rough waves. We had to swim out in pairs of two. They took 12 of us at a time and brought our gear in garbage bags. In the end we were safe and had a heck of an adventure on our honeymoon.

Aug 27, 2008 12:31AM

The Trail is officially reopened !

Aug 27, 2008 12:32AM

Does anyone know if AT&T cellphones work along the Napali coast and/or at the Kalalau beach ? i have the newer 3G model,if that matters at all (?) thanks

Aug 27, 2008 9:09PM

After months of planning and years of dreaming of hiking Kalalau, it was a major, major, major disappointment to have this brushfire occur on the exact week of my planned adventure. On Monday 8/25, I took Liko's boat tour (which I highly recommend)! His boat is designed to enter some of the caves along the coast below Hanakoa and Awaawapuhi (which you cannot see from the trail). So, this was a real treat that well compensated for not being able to hike it, and I'm very thankful for how things panned out. My friends were very generous indeed, and no longer majorly disappointed. I'll still have to plan another trip to Kalalau, which seems to be like the Apollo 13 mission for me personally. Our plan "B" was to kayak Na Pali, but weather and rough seas did not allow for that either.

I'm wondering how such a tragedy could have occurred. It is most regrettable and disheartening to see such blatant disregard for the environment and laws of the land for someone to not only have illegally camped there but to start an open fire which was rule #1 explicitly stated in all capital letters on the permit. Many of us go through the tedious legal process of obtaining permits so that when rangers check we may present them. If they are so vigilant about checking on hikers, how could someone have camped at Hanakapiai and also started a fire? What a horrible damage to a beautifully prestine area. We could see the damages from the tour boat.

Nevertheless, Kauai has some outstanding breathtaking beauty outside of the Kalalau trail, which I may not have seen otherwise. I enjoyed the Nualolo Cliff trail and Canyon Vista/Waipoo Falls trails which were out of this world and truly spectacular, and I highly recommend them to everyone out there. Good alternatives if Kalalau is not do-able. I had three days worth of camping supplies, so that came in handy! Kauai truly is the "island of discovery."

Aug 28, 2008 1:02AM

does anyone out there know if there is cryptosporidia and/or giardia (i think these are officially classified as 'pathogenic cysts' i believe) in the fresh water along the Napali coast ? the reason i ask is that i plan on using AquaMira drops(chlorine dioxide) to treat our water when we hike the trail next week , and i believe that the instructions say that you must wait up to 4 hours after treatment ,before drinking the water, IF it has crypto

Aug 28, 2008 1:07AM

(contd.) ... if it has crypto or giardia , but if not then you only have to wait maybe 30-90 minutes tops before drinking. i have learned online that the leptosporosis bacteria , which Kauai is famous for, is killed off within only 30 minutes after application of the AquaMira drops. thanks for any help !

Aug 29, 2008 5:26AM

So is it official? Is the trail really open? Sorry not to trust you Tim but can anyone else confirm this? I´m in austria so I have a logistics problem calling the DNLR. Thanks

Aug 29, 2008 4:49PM

Aloha,

Returned yesterday (Thursday) evening from four glorious days with my daughter on the Kalalau Trail and in the Valley itself. Hiked in early, making Hanakapiai Stream by daybreak, kinda slow going because it rained almost the whole way there and trail was of course a bit slick. Met and real nice chap named Daniel there and hiked in off and on with him. With daylight and clear skies, the rest of the trip pretty normal. Bill\'s work on the trail is absolutely brilliant. Seems the state should find a way to support his continuing efforts to make the trail a whole lot safer for everyone. We stopped and chatted with him for a while at Mile 8, took him up on his offer of orange gatorade powder, and shared a few stories. Great guy!

Got to the beach and found our favorite campsite available, since most folks had been forced to leave by the fire. So the three of us set up camp and enjoyed our first of several meals under the noni tree.
Spent two days on day hikes up the valley, made far more enjoyable by hooking up with a local fellow who knew the trails and some of the out-of-the-way places that were simply awesome.
Hike out with Daniel was uneventful, except for an attack by a group of kukui shells, who had grouped together by the base of a small tree awaiting our passage. When I stepped on them they savagely ripped my foot out from under me, causing me to fall directly onto their conspirator, a large, sharp, pumice rock. So after unwrapping myself from the tree and with scraped and bloodied arm and leg, we headed for quiet place to allow my daughter to apply her nursing skills to clean and neosporinize my wounds. Let me tell you, I think those shells are the biggest hazard on the trail, and I hope to see the necklace makers come in for a clean sweep soon.

Celebrated our journey with a wonderful fish taco dinner at the Hanalei Gourmet. Mahalo Daniel!!
We\'ll be posting a longer description of our adventure with photos soon on a web site, since we used up two long-life batteries and a large memory card documenting the trip.

Aug 30, 2008 8:13AM

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Seeing the monstrous philodendron leaves and skies filled with stars at night were well worth all the effort, even the cliffs. I am witness to the conspiracy of the kukui nuts mentioned above. It\'s amazing the man didn\'t lose a limb! Other than that little episode, the hike was fun, challenging, exciting, breathtaking and really a trip of a lifetime.

Aug 31, 2008 3:05AM

Does anynone know where you can get fuel canisters, preferably MSR IsoPro, on Kauai. I want to bring my MSR Superfly, but know I can't bring fuel canisters on the airplane. Thanks...Greg

Aug 31, 2008 10:09PM

When you getting here Greg. I\'ve got an MSR tank that I used for only 3 days of cooking and will be happy to give it to you if you are arriving before Sept 13.

Aloha, Curt

Sep 01, 2008 3:40AM

OK....I think I have most everything ready for our hike in a couple weeks. Got the permits, camelback pack, lightweight stove, fuel canisters (when I get there). lightweight freeze-dried food, Katadyn Water filter, sunscreen, bug repellant, sleeping bag liners, sleeping pad, great hiking buddy and a good attitude. Am I forgetting anything "major" and I'm still worried about parking our rental car, even with no valaubles in it, at the trailhead. Am I being paranoid? I am so looking forward to our stay there.

Sep 01, 2008 5:38AM

This a great site! So much info. One question (I looked but didn\'t see if it was already asked - sorry if it was) what happens if you can\'t get a permit and you camp anyway? Is it a fine or what? We plan on doing everything we can to get a permit, but it sounds like the DNLR is in no hurry to help you out!
We are looking at the first week of October and I am hoping it is not too late...

Sep 02, 2008 1:50AM

We debated about bringing a tent. We will be hiking the trail in 2 weeks and thought if it did "sprikle" we could sleep in the cave. I can't imagine the waves are picking up enough yet to make that impossible. Any thoughts? I have heard people say they had to open up the whole tent anyway because it got too warm. I myself and am cold weather boy, born and raised, and tend to get too warm if anything.

Sep 02, 2008 1:53AM

Hey man....thanks for the offer. We'll be arriving the evening of Friday, 9/12. It can't come soon enough after the days with temps in the 50s here in Seattle. I'm always willing to save a buck if I could find a way to take it off your hands.

Sep 02, 2008 2:21AM

Sam,
In spite of the many negative comments posted by others, my experience with DLNR Permit Office was good, provided I was dealing with Pearl Ajimine, who was very accessible using email at pearl.t.ajimine@hawaii.gov and very pleasant on the phone as well. I had to change the dates of my trip and she had the new permits re-issued in no time, as well as accepting jpg copy of my drivers license. I\'m thinking that if you enter into negotiations with a positive attitude she will reflect the same back at you.
I also left my rental car at the trail head for four days. No valuables in it of course. And no issues either when I got back, although we did encounter a frantic New Englander who had locked her keys in the trunk of her rented convertible. The top was down, rain was on the way and she had no clue in the world as to where she was, having taken a wrong turn onto Kuhio Highway way back near Princeville. I think she finally got a mechanic out there to jimmy the trunk. I thought afterwards: can you pull the rear seats out of a new Mustang convert and access the trunk release latch?
Also, I still have that MSR Fuel can that is about 90% full. FREE to the next caller. email me at hohoscaler1@aol.com to set up a time and location. We\'re chillin\' on Anini Beach for the next 2 weeks. Aloha, Curt

Sep 02, 2008 6:25PM

I just wanted to echo Curts comments - my experience in dealing with the DLNR has been nothing but positive! I have talked on the phone with the local Kauai office(I also spoke with Pearl), and the Ohau main office. They have all been extreemely helpful with my permits and questions. I will say this - they are not always easy to get ahold of and you have to be a little persistent, for instance if you are calling them on the phone - they don't answer all the time, but once I talked to them in person they were great!

Yeah - I am so excited that the trail is open again so that we can hike it. I did check my list against Gregs list from a few days ago - and I think we are all set. Now it is just up to may hiking legs, to make the journey!!!

Sep 02, 2008 11:16PM

Thank you for all of the wonderful information on this forum. I\'m much calmed about mile 6.5 to 8 and the narrow cliffs.

I\'m also glad to hear about parking and ride options. Does anyone know about trustworthy people or businesses (preferably in Haena or Hanalei) that are willing to safely store the luggage you don\'t take on the trail so that it need not be left in the car?

Mahalo!

Sep 03, 2008 1:08AM

We leave the 13th. Where you spending night of the twelvth? Send me email and we ca continue coordinating withthat or by phone hohoscaler1@aol.com. Mahalo

Sep 03, 2008 4:36AM

For Julie,

2 years ago I left my luggage with a very nice lady that lives about 2 miles from Kee Beach. I spoke to her again this year and she said she'd would be happy to repeat the "service." Her name is Betty. The only compensation she asked for was a donation to the Kauai Humane Society, which we did then, and actually are doing every year now. She might also let you keep your car at her house and give you a ride to the trail head. I'm sure she'd be happy to hear from you.

Aloha, Curt

Sep 04, 2008 4:48PM

I am hoping to hike the first two miles with my sons 8 and 11 in October. Is this portion of the trail too dangerous for kids that age? What about the rest of the trail. Wife is opposed to going further with the kids. Thoughts?

Curt

Sep 06, 2008 7:04AM

Check the web site for pictures and text of our hike in to the Kalalau Valley August 25-28 and our adventures in the valley itself.

Sep 06, 2008 3:51PM

We will be hiking the kalalau in october. I am wondering what kind camping supplies are available on the island. I am mostly wondering about my method of cooking. also I am bringing a filter is fresh water easy to come by?

curt

Sep 07, 2008 4:24PM

Jon,
IMHO you can't go wrong with a JetBoil camp stove. Fast, light, and easy to use. If you're going to be camping elsewhere as well, suggest you purchase one. If not, contact Micco at Kayak Kauai about renting one. Water treatment is also important on the island, something that will KILL every living thing in the water, especially the dreaded (but apparently rare) Leptospirosis. Several options of course (tablets--slow, 3-minute boil, Steripen <my personal favorite>),but a filter is useless against eensy weensy bacteria like lepto.

Sep 08, 2008 5:21AM

Hi, I am planning to hike Kalalau Trail one way (11 miles) in mid September. I am plannig to park my car at Haena Beach. My question is what are my options on getting back to Haena from Kalalau Beach? Thank you.

