I’ve hiked the Kalalau Trail three times now, and it’s one of my favorite hikes in Hawaii. It’s an epic coastal trek on the island of Kauai that’s usually done in 3 days and 2 nights.
This adventure has it all: jungles, beaches, waterfalls, and the towering green cliffs of the Na Pali coast — the perfect place to camp!
It’s also a notoriously long and tough hike with some risks involved, so permits are required to do the trail.
Even so, it’s a very special experience that’s worth any of the hassle that may stand in your way.
In this blog post, I’ll explain everything you need to know about the Kalalau Trail and how to hike it!
*These are total stats for the roundtrip trek
One of my favorite parts of the trek
The hike begins at Ke’e Beach with a steady climb along a rocky and muddy trail. The start of the hike is actually the muddiest part of the whole trail.
You’ll get your first good views of the Na Pali coast at approximately 1.2 miles, and sometimes in the winter you can even see whales spouting in the distance.
Early views on the hike
Next, the trail descends to Hanakapiai Beach and crosses the stream.
Sometimes it’s better to take your shoes and socks off, and wade through the streams, rather than trying to hop boulders; otherwise you run the risk of falling in and getting all your gear wet.
After the stream, there’s an optional spur trail to Hanakapiai Falls if you want to see a tall waterfall and go for a swim.
That detour adds 3.4 miles roundtrip, so you’ll probably want to save your energy for the main trail, and think about doing it on the way back.
Stream crossing
Wonderful Hawaiian scenery
There’s another ascent, and the trail becomes noticeably more rugged and narrow, with thick foliage on both sides. The bushes may occasionally hide steep drop-offs, so don’t get too careless.
Along the way, you’ll often hear the buzz of helicopter tours overhead. Seeing the Na Pali coast from above is a bucket list experience if you get the chance to do it!
Eventually you’ll pass through a gate at Space Rock, which is the highest point of the trail, and then there are two smaller stream crossings (Ho’olulu and Waiahuakua).
There’s a camping area at the Hanakoa Valley, but it’s buggy. Then there’s another stream crossing and an optional spur trail to Hanakoa Falls that adds 1/2 mile roundtrip.
The landscapes are so exotic
Another stream crossing
Helicopter view of the Na Pali coast. The trail winds along this coastline!
The section after Hanakoa is one of the most treacherous parts of the hike. It’s not technical, but can be scary.
There’s an awkward descent on a slippery dirt path, followed by an infamous section called Crawlers Ledge.
The path is slightly wider than a person, with a rock wall on one side and steep drop-offs into the ocean on the other. You’ll have plenty of traction as long as you walk slowly and hug the wall.
After Crawlers Ledge, the trail continues across high ridges with expansive views of the Na Pali coast. There are a few dirt sections where you need to watch your step, especially if it’s raining, but other than that it’s mostly safe.
Crawlers Ledge
Another steep section of the trail
Welcome sign at the red hill
First views coming into Kalalau
At this point, the trail begins a long descent toward Kalalau Valley, offering sneak peaks of the beach far below.
These are the best views of the whole hike in my opinion, but fatigue really sets in here and the trail starts to seem never-ending.
There’s one more stream to cross, and then you arrive at the majestic Kalalau Beach, which is surrounded by tall cliffs. Welcome to paradise!
In many ways, Kalalau is the ultimate place to camp, with plenty of sites to pitch a tent or hammock among the trees. There’s even a little waterfall you can use to shower, called Ho’ole’a Falls. At night, you sleep to the sound of the waves.
When you’re done camping at Kalalau, you retrace the same trail to go back.
The little waterfall is perfect for baths
Kalalau is the ultimate camping place
Tent camping near the beach
Toilet at the camp
Here’s a map from AllTrails that shows the hiking route and elevation profile.
As you can see, it’s a fairly straightforward route, but it’s long and there are tons of ups and downs. It’s like hiking on a rollercoaster!
