The third time was the charm! It took us three trips over the years to finally go hiking on the Kalalau Trail in north Kauai. This area was usually closed to the public due to landslides or flooding or construction. Here are some tips for hiking the first two miles of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail leading to Hanakāpīʻai Beach.
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My husband and I recently returned from a Kauai trip and we’re so happy to have finally done this scenic trail. Kalalau Trail stretches along the Napali Coast.
The trail is located inside the Ha’ena State Park. This hike is very much more about the journey than the destination. It was well worth the wait but it’s not as easy as it used to be with some crowd control measures now.
Entry and Reservations to Kalalau Trail
The most important thing to know about going on this trail is that all day-use visitors must purchase online reservations for park entry at (https://www.gohaena.com/) prior to arriving whether you’re driving/walking/biking in or riding the shuttle.
You will be turned away if you don’t have any reservations/ticket at the entrance. Tickets are NOT sold at the park entrance.
There are only 100 parking spaces at the park and 30 of them are reserved for the locals on a first-come, first serve basis with no necessary reservations. The other 70 require reservations and open up 30 days before any date.
Of course, these disappear pretty quickly. Parking along the nearby streets are prohibited.
If you cannot grab these parking reservations, don’t worry there is still a way to get to the park. Visitors can purchase and reserve time slots to get on the shuttle bus.
Visitors can reserve park entry only tickets or a combination with parking or the shuttle bus ticket. These tickets are good all day. The park entry only tickets are only for those who are with Hawaii residents or those who can walk or bike to the Ha’ena park entrance.
Since we weren’t lucky enough to grab a parking space, we had to reserve the shuttle bus to get to the park. So, how early do you want to buy your shuttle and park tickets?
There are several things to consider. It mainly depends on your itinerary, time of visit and how important a sunny day is to you while hiking this trail.
The northern part of Kauai receives more rain than most areas of the island. We were here in early November where it averages 17 days of rain.
If you’re coming during the summer, you may not have as much of an issue with rain. But, it will be more crowded and available time slots may disappear more quickly.
Since weather was our top priority, we kept an eye out on rain during the week of our visit. We reserved our tickets a few days before the actual day of our Kalalau trail hike.
It was for the sunniest day of the week and on a weekday hoping it would be less crowded. Reserving just a few days before worked out for us because this was a slower travel period. Please check the day/time slots available a week or two before you arrive.
Our reservation was for a Monday at 9 AM. Shuttle pick up and drop off is at Waipā Park & Ride which is less than a mile from the town of Hanalei. The earliest shuttle reservation is at 6:30 AM and is valid until 5:30 PM that day (which is also the last shuttle out of the park).
Do not miss this last shuttle bus or it’s a long six miles to the park and ride lot. The park closes at sunset.
The Shuttle Ride to Kalalau Trail
Arrive at the Waipā Park & Ride lot about 15 minutes before your scheduled shuttle departure. There is no Internet/cell service at the park. Download your tickets to your phone or print it out prior to arriving at the lot.
Please pre-determine how far your drive is to this lot and how much time it will take especially if you’re coming from the south side like the Poipu resort area.
Take note of any road closures, construction areas or traffic especially in the one lane bridge by Hanalei. Highway updates for Kauai can be found by subscribing to this site. Check this website for park/ocean closures the day before your designated date.
If you somehow miss your scheduled shuttle bus time or need to go another time but on the same day, there is an opportunity to ride standby if space is available. Talk to the parking lot attendant when you arrive Shuttle reservations can be canceled five days before the reserved departure date.
The park and ride for the shuttle was a dirt parking lot and there were plenty of spaces. The attendant checked us all in before boarding the shuttle bus.
The ride was about 20 minutes which took us through some beautiful and coastal views. The scenic ride was enhanced with some Hawaiian music and narration.
As we passed some of the small towns, the recording was coordinated so we could learn more about their history. They played some local and relaxing music on the ride back to the lot.
The shuttle stopped at Tunnels Beach and Limahuli Gardens and Preserve before the park. Riders can get on and off at any of these stops along the route. Check this website for the route and schedule.
Ha’ena State Park
When we entered Ha’ena State Park, an attendant met us to reinforce that the last shuttle bus time was at 5:30 PM. The buses also did not operate between noon and 1:30 PM. So, time your returns accordingly. The return trip was on a first come, first serve basis and names are taken by the attendant.