Sep 08, 2008 8:09PM

My husband and I are thinking about planning a trip over Christmas to Kalalau valley. Typically, what is the weather like in December? We'd hate to fly all the way from New Orleans and be rained on the entire time. Thanks

Sep 08, 2008 10:05PM

A couple of questions for people that have been to Kalalau recently: Is the waterfall at the end of the beach flowing again? and are the campsites near the waterfall open officially? if not are people camping there anyway? Thanks

Sep 09, 2008 7:04AM

Yes, waterfall is flowing. Don't know if the camp sites are offically open but there were people camping there. Just hiked the trail on the 5th, in and out in the same day. Pretty amazing scenery and views! Took me 9 1/2 hours of hiking and spent 45 minutes on the beach. Probably would take much more time with lots of rain. It is a difficult hike and the sun gets you in the early afternoon when leaving Kalalau Beach. Bring lots of water (2 gallons/person) as I ran out and had to bum some off a guy at mile 8. He has apparently set up permanent camp and taken it upon himself to do trail maintenance.

Sep 09, 2008 4:41PM

Aloha Scott,

Spent 3 nights on Kalalau Beach in late August. Waterfalls were flowing fine and there were a couple of handy lengths of bamboo to help you fill your bottles while staying dry.

I'm not sure which of the campsites you are referring to. The closest one to the waterfall has a great view of the beach, but given the number of rocks lying on it and its position directly under the cliff, I think it would be unwise to camp there. The next closest one is outside the rock fall danger zone and was available for use.

Speaking of rock hazards, while we were there a couple had set up their tent on a slope directly under the cliffs near the east end of the main camping area not far from us. One of the "residenTs" of the valley, who shall remain nameless, cautioned them as to the danger of their situation and they wisely moved. During the night, we heard at least two large rocks fall in the vicinity of their former campsite, so IMHO it seems prudent to keep your camp site some distance from the cliffs.

Curt

Sep 10, 2008 10:07AM

Kalalau is amazing. I read that a few people are planning on bringing young children... bad idea. First of all, it's a tough, long trail. Secondly, are you going to be okay with your 6 or 8 year old seeing naked hippies running around? Each time I have gone out there, there have been both male and female hippies that were basically living there and naked pretty much all day.

Sep 10, 2008 6:07PM

Aloha All,

OMG Matt, you make it sound like Kalalau is some kind of nudist colony, which in my experience is far from the truth. On two trips (and counting) to the Valley the only folks I\'ve seen nude on the beach have been tourists enjoying a naked swim. On my last trip, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to and have conversations with a number of the folks who have lived in the valley for years. Free spirits, to be sure, but also people who, for the most part, share my values for protecting and preserving the unique nature of this special place. I learned that, just like in other cultures, there is a behavioral code among the residents, one that seeks to encourage environmental protection and discourage activities which would bring undue attention to the \"community\" (activities such as stealing, rampant public nudity, etc). Like other communities, there will be a segment that \"acts out,\" to the detriment of the community at large, but my understanding, based on these conversations, is that such actions are dealt with as necessary. Admittedly, I have only been there twice, and I know others who read this forum are far more conversant with the mores and behavior of the residents than I, so if I\'m off base, please set me straight. I just don\'t find the \"hippies running naked on the beach\" version of life in Kalalau to be accurate.

I do wonder how many parents would encourage their young children to make the hike in. Does that actually occur?

Aloha, Curt

Sep 10, 2008 8:57PM

Planning on a hike towards the end of september and am totally clueless in regards to what weather to expect. I figure it could change wildly, so I plan to pack light and just get wet.

Does anyone know of a company that would drop off some kayaks at the beach so we could yak back instead of hike back? I've always thought that would be something amazing to do.

Sep 14, 2008 12:25AM

I am planning on doing this hike in mid to late October, if I can get a permit. I am wondering if the ocean is to rough to swim in at that time of year? Also, is it possible to get to Honopu Beach, or is the water to high/rough in October?

Sep 16, 2008 8:56PM

My buddy and I just returned from Kauai on Sunday. We hiked to the Kalalau Beach on 9/8 and hiked back out on 9/10. It was awesome! I have read some of the blogs and I would not recommend this hike for children. It was very difficult and many part of the train are very precarious (e.g., loose dirt, falling rocks, and cliffs) not to mention the unexpected wind gusts. I would have to say the craziest part of the trail, which some of the locals called the NAR (short for Narley), involved hiking literally on the side of a cliff. Absolutely breathtaking views!!!!

Here is the list of items I brought in the order of importance:

1. Water Filtration System (No STERIPEN - VERY UNRELIABLE),
2. Hiking Poles,
3. Hat (with a good size brim... mine was water wicking and covered my neck) that can be secured to your head,
4. Instant Food (just add hot water),
5. Head Lamp (to walk around camp at night),
6. First aid provisions (e.g., dear skin band aids for blisters, neosporin, bug spray, sun screen) There is an aloe plant by the falls which proved to be very helpful;
7. Waterproof camera (Olympus makes a good digital);
8. light weight bed pad,
9. light weight tent,

With regards to shoes, I can not emphasize enough to wear something light weight with excellent tread. I wore a pair of hiking boots which I found to be too heavy. My buddy wore a nice pair of hiking shoes made by New Balance.

I emphasize light weight because this was my first time and I carried many things that were unnecessary and dead weight (I am embarrassed to list). My bag weighed in at 53 lbs. Which was WAY too heavy. Although I am a big guy, this really tested my endurance.

When I go again, I will keep my bag to less that 20lbs. Some may say this is still too heavy; however, for me, there are somethings that I just will not give up. :-)

With photo ops along the way in the hike took 8 1/2 hours. The hike out took 7 1/2 hours.

Final comment: Start EARLY in the morning. To avoid mid day sun and the wind which usually picks up in the afternoon.

Always inform other family members of your intentions and camping plans in case of an emergency.

I hope everyone reading this has as much fun as we did. It was truly a life experience.

Sep 17, 2008 1:28PM

i'm going to hike the kalalau trail in december , but i'm heading there straight from the airport and don't want to carry all my stuff with me - is there any safe place/lockers to store bags?

Sep 18, 2008 12:17AM

Alice, see several posts above, one by Curt, who mentions a local trustworthy lady named Betty who apparently will store hikers\' bags/car for a very small fee (i will call her for my next trip/hike next fall) Tim

Sep 18, 2008 12:33AM

i hiked the whole trail in about 9 hours total (that of course includes several rest/water collection breaks, etc...no rush since we started at 630 am). did it w/my girlfriend, we carried moderately heavy packs (me about 32lbs, her about 23 ). first time for both of us. totally awesome experience from beginning to end. we camped 2 nites in one of the first sea caves past the waterfall (the first one i think). if u do the same, make sure to NOT be directly under the cliff face or even within 30-50 feet of it, since rocks DO fall, mainly kicked by goats from way up above. we saw and heard many rocks fall and you do not want to be hit by one in the head !) we left our rental car unlocked at the trailhead, and upon return we discovered that someone had been inside (glove box,compartments all opened up) but of course we left nothing inside it,so no harm or damage done. we used only Katadyn water purification tablets (chlorine dioxide, not iodiine)to purify all our water, and i called Katadyn to find out exactly how long it takes the tablet to kill lepto, they said 15 minutes, although to be safe i was waiting an hour and put only used very dark water bottles like the directions recommended. back to the awesome experience... our first night, once it got totally dark out, there were no clouds and i have never seen so many stars before in my life (not to mention several shooting stars !). by the way we took a small motorized 18' boat back to Haena County Beach park, then hiked back to the trailhead to our car, about 1 mile hike. we hiked into the Kalalau valley our first full day there (we only went in about 1 mile or so) and found a nice pool where we could dive in. we met a super cool nice local man who frequently lives in the valley, and met his daughter who was visiting her dad at the time. learned about the apparently incredible healing powers of a local fruit found there called Noni. i plan on finding some kind of pure Noni extract product (juice,etc) back home , to try it daily for awhile to see if it indeed has the benefits that our new friend claims. i dont however redcommend eating the fruit raw, it tastes (to me) like vomit !

Sep 18, 2008 4:36AM

Thanks for the checklist OC. Couple of comments for you.

1. Regarding Steripen: I'm not familiar with any problems with Steripen's effectiveness if the water is reasonably clear (as it is in most of the time in most NaPali streams), but would certainly like to learn about any specific issues you are aware of.
A few positive Steripen reviews are at http://www.trailspace.com/gear/steripen/classic/#reviews
and a good video on what it is and how it works is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM8-7vhex54
I can't see how a filter would be effective against micro-organisms like microbes and bacteria, organisms which are rendered harmless by the Steripen UV rays.

2. You mention a light weight sleeping pad. I looked all over for one that will give me a really comfortable surface to sleep on and ended up buying a long (78") Big Agnes Air Core. It's very comfortable and compresses to a nice small size, but mine weighs 34 ozs (not the 28 oz stated by the manufacturer), which is over twice the weight of my sleeping bag. Since I like to travel light, I'd sure like to know about any lighter pads that would give me the same degree of comfort as the 2.5 inches of air that I'm sleeping on with the Air Core.

Mahalo for your thoughts.

Aloha, Curt

Sep 18, 2008 8:34PM

i have read a couple of reviews saying that the Steripen failed in tropical environments (probably not much different than Hawaii's ... ) . i realize that sounds kind of wierd,given that the device is meant to be immersed in ... that's right, WATER ! go figure. but the reviews i mentioned seemed legit, and i cant remember on which website i saw them (maybe Amazon,maybe backcountry.com, ? ? ). just google "Steripen reviews"

Sep 19, 2008 3:11AM

can someone tell me, what is Kalalau beach like in the winter (lets say Jan.)? are the sea caves gone ? how much of the actual beach is gone? where do people camp ? i am planning my next trip and have heard all about the monster crashing waves in the winter, and i would love to see/hear/feel them, as my previous 2 trips to Kauai have been in the summer/early fall. thanks.

