If I had to recommend one adventure that anyone willing needs to experience in life, this would be it. The undeniable beauty of Hawaii, and more so Kauai, and even more so the Napalii coast of Kauai are well known, and if you're not already familiar, start by looking into that alone. But what makes the Kalalau Trail truly exceptional is the intimacy of the experience it provides. As with any world renowned beautiful place, crowds come with the territory, and Hawaii is no exception. However, with the right amount of barriers to access and effort required, the crowds can be kept to a minimum. The Kalalau has just just the right amount of both, so for those with enough motivation and physical aptitude, you can experience one of the most amazing places on the planet with a great level of isolation and intimacy.
Touted as being a roughly 22 mile round trip with cumulative elevation gain of nearly 10,000ft, it is definitely a trek you want to do as an overnighter, and probably as many nights as you can find time and carry enough supplies for. With the added weight of multi-day camping gear, the tropical temperatures and humidity, the often slippery/muddy terrain and multiple river crossings, it is just extreme enough to keep most travelers from attempting it. On top of that, you have to have a permit, which requires some advanced planning, and you'll want to choose your season wisely to minimize the risk of excessive rain and flooding given that it is one of the rainiest places on the planet. Once you've jumped over all the necessary hurdles to actually get there you quickly see why it's worth it.
Almost the entire trail is carved into a very steep hillside, sometimes resembling more of a cliff, and boarding the ocean the whole way. Dense tropical foliage lines the trail as you climb successive ridges for exceptional ocean views and descend into adjacent valleys where you'll encounter varying degrees of technical river crossings and much appreciated water refills. There is an amazing 1/2 way spot you can camp on wooden platforms built atop boulders over a rushing river, if you want to break up the voyage. You'll eventually have to traverse the infamous crawlers ledge, which really isn't that scary or difficult, before you eventually reach the beach. Right out of a dream, a 1/2 long white sand beach with a waterfall landing right on the sand, a thicket of trees to camp and find shade in, and an enormous cave right on the beach to explore or seek shelter in if a big storm really hits as it did when we were there. A place so picturesque you really consider never leaving, as many others have attempted with varying ranges of success over the years.
Those are just a few of the highlights, but the intimacy of the time spent on the trail and the beach, in a beauty of such magnitude, with the relative lack of crowds is something truly special for this world. If you really commit to this journey, I assure you it will be worth your while and I recommend you follow these couple tips. Wear legitimate hiking shoes, bring electrolyte supplements and a good water filter, use trekking poles, and take as many days as possible!