There was a wooden walkway surrounded by taro fields on the way to the trail. 73% of Hawaii’s taro production is grown in Kauai’s north shore area. This was a beautiful area of the state park that allowed visitors to see how taro is grown up close.
The walkway ended on a pathway surrounded by trees. This was a pleasant walk as we heard various sounds from birds chirping to chickens clucking. It ends on a clearing and on to Ke’e Beach which is at the start of the trail. This was a public beach with lifeguards.
Use the restroom located at the start of the trail. There are no facilities along the trail. Remember, this is at least a two hour hike one way.
Hiking the Kalalau Trail (the first two miles)
The start of the trail instantly told us this wasn’t going to be easy. It was a series of rough rocky paths going up. I call them ankle breaking rocks because they really can cause quite some pain with a single misstep.
There are several clearings and lookouts with these amazing views of the coast and ocean. It gave us a glimpse of the Napali coast with the rugged and jagged mountain ridges. This certainly was one of the best views we’ve ever had hiking.
Slowing down in some areas allowed us to see some of plants along the way. It was wonderful to see the variety of tropical plants along the trail. We found orchids, palms, ferns and even guava trees.
Make way for hikers who will pass you and for those returning. I welcomed this opportunity to stop and take a breather.
There were some narrow pathways. Some of these narrow paths had a drop off down into a jungle of trees below.
Even though it wasn’t raining during our hike, it rained briefly the previous day. There were puddles in some areas and many parts of the trail were quite muddy.
The trail was a combination of narrow pathways, dirt and rocky paths, switchbacks with many ascends and descends along the way.
While going uphill can be quite challenging in some areas, I found going down some paths to be more stressful. Many of the paths were slippery and this was evident after seeing several people slip (including yours truly) and also seeing all the muddy shorts and pants at the beach from falls.
This was our first sighting of our beach destination below. It was such a relief to see how close we were. But, take a look at that lush mountain backdrop too.
The last leg of the trail to the beach was crossing this creek. It’s a great place to stop and wash your muddy shoes and socks and legs and anything else that got muddy.
You can bypass the creek by climbing and scrambling on the rocks along the side. We did this and I don’t recommend it especially if you’re traveling with kids. It took some clever maneuvering and some help (for me, anyway) to go from one rock to the other.
We crossed the creek on the way back. The water was below our knees. Though, the rocks were quite slippery but going very slowly and watching where you step helped a lot.
Please keep in mind that the water levels can vary greatly depending on rainfall and season. This area has also been known for flash floods. If water levels are waist high, please do not attempt to cross.
Destination: The Hanakapiai Beach
Was it worth the two mile hike to Hanakapiai Beach? Absolutely! This was an expansive and beautiful beach surrounded by jagged cliffs. It was very idyllic with its half moon shape and golden soft sand and the creek emptying into the sand.
Spend some time at the beach for a picnic or a nap. You very much deserve it after the hike here.
We spent close to two hours for lunch, a stroll around the area and a quick nap. With the crashing waves and the ocean breeze, it was a wonderful environment to relax.
Though the sound waves may be soothing and beautiful, there are warnings for wading or swimming here. Surf conditions and rip currents are particularly high during the winter and are extremely dangerous.
There were a couple of small sea caves worth exploring along the beach. They were great for shade.
The one on the right side, when facing the ocean, was a bit deeper allowing for entry to examine the rocks closely. There are composting toilets in the area by the creek.
Further Adventures Ahead on Kalalau Trail
If you’re more adventurous than us or have more time, you can keep going on the Kalalau Trail further after the first two miles. There is another two mile trek inland that will take visitors to beautiful Hanakapi’ai Falls.
The strenuous two hour hike crosses some streams/rivers, rocks and forests with a 760 feet elevation gain. It is highly recommended to do this waterfall hike during dry weather to avoid falling rocks and branches and especially flash floods while crossing the rivers.
Camping
There are opportunities for camping on the Kalalau Trail specifically Kalalau and Hanakoa. Visitors must have valid camping permits if hiking beyond the Hanakapi’ai Valley.
There is a maximum of five consecutive nights length. Limited overnight parking spots are available. Check this website for how to obtain camping permits and additional camping information.
What to bring/pack when hiking the Kalalau Trail
Water – Bring plenty of water for this hike. The park recommended to have 2 liters per person. The 40 oz Hydro Flasks were great for this hike.
It’s so important to stay hydrated while on this trail. The parking lot attendant mentioned not to underestimate the hike or sun and people with common occurrences of dehydration and other heat related incidents including ones involving being air lifted off the trails.