Sep 20, 2008 6:07AM

Before even arriving on the island, Greg and I had done a lot of research into this trail, especially on this website. What we found pre-hike was the challenge described by the bloggers and the message boards sounded like a fun and exciting trail that, though difficult, could be done with a pleasant demeanor. When we arrived on the island, we questioned many natives and visitors about the trail, mentioning we were planning on hiking it, with the intentions of camping for two nights. The majority of people described the trail as a splendid ride with danger lurking around each corner, a memory you would never forget. What we found was that, indeed, we would never forget that journey. The vistas were astounding, the flora and fauna were unique and diverse and the trail...well, the trail was friggin\\\' arduous and daunting. Up, down, back and forth, try not to die, repeat. Trecherous cliff sides threatening certain death at the misplacement of a single step, signs warning of poison, drowning, bacteria, tidal waves and being washed out to sea. When we finally reached Kalalau valley and set up camp, we were both so exhausted we could barely move (keep in mind we blasted through the trail in 7 hours) and though we had both brought, what we thought were ample amounts of water, we were severely dehydrated. My biggest tip to fellow hikers is bring more water then you think you\\\'ll need, due to the many ascents, descents and high temperature and humidity. Because of the heat, we decided to hike back at night, which ended up being both a good and bad decision. We left at 7 p.m. just after sunset having eaten the rest of our food trying to prepare our bodies for the long journey back. There was a certain amount of contentment not really knowing where the trail went five feet ahead of you, so you didn\\\'t have to worry about the numerous and horrible switch backs, or the jagged cliff sides. Speaking of switch backs, we found the most dangerous and difficult part of the trail to be the switch backs leading down the hill to the \\\"sketchy\\\" part of the trail. This part of trail was no more then 6 inches across, made of loose dirt, slanted towards the \\\"precipice of death\\\". On our way back we were literally checking our watches every half hour in hopes that hours had passed and we were near completion of our trek, only to find that we were contstantly hours away from being done. We were privledged enough to see a different side of the fauna at night. Thousands of frogs dotted the trail as well as a couple wild boar, and even the cutest baby goat curled up on the smallest of cliff ledges just above our heads on the \\\"sketchy\\\" part of our tour. We do not regret taking this hike in slightest, however, if we are to visit this part of Kaua\\\'i again, it will be by kayak. Speaking of kayaks, we were witness to the reason why they are not allowerd to launch or land after september on the Kalalau beach. A pair of campers were leaving one early morning and trying to launch off the beach into 4-8 foot waves. Many attempts lead to an overturned kayak, missing paddles, various supplies drifting out to sea and two very wet campers, while onlookers oo\\\'d and awe\\\'d. Overall i would suggest this trail to experienced hikers and campers. No children, elderly or sickly.

Sep 22, 2008 1:15AM

I have a similar question as Tim's...I'll be hiking Kalalau in early March and was wondering the same about surf, sea caves, etc. I realize it can be very rainy or dry that time of year, I've been onisland during that month before. I made it to Hanakoa in June and wanted a comparision of weather to March. Thanks to all for the input.

Sep 23, 2008 3:06AM

Aloha Julie,

My first hike to Kalalau was made in March of 2006. As you may recall, that was the winter of 43 days straight of rain and the dam break just east of Kilauea. Although not raining when I hiked in, the portion of the trail from Kee to Hanakoa was wet and very slippery and the weather cool and cloudy. I was VERY glad I had brought my hiking poles. Once past Hanakoa, however, the clouds disappeared, the temperature rose, the trail was much less slippery, and I enjoyed the other challenges of the 2nd half of the trail, which had suffered greatly from the previous month of rain. I did find out upon my return that DLNR had officially closed the trail the day after I started hiking in due to \"horrible trail conditions.\"

Now that Bill has done such a good job on widening and otherwise improving many sections of that portion of the trail it is a lot safer, something I found out during my hike in during late August this year just after the fire at Hanakapiai.

This time I wasn\'t as fortunate, finding the trail officially closed when my daughter and I arrived to begin the hike in at 6:30 one morning. We were told that although the trail was fine, our presence could interfere with helicopters dropping water on some \"hot spots\" and there were concerns about dropping loads on our heads.

Figuring that helicopters wouldn\'t be flying before daybreak and that the gendarmes had to get their rest, the next morning found us past Hanakapiai shortly before the sun came up. It was an interesting two miles climbing with head lamps on in the darkness and a fine mist falling. My daughter unknowingly stepped smack onto a large frog as we were descending to the Hanakapiai Stream and let out a blood-curdling yell as her boot softly and quickly squished poor Mr. Toad into trail kill. Thank god we didn\'t have to deal with flip-flop-wearing tourists at that early hour though.

Once again, Hanakoa was true to form as the dividing line between clouds and fair weather and we had a bright and sunny time of it from there to Kalalau, which we found to be practically deserted due to the fire-related evacuation of a few nights earlier. Thus, we were fortunate enough to re-occupy the campsite I had used 2+ years before, under the spreading noni-tree which, by the way bears fruit in late summer that, when stepped on in the dark, feels remarkably like stepping on a large trail frog--take my daughter\'s word for it.

A couple of my previous posts show a link to my photos (my name is underlined) and a more complete account of the hike in.

Have a great time, Julie. It\'s the trip of a lifetime but, paraphrasing the Lays\' Potato Chips slogan, \"Betcha can\'t go just once.\"

Aloha,
Curt

Sep 23, 2008 3:18AM

OK boys, just which one of you made the "no elderly" crack?? For many of us, age is nothing but a state of mind, and frankly I felt like a boy scout hiking the trail this year, until the kukui shells attacked. I'm looking forward to celebrating my 70th birthday two years hence by swimming again in one of the Outlaw Pools.

Aloha, Curt

Sep 23, 2008 1:36PM

(for Curt)THANKS for the info on hiking Kalalau in March! I do remember March \'06 and all the rain and the dam breaking. I was in AZ at the time, I visit Kauai often. I\'m looking forward to returning to Kauai, going past Hanakoa, and relaxing on Kalalau beach! Hope the weather is kind.

Sep 26, 2008 2:16PM

Thank you for an incredibly informative site. We are hiking the trail on Sunday - any word on current conditions? Also is it worth it (and relatively safe)to pack in fins to swim to the next beach from Kalalau?
Lastly - where in the valley should we look for mangos, guavas, or any other wild edibles? Thanks again!

Sep 27, 2008 4:17AM

Thanks for maintaining this very informative website. I was wondering if there are any issues with food storage at Kalalau. From what I've read, there don't seem to be too many critters that can get into your food. Is hanging food recommended? Thanks for any info you can provide.

Sep 30, 2008 4:48PM

My girlfriend and I want to hike the trail Oct. 27-29. We are looking into booking a shuttle from the airport to the trail head on Oct. 26 and returning on the 29th. The shuttle can take up to 4 people. Cost is $188 round-trip. Is anyone interested in splitting the cost with us on those dates?

Oct 01, 2008 7:38PM

We, my husband and I, just hiked the trail for the first time a month ago on September 4, and stayed for 3 nights. We loved it!

The 1st night we stayed at Hanakoa, and we were very grateful not to have to hike the whole way in the first night 5 miles felt more like 15. We camped in the 2nd camping area across the stream, beautiful but lots of mosquitos, thank heaven for DEET , as soon as we applied it they were gone(however the 3 other natural repellants that we brought(including wristbands with vit B and citronella wipes did not hold a candle to the mosquitos. Hanakoa was beautiful.
The next morning we were up early and hiked the longest 6+ miles I have ever hiked, but boy was it worth it. We had the best \"beach front condo\" with our own private view and path to the ocean, it even came with a surbboard! We spent 2 days/nights on the Kalalau beach wondering why we didnt stay the maximum number of nights and enjoying the beauty of the beach, water falls, caves etc. etc.

The last morning we got up before the sun and headed out really early. Early enough that as we approached mile 8 we could here frogs singing while we were hiking. It was so much easier on the way out, and we hiked the whole way out in around half a day.

Like all the other 1st timers we brought to much stuff. Think light and tropic. We liked having a tent and our lightweight sleeping bags & pads, but didn\'t need so much xtra food or changes of clothes!Duh!
I would bring a minimum of 2 liters of water per person, we did and even though we refilled with filter and tablets at every possible stream we ran out twice.
If it was the rainy season I would highly recomend hiking poles, as it was dry almost the whole time we were there and we didnt miss them, but with mud it would be a whole different story.

This was by far the hardest hike I had ever done(much harder than the half marathon I did a month earlier at altitude. It was also the most rewarding and we are looking forward to doing it again!!!

The best of luck to all who are planning to do this hike in the future!
Thank you Kauai Explorer for all your valuable information and help in getting us ready for this Amazing Adventure. We will definitelly be back!!!

Oct 01, 2008 9:36PM

Aloha everyone,
I forgot to thank all of the amazing people we met while on the trail, both hikers and "residents", also a great huge thank you to Bill for maintaining the trail.

Oh, and did I mention how wonderful the stars were at Kalalau beach. Out of this world!

Also on a more cautionary note - the day before we hiked in a couple were on their way into Hanakoa when the wife/girlfriend slipped of the trail and broke her leg in the afternoon, her husband/boyfriend hiked out for assistance - she ended up being stuck of the trail overnight by herself and if the rumours were true had at least one boar come up and visit her during the night. I don't believe she was brought out of there until 11:00am the next day. Not knowing the full story I still hope everyone is careful out there!

Mahalo

Oct 02, 2008 6:03PM

Hi all,

What a great resource this site is, thanks to Winston for all the work on it!

My buddy and I did the trail Sept. 20 - 24th and had an amazing time. The trail is physically challenging if you're not in decent shape, and is indeed hairy in spots but I'm pretty sure-footed and not afraid of heights, so I was never freaked out. My friend had some anxiety coming back through the mile 6 - 8 portion, mainly because he was thinking about it all day!

I highly advise walking poles if you think you're going to have trouble in the gnarlier spots - they are a great comfort.

Staying at the YMCA Camp Naue the night before was perfect as it allowed us to lay all of our stuff out in a comfortable environment (i.e. not at the beach park by headlamp) and pack efficiently. Plus it was a secure place to park our car with our extra stuff in it (well worth the $5/night), and the caretaker gave us a ride to the trailhead. Awesome!

We did NOT pack light, so we were going to spend the first night at Hanakoa (Mile 6), but were advised by someone we met there that it's VERY muggy and buggy, and we should press on to Mile 8 where there is much better camping. Indeed, Mile 8 is a fantastic place to stop for the night. A guy named Bill has set himself up there to do trail maintenance and he's very hospitable - he even fed us soup! From there it was a pretty easy 3 miles into Kalalau Valley in the morning.

Had a fantastic couple of days in Kalalau Valley, camping at the end of the beach, until a group of yahoos arrived who were only staying for a night. Honestly, people - you're severely short-changing yourself if you hike in one day and hike out the next. Kalalau is not something to just be crossed off your list - take some time with it, for crying out loud!

On the way back, after being bone dry for three days, it started to rain, which made the trail a lot trickier and the camping less fun the last night. Definitely be prepared for rain, have your rain fly/tarp/whatever handy.

I'm definitely looking forward to coming back some day . . . it's just too amazing a hike to only do once in a lifetime! Aloha and mahalo to all who helped us out!

--Jefferson

Mike

Oct 03, 2008 7:39PM

My wife and I have been coming to Kauai for a number of years and have talked about doing this trail. This site is a great resource. Thanks so much.

On Sunday, we tackled the hike to Hanakapi`ai Beach and then on to the falls. We are in our mid-50's in good condition and handled the round trip in a little under 6 hours, spending a total of 30 minutes at the beach and the falls.

My question is: how representative is the Hanakapi`ai hike compared to the rest of the Kalalau trip? Comparable but longer? Tougher and longer? By what degree?

Thanks!

Mike

Oct 04, 2008 4:51AM

Hi,

I am going to Kuai on Oct 5, and staying in a hotel. I have permits to camp at kalalau on Oct 9 leaving Oct 11. I have heard wonderful things about this hike and I can't wait. I am just wondering, what is the best place to leave our luggage, and get to the trailhead? Are there lockers at the Airport, and is taxi the best way to go? Do you know how much cab fare is to Ke'e. Any recomendations would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Belenie

Oct 07, 2008 11:40PM

Glad I stumbled across your site! My parents invited my husband and I to hike the trail with them over Christmas, spending 4 nights total and I've been digging around doing research on the trail and conditions since I've only done the initial waterfall day hike.

