The Kalalau Trail is an amazing 11 mile trail over rugged and dangerous terrain on the northwest side of the island of Kauaʻi. This part of the island is called the Nā Pali Coast - named for towering cliffs that drop into the Pacific and protect the lush valley the Kalalau trail is named for. A group of my colleagues planned this hike as a 4-day vacation before a conference in Honolulu. Because permits are necessary and in high demand, we started planning the trip in the winter of 2014 for a June 2015 hike. The hike was magical and is among the best hikes I've ever done, but it is hard and requires attention to planning and safety. Below is a brief description of our itinerary.
We found this note within the first 2 miles of the hike, "...we went back to the car". This note summarizes the difficulty of the trail very well. The trail meanders up and down huge elevation changes while finding the path of least resistance westward.
Some portions of the trail are only 2-3 feet wide. To the right is a massive drop to the ocean.
But other portions of the trail have huge waterfalls and thick forest to look at on the left.
We are in the valley now. This is the view toward the beach where the designated camping area is located.
This stream is the main source of water for campers. Here we see where is drops out of the valley and into the ocean.
The far west side of the beach is home to the waterfall used as a bathing area.
A colorful sunset on our last evening in the valley.
Here is another view of the water source from up in the valley near the actual trail.
Gear: Nikon D610 with 14mm and 28mm lenses.
© 2010 - Andrew Reineberg