Bring snacks and/or lunch and have a picnic at Hanakāpīʻai Beach beach or Ke’e Beach after the hike. Granola bars, fruits and sandwiches are ideal.
For some local flavor, spam musubi, which are a slice of fried SPAM on top of rice and wrapped with seaweed, are sold in convenience and grocery stores are great as snacks or lunch items. Two great grocery stores to buy your snack and lunch items on the North Shore on the way to the trail is Foodland in Princeville and Times Supermarket in Hanalei.
Bring Phone Chargers. You’ll be gone for most of the day and you do need those phones charged to take many pictures of the beautiful scenery. We like this wireless portable charger.
Pack a Beach Blanket or Towel. Since you’ll be spending some time at Hanakāpīʻai or Ke’e Beach, a towel or beach blanket will come in pretty handy for picnics or naps at the beach. Many people sat on the rocky areas which isn’t very relaxing.
We highly recommend getting this sand-resistant and water-resistant outdoor blanket that opens to 83″L x 78″W inches and covers a huge area. It packs into a compact size. We’ve used this at several beach excursions at home in San Diego and Hawaii.
Sunscreen – The Hawaiian islands can give some pretty intense heat. Some parts of the trail leaves you exposed directly to the sun especially if you’re returning in the afternoon.
Please buy sunscreens that do not harm marine life and help preserve our ocean. Hawaii is the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens that contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate which harm coral reefs. Here are a few examples.
- Thinksport SPF 50 Sunscreen
- Banana Boat Simply Protect SPF 50+ Sunscreen spray
- Olita Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30
Insect Repellant – Since you will be trekking through dense forest areas and lush vegetation with common rainfall, it’s very important to be protected from whatever lurks on the trail. If you’re traveling with a carryon travel bag only, these OFF! Insect repellant towelettes are more handy than the bug spray and mosquito repellant.
Hiking Poles/Walking sticks – I think having these would have helped a lot with this hike. We saw plenty of people using them and watched how it helped them quite a bit especially ensuring some stability when descending on some areas and crossing the water. We just bought these Trail Buddy collapsible hiking poles and will definitely bring them on our next hiking trip and our return trip here.
Bring a hiking hat and sunglasses for extra added protection too.
Rain gear or thin waterproof jacket – Rain showers won’t be a surprise on this hike. Weather can drastically change here quickly so come prepared. Pack a lightweight rain jacket that will help you stay dry for the most part.
Hiking boots – Due to the varying terrain on the trail and requiring better traction, it is best to wear hiking boots here. My husband and I wore Keen sandals which worked out well for the most part.
We didn’t want to pack our bulky hiking boots or wear them on the plane. In hindsight, we probably would have been better off with hiking boots since the mud really stuck to the bottom of our shoes.
My husband has worn his Merrell Moab hiking shoes for years. I also have the Merrell Moab hiking shoes for women and have worn them for many years hiking at many trails and National Parks.
Waterproof backpacks. I recommend several items here that require a lightweight backpack to easily carry them. We love our water-resistant Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable 20L Daypack. They fold into a small size and are quite spacious when unfolded. We’ve used this for many outdoor adventures.
Additional Tips for hiking the Kalalau Trail
Go early. The earliest shuttle bus is at 6:30 AM. If you’re hiking to Hanakapi’ai Falls Falls, get there as early as you can. Since we were only doing the four-mile roundtrip, we did the 9 AM which was actually later than what I would have liked.
My husband wanted to watch the sunrise and have a good breakfast before this hike. Hence, our late start.
I would recommend booking between the 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM shuttles. The later you start, the more people there will be on the trails despite the crowd control system.
Hiking back in the late afternoon also means it’s hotter on the trails. Allow at least four hours to complete this particular roundtrip hike plus some beach time.
Is hiking the Kalalau Trail for the kids? We only saw a handful of kids who were under 10 years old. But, it was a November Monday. If your kids are used to hiking, this is doable but go slowly.
I wouldn’t recommend this for kids who have never hiked over a mile before or for toddlers. This isn’t a short-distance and flat trail. It is four miles roundtrip with plenty of rocky and muddy terrain and some elevation gain.
Be Aware. Keep track of the distance you’ve completed using the Workout App if you have an Apple Watch. It gave us an idea on how far we were to the destination.
Leave no waste behind. Like visiting many outdoor spaces, please remember to bring a paper bag or recyclable container to dispose of your wrappers or trash.
*Check out these Kauai tours for your trip.
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