So far, from what I've read the things that pop up on my radar
1) December rain can make the trail more challenging - bring poles and wet gear and be prepared for the slippery section of the 6" wide trail (oh my)
2) Surf is more dangerous in winter at Kalalau - I was hoping this wouldn't be the case but not surprised - any personal opinions on the conditions in Dec?
3) No lockers at airport and shuttle is 188/rt for up to 4 people - any feedback or recommendations from others on how they managed this in the past? Local places to store stuff and park the rental car? (We'll have a rental as we are there a few days pre and post hike)
4) Beach space at Kalalau is smaller during the winter - how is the tree space for camping? Should we have any concerns here? Doesn't seem like it will be an issue but thought I would throw that out there.

I think those are the burning questions for now, the rest have been answered by this forum! Thanks!

Oct 08, 2008 4:36PM

We just did the 8 mile round trip hike to the falls and back last week and loved every minute of it! It was definitely wet and slippery but we were able to do it in about 7 hours with a stay at the beach for 30 minutes and lunch at the falls for thirty minutes. What a beautiful hike! We recommend the couples massage on the beach at Hanelei Day Spa following the hike...what a great day!

curt

Oct 10, 2008 12:25AM

The only places where the trail is 6" wide is where the ocean is 600 feet directly below you. Just kidding of course. The trail is almost 12 inches wide in those spots.

Aloha,

Curt

Joel & Alison Plys

Oct 11, 2008 2:16AM

We just hiked and camped at Kalalau in September. We should have stayed longer. Hiked in on a Tuesday and out on Friday. Wednesday & Thursday we hiked to the Big Pool (3 miles from Kalalau beach). There was so much more to see, do, experience that we will definitely stay longer next time.

WHAT IS THE LONGEST YOU CAN STAY (with permits)?

We relaxed on Saturday and then did the 'Everest of Kayak Tours' with Kauai Kayak on Sunday. It's a 17 mile trip and we had FANTASTIC weather so it was quite easy. We'd highly recommend doing this if you are fit enough to see what you hiked from the ocean - very cool!

Oct 17, 2008 5:05PM

do i need a permit if i am just hiking for the day and not camping?

Oct 17, 2008 5:39PM

Is the weather usually good at the end of november?
I've heard there is lots of fruit on the trail is this true and are you allowed to eat it? Would there be any fruit at the end of november anyway?
Thanks

Oct 24, 2008 10:06PM

Love the site, thanks for the info. I\'m making my second trip to Kalalau from Michigan in May 2009 and this time we\'d like to swim over to Honopu beach. Can anyone tell me if this is too dangerous for decent swimmers? How is the surf in early May? Thanks!

Oct 27, 2008 2:52PM

We are super excited to hike and stay on Na Pali, though we have some last minute questions;
We have our permits for Nov 24-28, being that it is the rainier season, I am guessing we should bring a tent, do you know about the weights of the tents they rent at Peddle & Paddle? Or can we take our chances and just bring a net to sleep under the stars?

In previous posts you speak about mosquitos, how bad are they? Are they worse getting close to winter?

Thanks for all your great info!!

Oct 31, 2008 6:12PM

Thanks for putting together this trove of info!

I have a couple of questions - we're planning on hiking the entire trail sometime around end of Nov/first week of Dec. I'm wondering what the condition of the trail is like when it rains (which I guess is not uncommon at this time of the year?) Is it too slippery to be safely hike-able?

Thanks,
Kunal

Nov 06, 2008 10:20PM

Just did the trail October 20-25. It was fantastic - as beautiful, rugged, and challenging as I'd been told!

The cliffy/eroded section was not as bad as I'd imagined. My impression is that the main problem is vertigo - if you have problems with heights, you'll struggle. If not, it's very manageable. Luckily, unlike the eroded trail before and after, the cliff part itself is pretty solid footing.

A couple of other things I found that I wanted to pass on to others:

1) Make plans for your car in advance. We planned on leaving it at the YMCA, which was closed. Then we talked to Kayak Kauai, who wanted an too much money and were less than friendly. Then we called a friend-of-a-friend, who didn't have any useful advice. We finally just ended up leaving the car at the parking lot with nothing in it and all doors unlocked, and crossing our fingers. Worked out fine, but it delayed our start significantly.

2) BRING TREKKING POLES!!! I don't know why everyone doesn't use them - on the cliffy and eroded parts, not to mention the river crossings, they were absolutely invaluable.

3) Bring more water treatment tablets than you think you'll need - we ran pretty short, as you'll drink a lot in the humidity.

4) If you have a travel hammock, bring it - if not to sleep in, then to relax and nap.

Enjoy! I've got an artificial leg, so if I can do it, you can too!

Nov 08, 2008 6:15PM

I am an experienced hiker, my wife and I are coming at the end of Feb. What is the best way of getting a permit? Also you recommend not leaving a car at the trail head?

Nov 08, 2008 8:18PM

I have a few questions for those of you on the Kauai Explorer Staff. What are the odds in late January that I will not be able to do the full 11 miles on Kalalau Trail due to closesures, flooding, etc? I live in Portland, OR. and I LOVE RAIN, so I'm not to worried about the precip in terms of comfort. How are the bugs in January/February? Last but not least are there any shuttle services between the airport/trailhead? Thanks in advance!

Nov 13, 2008 5:17AM

My wife and I are going to Kauai & Kalalau Nov 20-23rd.... The weather has been listed as 30-60% precip on the North end. Do you know if the trail is still open all the way, and will mosquitos be an issue at night if we are not on the beach? thanks,
Bill D.

Nov 14, 2008 11:01PM

Great site.

In the lower 48 you have to hang food to keep the critters away. Do you have to hang food on the Kalalau trail? Are there pigs, dogs or rodents that we need to worry about?

What is the condtion of the eroded sections these days. I am bringing a group of 14 at end of December and some are not very experienced hikers.

Thank you

Nov 16, 2008 3:26AM

What a great site and service you provide! Just seems to fit with your \"Paradise Island\".
Did the big island 3 years ago and found our dream vacation for the last two. We hope to stay for at least 2 monthes in 09.
We are in our mid 60s but live on a CO mtn. and are in good shape, however packing as though we were on mtn. expedition was a huge mistake. 45# packs did us in and we turned back after spending 2 nights at the 6 mile campsite. We were way heavy on everything but water...no sooner got home and got all new stuff...our first-ever poles, Tevas, LtWt packs, etc.
Only thing I can possibly add to the wealth of info posted is that we Really enjoyed having Tang type stuff for our treated water.
Can\'t wait to get back on the most incredible trail either of us has ever seen.
Mahalo!

Nov 19, 2008 7:11AM

Finished the trail for the first time on Nov. 16th. The weather hiking in a few days earlier was humid and the trail was dry. Pretty strong rain brought by the tradewinds started on the 15th. By Nov. 16th the trail was very muddy and hiking was a much different experience. Parts of the trail were extremely slippery (the red mud is the worst).

Three of the rivers were barely passable. There was a lot of teamwork on the trail, with hikers helping each other across the rivers. The rivers do rise and fall relatively quickly. At Hanakoa (Mile 6) we made the obvious mistake of stopping for a bite to eat on the wrong side of the river, and by the time we were through, the river had become a raging torrent. On the other hand, the river at Hanakapi`ai Beach (Mile 2) was initially uncrossable, but after waiting 2 hours it had gone down enough to allow careful crossing using a rope someone had strung across earlier.

A few rainy day lessons (in addition to cross the rivers when you can):

1. Poles. They came in really handy.

2. Bring a little extra food. We packed really light, but we did have an extra meal and I now realize how easy it is to be stuck because of a river.

3. Bill at Mile 8 provided a great haven from the weather. He put up a tarp so that we could cook out of the rain, and built a fire so that we could dry our clothes. He even made some great coffee. I\'m not sure why Mile 8 isn\'t an \"official\" campsite on the little green map we got with our permits, but it is very nice.

Nov 19, 2008 7:52PM

any word on the trail condition? muddy from all of the rain the last week? we are hiking tomorrow.

Nov 21, 2008 12:16AM

Hi folks, me and my girlfriend hiked the trail last month, WOW, what a kick that was. I like reading about the other take on the trail, I was noticing where some are needing ride to trail head, I highly recommend kauaitourguides.com they provide a 188.00/RT up to four, from airport to Kalalau trail head, driver even stopped at camping store for supplies and as we were starving when we came off the trail a pit stop in Hanalei for food.

Nov 21, 2008 2:47PM

Just a pathetic showing by Hawaii\'s Department of Land and Natural Resources...Bill Summers has been working to help restore the trail as it was in desperate need of help. The DNLR however wants to prosecute him for doing this good deed.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811200346

A little info on Bill and what he has done for the trail:

http://billsummers.info/index.html

Nicolai Barca

Nov 22, 2008 4:09AM

For those confused on the Hunting regulations of the area, The Kalalau Trail lies within Public Hunting Unit-G, open 365-days per year, bowhunting only, open bag limits for goats and pigs. There is no longer a rifle hunting season and has not been any for the 8 years I've been hunting out there (except for the special rifle seasons held in previous summers).

I highly encourage anybody to go after the female goats (nannies) as an improved means of lowering the population. The best hunting is between Hanakoa and Kalalau.

One of the reasons I bring this up is because there seems to be a lot of misinformation on so called "seasonal hunting opportunities." I am attempting to get these websites to update that info.

Nov 30, 2008 3:14AM

My friends and I are hiking the Kalalau trail this summer, but we are having trouble figuring out how to get the jet boil fuel to hawaii. Any suggestions?? Does anyone sell jet boil brand or do we have to go with coleman?

Dec 01, 2008 4:11AM

Hi. Some friends and I will be backpacking the Kalalau trail in late July 2009. If we rent a car, is there a safe place to park it near the trailhead? We'll be camping along the trail for 5 nights total and we're worried about leaving a rental car. If there's no safe place to park it, what is the best way to get to the trail head? Also, do you know if any stores in Kauai sell Jetboil camping stove fuel?

Dec 02, 2008 6:24PM

Thanks for the useful information. I\'m reading conflicting info on bringing kids. We are hoping to bring 4 children (9 to 15) over the holidays this xmas. We live and hike in the Colorado Rockies (Durango), so we\'re used to hights and trails. It sounds as though there are some very dangerous, exposures. Can we do anything to protect them or is it advisable not to bring them?

Dec 03, 2008 4:14AM

Aloha!
Great website. I keep reading!

My wife and I have hiked to Hanakapiai many years ago and now would like to hike the entire Kalalau Trail - next week - and have 5 days for it. I'll call the office tomorrow to try to get permits. (Sorry for the short notice. I hope it's still do-able.)

Is it ok this time of the year?
Thanks for your answer.
Hardy

Dec 04, 2008 3:16PM

Thanks for the really useful information. What advice would you have for hiking the entire 11 mile section with children (ages 11 to 15). We are from Durango, CO and have hiking experience, but are somewhat concerned about the demands and exposure of this trail. We have permits and are otherwise pretty ready.

Dec 08, 2008 1:03AM

Aloha! We\'ll be visiting Kauai in Feb \'09 and the Kalalau trail is a must. Is it possible to acquire permits....lets say a week before the hike upon arrival, or is it advisable to get permits ahead of time(like now)? Is calling the best route to apply for permits? I\'m assuming we\'ll have to specify exact dates for our adventure as well.

Thanks KE staff, this is a wonderful resource!

Dec 08, 2008 4:31PM

Aloha and thanks for the amazing website.

I apologize for using your website for such a request as the following, so please delete it if inappropriate.

Having just now read at http://great-hikes.com/blog/kalalau-questions/ that the public bus is not an option (they apparently don't allow big baggage), I’m trying to find transport from lihue to the trailhead the morning of wednesday december 17th, and returning to lihue saturday december 20th.

If anyone wants to share a rental or go in on a shuttle or something, please let me know!
thanks ilan
ilan.elson-schwab {(At)] icr.ac.uk

Lindsey

Dec 10, 2008 6:04PM

Hello!

is there a way to get from Kalaulau trail to Koke State park/Weimea Canyon by foot? Or the other way around?

I would like to hit both parks on my 10 day trip.

Is it do-able?

Dec 10, 2008 8:23PM

Hello !
I'm planning to hike the Kalalau trail and I was wondering where I could leave my luggage. I read a lot of sites saying that leaving my stuff in my car is not a good idea. Does someone know what I could do ? And is it safe to let the empty car at trailhead or should I look for another solution for the car too ?

Thank you !

Caroline

Dec 13, 2008 9:04PM

The Bus...Mon-Sat.
Airport to Lihue Big Save $.50
Lihue to Hanalei #500-$1.50

Dec 16, 2008 4:00AM

We have permits for the Kalalau trail for 12/28-31. With all the rain we\'re getting I wanted to find out how the trail is holding up... is the north side of Kauai getting this weather?

Dec 18, 2008 4:07PM

Thank you for your answer. Another question : do you know if it is possible to apply and get the hiking permit in advance ? I did that for the camping permits (they should be on the way) but I can't find anything about the hiking permit, except "going to the DLNR" in Lihue.

Dec 18, 2008 7:55PM

We just hiked the Kalalau Trail last week... and got out just before the storm hit. The trail was extremely slippery and muddy. Wear GOOD TRACKING boots. Pack light. We got our permits when we got to Lihue with no problem. When you get to Kalalau Beach, you will see that there are people that live out there, even though they're not supposed to. Very kind people we met.

Dec 18, 2008 10:52PM

Thanks for this great website. My wife and I (both over 60 but have hiked with backpacks before) are just back from our trip to the Kalalau Beach, and like to share some information which others might find useful. I had found by mapquest a hotel within walking distances. www.kauaipalmshotel.com 1.5 miles from the airport and a few blocks from the Permit Office at 3060 Eiwa Street, Room 306. We arrived at Lihue airport Tuesday Dec 9th at 6:30 pm, walked with our backpacks to the hotel, $ 83.56 incl tax for the night. Hotel was not fancy but clean and ok with down to earth food places within 200 yards. We had a good dinner at Lihue BBQ Inn with local food - no tourists there besides us, not expensive, good Japanese food & sake. They were open also next morning at 6:30 for breakfast. Waitress asked about our plans and was worried to hear we planned to go to Kalalau, and warned that a BIG storm was coming in. We then walked over the Permit Office, where we were at 7:45. They start at 8:00, but the office was open already. They took our permit application and money (no credit cards, bring cash!) sharp at 8:00, and we had our permits by 8:10, for first night at Hanakoa 6 miles, despite reports on this website that it’s not so nice, but we did not think that with getting permit this morning and then having to get out to the trail head we could have a start early enough to make it all the way to Kalalau. 4 further nights at Kalalau. We asked about the storm, they did not know (but at home before we left the weatherforecast had also not looked too nicely, but it was dry now). The bus Lihue-Hanalei Main Line has bus stop at Lihue Big Save, right across from the permit office, and we had still time to get some crackers at the Big Save and still made the bus at 8:34 (bus leaves every 2 hours, and we hadn’t thought that we would make this bus already, so were 2 hours ahead! Bus info at www.kauai.gov ) to Hanalei at 9:44. In Hanalei get off at the Hanalei Post office (second to last stop!) We didn’t know and stayed on to the last stop at Hanalei Court house. My wife then walked back the few hundred yards to get camping stove gas at the Peddle & Paddle in the Ching Yang Center - which is at the Post office stop. She was back by around 10:15 and we hitchhiked on. First car took us half the way, second the rest. Both easy. Starting the trail at Ke’e beach at 10:50. River crossing at Hanakapi’ai was ok, and hikers coming out suggested a good camp site at 8 miles next to a small Helicopter pad on the cliffs over the ocean, as being much nicer than Hanakoa. It’s not an official site, so for that reason probably nowhere mentioned, but verbally many told us too. Although we looked, we did not see any mile markers (other than 3 and 10). The scary part around mile 7 was ok for us, some loose gravel to make it a bit slippery but manageable. We were at the mile 8 camp around 4 pm, and although timewise we probably could have still made it to Kalalau with 2 more hours of daylight, this was a great site so we stayed with the two other tents which were there already. At 6:15 the storm set in furiously with hard rain and thundershowers all night, windgusts we estimated up to 70 mph, tree branches coming down, one onto the tent, a wild night, with me having some concern what if a big gust picks up the tent with us and sails us over the cliff. But as you see, that didn’t happen. It rained all next day. One couple decided to go back out again despite the rain and slippery trail. The other hiker and we decided to stay and ride it out. Next night was dry, but following morning some rain again. We went on to Kalalau when it cleared a little. The first half mile was the scariest part for me (besides the storm night), as the trail was high, narrow, and now from the rain wet and very slippery at times, with me trying to hang on the small roots etc. My wife had less problems here, to her the mile 7 stretch had been scarier with some loose gravel making it slippery there, although that had still been dry then. We wondered how the folks made it out the day before in heavy rain. River crossing at Kalalau was ok. Rain got heavier again after we got to the beach, and very heavy again all night, again gusts, and heavy thundershowers. Some campers had gathered under the Ranger shelter and said they were just in survival mode. When we arrived there was the one main waterfall, next morning there were 5 big ones and unnumbered small ones with rivers gushing down. One hiker arrived and had lost his backpack when crossing the river. Continued raining all day. Radio forecast predicted clearing only by Monday. We wrote off our flight home on Tuesday, but had enough food and our daughter’s good tent stayed dry. Weather cleared Saturday late afternoon, and stayed ok during the night. I suggested to try to make it out to the 8 mile camp perhaps late afternoon if it stayed dry. Kalalau River was crossable late morning, so we went around 11 am, despite our worst fears that trail section might be washed away, trail was actually ok, and at scary mile 7 part the gravel was washed away, so made it actually better for my wife. We gave us high 5's after that. We arrived at Hanakapi’ai around 5 pm, and heard from others that a Ranger had closed the Hanakapi’ai river crossing all day, and the road to Hanalei had been closed for two days too because the bridges had been under water ! We camped overnight, and next morning crossed the river with dry feet on the rocks close to the surf. Hitchhiked to Hanalei, first car took us, stayed overnight there at Hanalei Inn (very nice & close to bus stop but $166 incl. tax.) Took bus 7:20am from Hanalei to Lihue Big Save by 8:32. ($ 0.75 for each of us over 60:-) Lihue shuttle bus from there 8:34 to airport 8:56 (could have walked in probably almost the same time) and made our flight home in plenty of time! My wifes comment: “What a great trip - how lucky we were!” Which proves: It’s all attitude in life :-)
Aloha & Mahalo
hardy

Dec 24, 2008 1:34AM

Very helpful site.
I am hiking the trail in mid Jan. I have read that Honopu Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Pacific. I was wondering how long the swim was, how long it would take and if it is even possible in the winter. I will have fins and snorkel gear. Is it worth it???

Dec 25, 2008 2:14AM

We\'re planning to do the Kalalau Trail in Feb/08 and I discovered you can store your car at KayakKauai in Hanaeli for $11.00 a day; 15minutes from the trailhead. Take a taxi there.
Bill

Dec 30, 2008 4:51AM

I am planning on hiking the trail next week. Any news on condition of the trail, especially miles 6-8? Has it been pretty muddy?

Jan 02, 2009 5:38AM

Just back from hiking the trail Dec 30-31. Trail was a breeze (relatively speaking) on the way out. Miles 6-8 were actually my favorite portion. Rained all night. Hiking back trail was much more slippery, muddy with portions of trail becoming a stream. Mile 7 was a challenge from a mental standpoint. On the plus side, many, many beautiful waterfalls appeared. Walking poles a definite plus. We were encouraged to cancel our hike during the days prior, but are all very glad that we did not listen. Trail was difficult but definitely doable.

Jan 02, 2009 7:29PM

In a couple of weeks, we plan on hiking only the first two miles since we are still amateur hikers. Do we still need permits?

Jan 03, 2009 5:51PM

Is there any "formal" lodging available near the trailhead? I'd like to fly in and get to Pedal and Paddle to get fuel the first day, stay overnight by the trailhead, then do a couple days at Kalalau Beach before heading back. Been having a hard time finding any information on local lodging for some reason.

Also, you consistantly reccomend against solo hiking, any reason for that other than that fact its obviously dangerous on any trail if you're not experienced at it? I'm an avid solo hiker, but if there's anything in particular about this trail that makes it more dangerous, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Jan 04, 2009 9:27PM

I have a question:

Does the trail go in a loop, or do you go back the same way you came? If it's not a loop, I assume you'll pass by the same scenery going back?

Thanks!

Jan 04, 2009 11:02PM

I am traveling with my pregnant wife. Are there restrictions on types of water filtering that one can do with a pregnant woman? Tablets of iodine we are told are not recommended. She is 4 months pregnant and a great hiker but the chemistry is important.

Also what level of tent do you recommend?? HIking in Jan around 24 to 26th.

tks Love your site.

RAJ

Jan 06, 2009 3:00AM

Hi there! I just read David Lurk's blog about Kalalau Beach, and I am inspired to go there.

Is it true that there is a hippie community that lives off the land year-round? Are they welcoming to people who visit and stay for a while?

If I wanted to be befriend them, what sort of things would they appreciate as gifts?

Thank you,

Ronald D.

Jan 06, 2009 11:27PM

Hi! I was really curious about your answer to "Bruce" about bringing children on the hike. We have an 8 and 6 year old and a 2 year old (would carry him in a pack). We hike and camp with them all. What do you think about doing some or all of the trail?

Chuck

Jan 07, 2009 4:48AM

I know the risk of saying anyone can do this trail, but most hikers only hike down to Hanakapihe`ai Beach and onto the falls. We have hiked and seen very elder hikers, hikers with no shoes, teenagers jogging even on the narrowist parts and other areas in the rocks. It isn't easy, but I believe most people given the desire and willingness to get muddy will find the trail unforgetable.

Jan 12, 2009 1:57PM

Thanks for all the great info on this site. We are planning to hike to Kalalau and spend one night and hike out the next day at the end of the month. I was wondering on the type of footwear you think would be best.

Jan 12, 2009 6:03PM

We will be visiting Kauai for the first time. For those of us not wanting to conquer the Kalalau trail but just wanting a a little taste of a view and a short hike in and out, are there any openings for a halfway decent view prior to 2 miles in?

Jan 13, 2009 4:02PM

My husband and I just returned from an unforgettable trip to Kauai. We wanted to give a big THANK YOU to this website for all the information that helped to make our hike to Hanakapiai Falls as amazing as it was!

Jan 14, 2009 6:24AM

Hi, My husband and I are getting to Kauai on Saturday and were hoping to hike the Kalalau trail on Sunday and camp, then head out on Monday. Is it too late to get a permit? I've been trying to call the office in Lihue and no one answers and the mailbox is full. Any suggestions?!
This is an awesome site!! Thanks for all of the great tips.

Jan 14, 2009 10:12PM

I have read some posts about bringing children and going the full length of the trail in and out in one day. INSANE! Do not try either one. This was the most amazing thing I have ever done but you must be smart and very well prepared. Literally, people die. Kids are probably cool on the first two miles. It is very touristy. The rest of the hike is a no-joke, kick your butt, most beautiful and dangerous thing most people will ever try. I recommend it to fit and adventurous people. But, seriously, why would you drag a kid across a swollen river and off of shear cliff faces, up and down five valleys or risk getting stuck in the jungle with them for days due to a flash flood? Stupid.

Jan 16, 2009 1:42PM

Reply to Ronald: Regarding the folks who \"live off the land\" in the valley. We befriended several of these folks during our brief stay in September. In terms of \"gifts\" I\'d stick to the essentials, namely food and footwear. Any food you can leave behind for them will be appreciated and it helps lighten your outbound load too. One of the residents was kind enough to spend two days showing us the \"hidden\" treasures of the Kalalau. We saw some fascinating countryside and even got to dodge Coast Guard helicopters hovering over the forest looking for weed growers. However, in all our moving about, his Soloman shoes finally disintegrated, leaving him shoeless. So when we got back to Hanalei, we purchased a pair of sandals for him and gave them to one of his compadres at the Hanalei public beach to take back to him. Hopefully he got them.

By and large these folks are intelligent and friendly, though as you might expect a few were none-to-happy to have \"tourists\" know too much about their activities. I suggest you check in with \"Mayor Ron\" when you get there and learn more about their style of living firsthand. His Boston accent is still strong after 30 years of \"living off the land.\"

Aloha, Curt

Jan 16, 2009 3:53PM

Thank you W for putting things in perspective.

I can see your perspective also Brandon - there are kids that I would never ever want on a trail like this - but I also think there are grown-ups that are equally scary to imagine on this hike. I think it is mostly about the preparation and also what interests you as a human being.
I am a scuba instructor and I have seen 10 year olds that I would rather have as my scuba buddy on a dive than many adults that I have seen on many dive trips. IE I would also rather do this hike, with a well-hiked, well-prepared, well-behaved 7-12 year old, than with many adults.
A question for you W(kauai explorer staff) - when you have hiked with children do they usually cary their own pack? If so what is the recomended weight ratio for a child? Or would I as an adult carry their stuff and just have them carry snacks and maybe water?

Jan 17, 2009 9:46PM

I'll be heading to Kauai next week to check out some of these hikes. This is a great site and has alot of great info. I currently live on the Big Island and have hiked pretty much everywhere there is to hike here so it's time to expand my horizons! I see your expanding to the other islands. Being an avid hiker and snorkeler of the Big island I would be more then willing to help out with information, pictures, and anything else you might need. Thanks again for the great site.

Jan 19, 2009 3:04AM

Thank you so much for having this blog as we found it very useful when planning our trip to hike the Na Pali Coast. Five of us hiked it in early January and spent the first few hours in the pouring rain, which made for extremely muddy and slippery trail conditions. But what is a little mud? Most of the people in my group are in good shape (marathoners) but some found it more tough than others.

Now for the specifics--

We began at dawn and it took us 2 hours to reach Hanakapai (perhaps it being so muddy didn\\\'t help our time).

What followed was beautiful and not so bad, but the first hiccup was a stream crossing. Perhaps because it was raining so heavily this stream was pretty full. I recommend taking water shoes since we found hopping on slippery rocks with a backpack was too scary for several members of my group (mostly me). Otherwise, just tons of switchbacks and a fair amount of elevation.

Once we got to mile 7 where it becomes arid (and at that point the sun was hitting us so drink LOTS of water before this) it became down right terrifying for some and just a little unnerving for others. This mostly depends on how well you handle a trail that is a foot wide with drop offs to the sea. This lasts about a mile. Take your time (a walking stick helps) and it\\\'ll be ok. Once we made it to mile 8 you\\\'re clear of all but one of the scary parts.

A note about mile 8. Along the hike we met several people that told us that they camped at mile 8 (unofficial) and that it was much better than the end. Not true. There is a small camping area and a nice stream a few yards away but don\\\'t camp here unless you are spending more than a few nights at the end and just need a break.

At this stream is where one of our hikers became quite dehydrated and didn\\\'t think she could make it to the end. Other members of our group took her backpack and walked the last few miles at a very slow pace. The resident bow hunters (yes, they told us they had a permit) at mile 8 told us the rest of the way was EASY and all downhill and based on that we didn\\\'t think taking the sick hiker the final miles would be a problem. THat was not true. In fact, just after the stream there is a short part that is much scarier than mile 7, but since it is so short just don\\\'t look down and it\\\'ll be over. After that it was not exactly easy. There were a fair amount of switchbacks and an elevation climbs. It took a toll on the sick hiker and the folks carrying her stuff.

Before you start your steep steep descent down a trail that doesn\\\'t really look like a trail you will see the sign for the Kalalau Trail (or maybe it was after the steep part we just remember). Either way, it is still a while before you get to the beach. Before you reach the end you have to cross another stream. In this case, it was more of a full, fast-flowing river. This is where my water shoes came in handy (though others nimbly skipped over the slippery rocks). At this point, so close to the end, I think I saw two dogs skipping up the trail followed by a completely naked girl. It fit.

After crossing the stream we continued down to the beach to find a campsite. There are a few people that seem to live there that are not in the best camping spots. We found a spot right next to the beach and had just enough time to set up our tent, check on the sick hiker, and take a few pictures before it was dark. I believe that for the sick hiker we could have made it to the end with several daylight hours to spare. Oh, and there was a monk seal resting on the beach, which was just so perfect.

Don\\\'t forget to look at the stars. They seem wonderfully close.

If you pack up at 7am with plans to hike back out be prepared to have the residents stare at you like you are crazy for missing out on the experience of Kalalau. We contribute this to poor planning and if we were to do it again we would most certainly stay there for AT LEAST two nights (we want to go back and camp for 5).

If you can manage in your pack, bring a little extra for the long time campers at Kalalau. They were very kind to us and gave us Emergen C packets for our sick hiker. We heard that they have nightly \\\"swap\\\" meetings to exchange stuff gathered throughout the day. So if you have extra, think about leaving with them. When I go back I will definitely take a bottle of tequila and lots of books.

Our return hike didn\\\'t take as long (the long time campers told us it would take one and a half hours less and they were right). After the steep climb out of Kalalau the first few miles are very easy.

Other comments to things I\\\'ve seen posted on this blog:

1. Walking sticks are a must
2. Iodine works for the water
3. Pack light
4. Didn\\\'t find rain gear necessary even though we were rained on for the first two miles (you dry out).
5. Bring extra socks
6. Stay more than 1 night
7. Several people in our group took just sleeping liners instead of bags and that was a good exchange for weight (but it does get cool at night so bring tights).

If you want to see some photos feel free to check out my kauai set (the na pali post pics are few pages in): http://www.flickr.com/photos/sushicircus/

and another set that has really good pics is http://flickr.com/photos/schmandtfamilydoesiran2006/sets/72157612566379210/detail/

I can\\\'t wait to do it again!

KG

Jan 19, 2009 5:24PM

My husband and I would like to hike entire 11 mile Kalalau trail - but are not able to camp overnight since we have children that will not be coming with us. Is it possible start at Kalalau Valley trailhead and hike back? If so, what types of services are out there to get us there early in the morning?

Jan 19, 2009 6:24PM

I plan on hiking and camping this trail with a few girlfriends Feb 3rd-9th.
Any tips, weather, permit help, etc?!

Curt

Jan 19, 2009 7:09PM

<b> An Opportunity for Islanders and Vistors to help with Science on \"Service Day, 2009\" <b>
If you visit the web site linked to this message, you will note that Professor Rob Holman at Oregon State University, has one of the world\'s largest collections of beach sand in his laboratory. He\'s a friend of mine and is always looking for more information on the global distribution of beach material.
So if you have an opportunity to collect some sand from remote Hawaiian beaches like Kalalau, Nualolo, or Niihau, take a pill bottle, zip lock bag, or film cannister with you and slip some sand from the beach (or dump some out of your boots or tent) into the container, let him know where and when you acquired it, and mail it off to the good Professor. I\'m sure he\'ll be happy to include your contribution in his collection if he doesn\'t have a sample from your beach already.

Cheers
Curt

Jan 20, 2009 7:49AM

i'm planning on hiking the entire eleven miles and camping for a night or two in mid march. just wondering what the probability of flash flooding and heavy rains will be. i know it's impossible to predict the weather but, if there are such events will i have an out or should i just wait it out? also, i will have a water filter but should i be concerned about more than giardia and e. coli and the usual critters in the h20? p.s. i live in big sur, ca and am used to nature always winning.

Jan 21, 2009 5:32PM

Wanted to thank the Kauai Explorer Staff for this site. We had an amazing time on our 5 day hike. We had 4 adults and 4 kids (10-15 yrs old). The kids elected to go all the way to Kalalau Beach on the first day, so we pushed it and made it for sunset (Dec. 23). No problems, but the way out pounded rain the entire way! Used rope to get across river, but this is stuff we\'ve done in Durango, CO where we live. Useful info that we followed: go light, watch the north swell, light footwear, pick lots of fruit (yummy java plums!), and have a blast.

Aloha,
Yogi

Jan 25, 2009 4:28AM

I'm also interested in what Ronald Dooley has asked about ,mostly because I've heard rumors of it as well.

So... is there a hippie-esque colony living around the na pali coast.. or is that fake?... or what?

Any light you could shed on the subject would be fantastic.

Thanks again

Jan 25, 2009 7:47PM

This comment board has been an amazing source of information, thanks so much! My husband and I are planning on hiking the trail in March and spending two nights at Kalalau. My main question is about getting to and from the trailhead. It seems like there is a bus system, but does it start running pretty early? Is there any kind of shuttle system to the trailhead from local accomadations? Thanks!

Jan 25, 2009 8:09PM

check my post here on 16 Jan, Kyle. Colony? I wouldn't call it that. But loosely organized social group and other more solitary individuals, they are for real, and worth knowing if you want to hear some interesting tales.

Jan 25, 2009 11:15PM

I'll be hiking the trail mid-February with a friend. Wondering how many other campers we can expect on the beach. Any estimates?

Jan 26, 2009 2:41PM

Thanks for all the great info on this site. My husband and I are hiking in Jan.31 any updates on the trail conditions. We have our permit and are really looking forward to the adventure. Thanks again this site it has really helped in our preparation for the trip.

Jan 27, 2009 1:55AM

Oh W!!!!! YOU HIKED IT YESTERDAY?????
I am so friggin jealous!! Forecast here is for continued sub-freezing weather, snow followed by sleet followed by friggin' freezin' friggin rain! Oh to be on the Kalalau Trail instead. I'd even be happy to slip on a few kukui nuts just to enjoy being out there once again.

Curt

Ralph Snardfarker

Jan 28, 2009 2:16AM

Would you be willing to provide any more information regarding the old route, people who have done it recently, maps etc?


Nicole - Kalalau to Kokee has been done in the past, there even was a Hawaiian trail. People have also lost their lives trying to hike up the 3000'+ back wall of the valley. No trail, lava rock and cliffs are not a good combo. W

Jan 28, 2009 3:25AM

Thanks so much! We are mailing in the permit application today. Can't wait to be enjoying the amazing North coast.

Jan 30, 2009 5:52PM

I am wondering if Bill Summers is still in the area? I really enjoyed meeting him and was very grateful for his work on the trail when I hiked last year. I was looking through the website link on an earlier post, and thought I would send him a small check in hopes he can afford to stay on the trail a little longer.

Jan 30, 2009 11:43PM

there is much peace in the kalalau valley and beach. dont abuse heaven on earth.

Feb 01, 2009 10:11PM

When I met Bill last summer, he said there was a store in Hanelei that took donations for his work. I can't remember the name of the store, but I'll be back on the trail in March and hope to see Bill again!

Feb 02, 2009 5:16AM

Regarding donations for Bill, I'm thinking that Arius Hopman has or would be willing to pass along donations to Bill, since he spends so much time at Kalalau. He can be contacted at info@hopmanart.com in Hanapepe.

Feb 02, 2009 6:37AM

This website mentions a PO Box in Hanalei where you can send Bill a check:
http://billsummers.info/index.html
Also, if you scroll back to November 21st, there is another link to a newspaper article about DLNR trying to prosecute him. I guess DLNR would rather spend their resources flying helicopters into Kalalau to look for permit violations than actually doing any work on the trail. Boo for them, and three cheers for Bill!

Justin

Feb 02, 2009 6:59AM

To the several readers that were wondering if there was a way to donate to Bill Summers' efforts on Kalalau, there was a post a year or so ago on this site listing this site, http://www.billsummers.info/ . I have no way to verify if it is "legit" though.

I've run into Bill several times, in my opinion he is doing a great service being caretaker for an area that has been shown too little care for too long.

Feb 03, 2009 12:20AM

About 15 years ago my (ex) wife and I visited Kauai and stayed on the north shore. I was training for a marathon at the time and I thought it would be a great training RUN to bag the trail, roundtrip, in one day. I started out on the trail with some protein bars, trail mix, some fruit and two small bottles of water, thinking I would find replacement potable water somewhere along the way. I believe it was July or August. Well, I did run the first 11 miles out to the beach and I made great time. I even skinny dipped like everyone should. But I had to walk back because I ran out of water and there was no water on the trail. I tried begging water off people but there was no way they would give up their supply. I was very tempted to drink the trickles of goat poop infested water along the trail but didn't (in retrospect I probably should have).

When I reached the beginning of the trail having made the second 11 miles without water I met some people at their car who had those small apple juice containers for their kids. They were kind enough to give me a couple and I remember sucking down the first one and feeling the life-saving nectar course through my veins.

Yes this trail it is a little treacherous in places and it is beautiful as everyone will tell you. But it won't be a happy trip if you don't have enough water. I have not read the hundreds of notes here, but let me say this: PACK AS MUCH WATER AS YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED, THEN DOUBLE IT.

The roundtrip is possible in one day if you are in excellent shape. If you are not running at least 30 miles a week or the equivalent in other exercises and you can't carry 30-40 pounds on your back, then don't even try it.

Good luck to you who make the roundtrip - it is harder than a flat marathon. Trust me.

Feb 03, 2009 3:26PM

Hey there, I'm wondering what kind of fruit I can expect to see, and hopefully taste when I go to kauai. I've been trying to find all the information I can about growth patterns, and flowering seasons and all of that stuff, but when it comes right down to it, I can't find any ACTUAL information on when fruits are actually on the trees ready to eat, or what kinds there are.

So my short question is; What kinda of fruits can be found on kauai, where abouts are they mostly located, and when during the year are they edible.

Feb 04, 2009 4:23AM

Yeah, W, when we were there in August and the locals were showing us around the valley floor, I got a couple of great photos of the underside of a CG chopper.
All that money wasted to bust a few guys just tryin to make a livin off the land.
This country made the right choice for president; maybe some sanity can be injected into the bureaucracy as well.

Aloha

Feb 04, 2009 6:24PM

my husband and i would like to come and visit to hike and camp. when is the best month for this activity and how do i apply for permits? thanks!

Feb 04, 2009 8:30PM

How\'s the fishing @ Kalalau around Feb. I know wave conditions, etc..effect accordingly but thought I\'d bring my Ugly stick and try some whipping w/ rubber \"scroungers\"...any ideas/suggestions??? Tanks eh!

Feb 05, 2009 2:46AM

I have a very tough decision to make and was hoping for some input from this wonderful and friendly group. As part of our vacation this spring, I really want to spend some time on Kauai. But due to other commitments, we only have 4 days (arrive Sunday leave Thursday). So, I am wondering if it is worth it to spend most of that time on the Kalalau trail or if that should be saved for another trip. I had wanted to hike in one day, spend two nights then hike out. So, if it were your first visit to the island would you explore a little more or dive into the really good stuff (i.e. Kalalau)? Thanks for any input!

Nathan

Feb 05, 2009 4:25AM

My group of 4 just got back from the trail (1/30/09) and it was in great shape. Very muddy at first, but then we had no rain for our 2 days on the trail (stayed on the beach overnight) and there was a lot less mud on the way back. Really only had mud in the last 2 or 3 miles on the return trip. Both rivers were nice and low, safe enough to wade across easily. Plus, the "scary part" after mile 7 must either have been vastly improved, or exaggerated from the various reports, because it wasn't any more tricky than other parts of the trail. The main difference was there were no trees to break your fall, and you could actually see the cliff face, so it was mostly just the perception of danger that was greater there. On the return trip, I actually had to ask my friends "did we just pass through the "scary part?". :)

Temperatures were great on the beach. Had a tent and a silk sleeping bag liner. That, plus 2 pairs of socks, leg extensions to my convertible pants and a light jacket kept my warm enough all night, even on the beach. I didn't need to carry a bulky sleeping bag all the way out there. Had an emergency blanket, too, but I didn't use it.

Mosquitoes along the trail and at the small waterfalls were very bad. Bring bug spray. The sun can beat down pretty hard, even in January, so bring sunscreen and reapply halfway through, perhaps at the 6 mile camp.

I plan to post LOTS of photos, video and my Google Earth / GPS track to my site, www.Hammerfel.com , but if you have any questions in the meantime, please email me at hammerfel at gmail.com. Thanks! this thread was the BEST resource for trail info ANYWHERE on the web! :)

Feb 05, 2009 10:17PM

My brother and I will be coming in from Oahu to hike the trail. As information above dictates, I see you can take the bus to Hanalei and then hitch to Haena. We were thinking of staying at the YMCA that you had recommended. Do you know how far the YMCA is from the actual trailhead? Is it walkable or will we have to hitch there too? Thanks for any help you can give!

Feb 08, 2009 6:48PM

Hey there.....
I\'m going with my partner camping this next week to Kauai and we are going to camp along the Na Pali coast trail. Our plan is to hike in the 11mi the first day, camp and hike out 1/2 way the next day, camp and out the last.

I am used to camping in the northwest and have never camped on the beach. I can imagine that we may/may not be able to do this and maybe upland.

My question is: Inflatable pack mattress ?? Or no??

We are having a debate and I don\'t wanna be unprepared. Thanks!

Steve

Feb 09, 2009 5:00PM

We are hiking 2/18/2009 - 2/25/2009

Just found this site and had a few questions. If anyone can help me out, I\'d really appreciate it.

1. I have heard that the bus system will NOT allow Backpacks. Is there any good way to get to the trail head from Lihue Airport with at reasonable price, w/o renting a car? (and reliable for a pick-up for the way home)

2. Sleeping bag not neccesary? Really?? weather says 59-62 degrees at night, that sounds chilly.

Thanks for your help. Anyone else going to be on the trail next week?

Feb 09, 2009 5:03PM

Hello, My brother and I are hiking the trail in a couple of weeks. Does anyone know of a good way to get to the trail, from airport, with our backpacks? Thanks,, Frank

Feb 10, 2009 4:45PM

Help! We leave tomorrow!
I need to know if I should take a inflatable mattress on the Kalalau Trail even if we sleep on the beach.

Feb 12, 2009 10:38PM

Do you know any possibility to store luggage/valuables while on the trail?
Do you know a good spot to leave a rental car while hiking to Kalalau (I suppose Ke`e beach is NOT a good option...)
Thanks.

Sabrina Motta

Feb 13, 2009 5:53AM

My friend and I want to hike the trail in 3 days (April 12th- 14th)n- where would you recommend we camp during that period. I was thinking about hiking in to Kalalau beach the 1st day, staying there 2 nights and hiking back out the last day - is there a better way to do it?

Feb 13, 2009 6:57AM

Hey there, me and two friends are planning to go to kauai from April to August, and my mother seems to think that we will be rained on for the entire duration that we'll be there.

I'm asking if there is indeed a wet season and whether or not we're going to be in it.

"Weather" or not we are going so... what kind of rainfall can we expect? Half and half? 1/4? Do tell!

Thanks

Feb 15, 2009 1:13AM

What a wonderful site -- do you know if satellite phones (such as Iridium) work along the trail? Would you recommend one for safety or is making outside contact in case of injury 8 miles in not very problematic?

Do you have any suggestions on how we can determine the safety of swimming in the Ocean, near shore, at Kalalau when we are there in early May? Or is this something we just shouldn't even attempt. Is there much chance to catch fish this time of year?

Feb 21, 2009 12:08AM

I\'ve got an MSR Reactor and I\'m wondering about a good place to purchase the IsoPro fuel for it. Thanks!!!

Feb 22, 2009 6:45PM

Aloha, Thank you for this most informative site and for the time it must take you to run it. I will be in Kauai for the last two weeks of Apr. and wish to hike the Kalalau trail. I have not yet had success in my attempts to communicate with the folks at DLNR Parks. My question....What are the penalties if you hike (and are caught) without a permit. I want to hike the 11 miles in, stay one night and hike out the following day. This is not my first choice but if I can\'t get a permit in time I also do not wish to squander my only opportunity to hike this trail. Thank you, Lash

Feb 22, 2009 10:15PM

Ok, so I found this website really helpful for our prep to hike the Kalalau Trail in mid-february of this year. Sorry if this is super long, but I know I appreciated as much insight as possible before we left!

First of all, my husband and I stayed 3 nights out at Kalalau beach. We hiked straight through, both there and back, and didn't regret it. It seemed most people were just there a night, and those who broke up their trip regretted it. Of course, if 11 miles of strenuous hiking is out of the question, then by all means camp along the way. But if you can run 5 miles comfortably and have experience carrying a pack then just slug it out and go all the way. It took us about 6 and a half hours.

Next, some parts of the trail seriously freaked me out on the way there. With the combination of mud, high exposure and narrow, sloping trails, i have to admit I was intimidated. There were 3 places in the last 4 or 5 miles that made me cringe. That said, on the way back I didn't bat an eye (less muddy, and i knew what was coming) so I reckon a lot of this fear was mental. Still, I think it's good to know it's there.

We brought silk sleep sacks, long pants, socks, a fleece and vest and were still cold when we slept. If we'd had a light blanket i'm sure that would have made all the difference and still probably less bulky than a sleeping bag. Folks who had hammocks to hang out in during the day seemed to have it made.

It was pouring rain when we set out on the trail, it was like hiking in a waterfall. But we warm and actually the rain didn't bother us at all. I know it seems weird from the comforts of home, and I had the same reservations myself, but the rain cools you off, the clouds give a nice break from the beating sun, and you just don't notice it. We just made sure to keep our stuff really dry (lined our packs inside and out with contractor bags). If you're stuff is dry, you wont mind being wet during the day.

Take a walking stick! I hike a lot and never use one, but this thing was the best tool on my trip... especially for balance in the sticky mud.

Footwear: We both wore our very worn-in Chacos (the kind with the grippy tread). I wouldn't recommend any water shoe, but our Chacos were excellent. We even toted our running shoes just in case the Chacos didn't work out, but we never used them. We were both pleased and had no sores or blisters. Our Chacos definitely helped us be intrepid hikers through the puddles and rain. But if ankle support is a priority to you, then go with hiking boots.

Our main concern was our rental car. After some assurance from the folks at Pedal and Paddle we simply left absolutely nothing in our car and parked at the trail head for 4 days. no problems. we even had an obvious, white PT Loser (thanks Dollar rent-a-car). We heard the break-ins happened 3 times last year by this one dude who they finally caught. So, be cautious but not paralyzed by this fear.

One more thing, getting permits was easy to do in person. We just went into the office in Lihue right when we arrived and, although understaffed, the folks at DLNR were very friendly and we got our permits right away.

We absolutely loved our time on the trail and in the valley. One of the best hiking trips I think either of us has ever done (and my husbands a professional mountaineer). So, just go have and have a fantastic, memorable, peaceful and safe journey!

Feb 23, 2009 12:58AM

Lash,

When I wanted to get REAL information, I contacted Pearl at the DLNR Office in Lihue, either by e-mail
pearl.t.ajimine@hawaii.gov
or by calling her direct at (808) 274-3444.
or send me an email and I\'ll send you the form and you can mail it in.
Others have also reported good results from Pearl. Good luck. You have plenty of time to \'Githerdone\" before April.

Aloha
Curt

Feb 23, 2009 2:33PM

Hi,

I am planning to stay for 1 ou 2 nights at Kalalau Beach. Is it safe to leave the tent (with a locker) and all the stuff inside (not camera, etc...), and walk around during the day?

Thanks

Flavio.

Feb 24, 2009 12:05AM

Hey there, I was just wondering what kind of fishing I should do at the north west face of the island..? Should I bring a fishing rod and try to find some form of insect to use as bait or, is it more a spear fishing thing?

Feb 24, 2009 11:25PM

For Kyle.

Regarding fishing. If it were me I'd bring a real nice big surf rod, a sand spike, and some good heavy weights, because this time of year you can expect the surf zone to be super wide compared to summer. I have no idea whether lures, live bait, dead bait, chicken wings or raw beef would work best, but if you stick with something that will hang onto your hook until it gets out there you should be ok. I can't imagine any one snorkels at Kalalau in the winter months. Would you agree W?

ALoha,
Curt

Feb 25, 2009 1:38AM

Aloha,
my girl friend and I are come to Kauai for a month at the end of March. We are going to camp the whole time and both want to hike the Kalalau from the 2nd of April to the 9th. I think this should be sufficient time to get to the valley and have a good three night stay.
Should we apply for permits before we leave or are they easy to attain upon arrival? same for camping?
thanks much
cheers
Ryan

Feb 25, 2009 3:10AM

I'm hiking the trail in a couple of weeks. I'd like info from others about lining your pack (inside and out) with bags to keep items dry from rain. Right now, I plan on covering my pack on the outside if it rains, but I'd like info from others with experience on hiking in the rain. thanks.

Feb 25, 2009 12:01PM

Hey W, I was kidding about the chicken wings. Ive been spending too much time here at home watching sports and munching such things I guess. :)

Aloha,

Curt

Feb 26, 2009 9:17AM

With the pigs and goats running around. Am I needing to iodine my water or just use msr type filter?purifier? Thanks to all and have fun.

Feb 26, 2009 2:09PM

Great site and information. Thanks! I'll be coming back for a sixth time to beautiful Kauai in December and hope to hike the Kalalau solo. I was wondering if there was any way to get from the Kalalau valley over to Kokee Park and into Waimea Canyon, perhaps following the stream. Visually, highway 550 doesn't look that far, but I know looks can be very deceiving. Thanks again for such a terrific, up-to-date site!

Feb 26, 2009 10:38PM

My family and I hiked the Kalalau trail for about 4 hours back in late December and found it to be an awesome experience. I just wish I would have known about the iron oxide in the dirt before we went as I would have worn old shoes and clothing I didn't care about, as it does not wash out and will stain your clothes permanently. The trail was very muddy and I hear it is most of the time. Wear good solid shoes (not flipflops or sandals)for the trek as it is not easy, and one misstep might put you in trouble (yes there are dangerous parts to the trail) and last word of advice for those of you thinking of taking small children-Don't! unless they're stapped on to your back. Definately, one experience in Kauai not to be missed.

Meredith Chang

Feb 27, 2009 8:37AM

For some good recent photos of the Kalalau Trail and Pihea Trail out to the swamp, check out this new blog.

Feb 27, 2009 6:12PM

I will repeat what many others have already stated - what a great site for finding info. My twin brother and I will be hiking the trail next week. For this time of year, how much water would you recommend starting the trail with considering we will have water treatment pills and a filter (2L?)? About how early do you recommend safely starting the trail if you are not using hiking lights (1/2 hr before sunrise?)? Thanks.

Feb 28, 2009 2:18AM

Just hiked the 22 miles (both ways) on 25th&26th. All I have to say is that is a gnarley hike!! I'm scared of heights and I thought the whole trail was pretty bad! Just gotta keep your head down and power through it! The wind is something fierce too, too windy to even sit on the beach! Overall happy I did it, the sunset and stargazing were unreal,but that was gnarley! 6 hours in, 5 out, and that was hoofing it! oh yeah, and the trail was dry both days thank god.

Mar 02, 2009 2:59PM

Anyone know of a place on the island to rent a small, light two person tent and some sleeping bags to go along with? My husband and I are going to be there next week and are hoping to score some camping permits and hike the trail....but we need to rent a tent and some other gear. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Mar 04, 2009 7:01PM

Hello,
My fiance and I really want to hike the entire trail on our honeymoon. Can we leave our rental car overnight near Ke'e beach, as we will only be out one night?
Thanks!

Mar 04, 2009 10:04PM

Kyle here again, me and a friend are planning to hike all over Kauai, just assume we'll be all over the island.

We're bringing a katadyn pocket water filter so we won't have to continually buy water or carry it with us, BUT I have read about "Leptospira interrogans" and that it resides in some fresh water of kauai.

I'm just asking if you have any experience with this bacterial infection, and if it only resides in certain parts of the island-one site stated that it was only found on the north face, but what does "the north face" entail?

Also, do you think it would be wise to pre-buy the antibiotics to treat Leptospirosis?

Mar 05, 2009 11:32PM

It's ironic. There was another person with the name Kyle asking similar questions regarding the Kalalau Trail, hiking, water filtration, etc. because he was planning on "camping for six months." He was told by a moderator and a guest not to do this, yet here is another person named Kyle, asking the same questions, going for the same amount of time, and he's getting hints and support.

"Kyle here again, me and a friend are planning to hike all over Kauai, just assume we'll be all over the island."

I'd assume, but the correlation is too high. I'd also assume what you are doing is illegal and you have a general lack of respect for all that is beautiful - but environmentally and culturally.

Kauai Explorer - PLEASE don't encourage this any longer!!

Mar 06, 2009 5:57PM

Aloha,

For general information: I contacted the Center for Disease Control and they informed me that at present there is no scientific data that concludes that filtering (with present portable technology) will remove the lepto pathogens.

Mar 07, 2009 9:51AM

I want to hike the non-permit portion of the trail this week. I will only be in Kauai for one day and want to hike to Hanakapi'ai Falls. How long will a round trip hike (average) take?

Mar 09, 2009 3:00AM

Hello again from snowy Idaho! This website is such a great resource, thank you!

A few questions/comments:

I emailed Pearl from a tip in an earlier post and this was a successful way to get in touch for permits.

We are planning to camp for half the vacation and stay at a hotel/condo/hostel for the remainder, any suggestions for budget stays?

Would it be a realistic idea to plan on camping at Hanamaulu our first night on the island (arriving in early evening), can you walk there from the airport? A somewhat out-dated guide book I'm reading reports it might be a tough crowd, maybe not something we want to deal with our first night?

We are planning on bringing carryons that meet the airline requirements, a small backpack and \"purse\" each. Do you think these would be appropriate on the bus?

Has anyone heard of Aqua Mira? I use it all the time in the Rockies, just wondering if it would be effective on Kauai for water purification.

All for now, I\'m sure I will think of more. Trying to be laid back about everything since it is Hawaii!!!! But with all the permits starts to get confusing. Thanks again!

Mar 10, 2009 12:23AM

For Mark, I think that 8 miles to the falls is more likely to take you about 3-4 hours. Its still a pretty hard hike. Like W said, make a full day of it.

Mar 13, 2009 1:22AM

Hi there! Me and a few Friends are planning to spend about 2 week in Kauai hiking on any trails we can find really (and maybe checking out some not so treaded paths), and my biggest worry is footwear! Mostly because we've got some camping permits and will be out in the bush area for about 3 or 4 days at a time.

I'm worried that if I bring a very sturdy water proof hiking boot that they will invariably get wet and take forever to dry, or perhaps lead to swamp foot.

On the other hand tho, I'm worried that if I bring a very breathable hiking shoe that d