If you sign up for AllTrails Plus, you can download the map and use it offline while hiking. It’s very handy!
Here’s a good 6 hour long video on YouTube that shows the entire Kalalau Trail from start to finish, if you want to be able to visualize everything.
A permit is required to hike and camp on the Kalalau Trail, and only a limited number are available per day.
During the summer months, permits can sell out very fast, so you have to act quickly and book months in advance to get one.
Otherwise, it’s possible to hike the first 2 miles of the trail (to Hanakapiai Beach & Falls) with a day use reservation from Ha’ena State Park, but anyone going past Hanakapiai needs an overnight camping permit.
Remember to save a copy of your permit on your phone, or print a copy and keep it dry. You probably won’t be able to pull up emails during the hike, and you need to be able to show the permit if any park rangers do a spot check on the trail.
Book Now: Kalalau Camping Permits
Permit sign at Hanakapiai
These views are worth the challenge
The trailhead for Kalalau is located at Ke’e Beach near Hanalei, on the north side of Kauai.
If you’re planning to explore other places in Kauai, the best way to get around is by renting a car. We’ve used DiscoverCars and can recommend them. Coming from the Lihue airport, the drive is easy but takes a little over 1 hour.
Otherwise, if you don’t have transportation in Kauai, you can get to the trailhead with Lyft or Uber, but it’s going to be expensive.
There’s also a shuttle system from Princeville and Waipa, but it’s pretty limited.
Trailhead
The trailhead has bathrooms, outdoor showers, and drinking fountains.
You can use these to get recharged or cleaned up, before and after the hike.
Bathrooms at the trailhead
Another issue at the Kalalau trailhead is parking.
Even if you have a camping permit for the full hike, you need a separate permit to park overnight at the trailhead. These are available at Go Haena.
Vehicle break-ins are very common at the trailhead, so please don’t leave anything valuable or important in your car.
If you get to the trailhead by shuttle or any other drop-off, you don’t need a parking permit for that.
Last time I did the hike, a relative dropped me off at the trail and then picked me up after. A permit isn’t needed for that as long as they don’t park or stay at the trailhead.
Cross these planks to reach the trailhead from parking
Hiking path near Hanakapiai
The views are amazing for almost the whole trek
Red clouds in the sunset
Ranger shack at Kalalau Beach
Sunset at Kalalau Beach
Kalalau is a long, hard hike with a ton of elevation gain. There’s also the heat and humidity, and the fact that you’ll be carrying a heavy pack for camping.
It takes a full day of hiking (6-12 hours) to hike one way from the trailhead to the beach, and then at least as long to hike back to the trailhead.
All in all, it’s one of the hardest hikes I’ve done. You should definitely train for it before you go. It’ll wreck you.
The long red hill
Ideally, you should spend at least a full day and two nights resting at Kalalau Beach before you hike back.
Last time I did the trek in 2 days and 1 night, but that was even harder and I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re short on time.
Usually by the time I reach the camp at the end of the trail and flop down to sleep, I’m so tired I could sleep on solid rock. Even the hard ground feels soft like a mattress.
Going back is a chore too. The ups and downs seem endless, like a rollercoaster of elevation gain.
If you need to make the trail easier, you can break it up by spending an extra night camping at Hanakoa in either direction, although that’s a buggy campsite with not much to see.
Epic sunset at Kalalau
Kalalau is not without risks. This is a very weather dependent hike and the conditions can change in an instant.
I wouldn’t recommend this hike for young kids, older people who aren’t in good shape, or anyone who isn’t surefooted and comfortable with heights.
As of 2026, there have been 17 confirmed deaths on the trail, and that’s if you exclude drownings at the beaches, where another 59 have died.
I wrote a complete safety guide with more info about these incidents, how they happened, and how you can avoid them. You can check it out in the link below.
Read More: Deaths & Safety At Kalalau
This dirt cliff can be scary when it rains
A pic from my second hike at Kalalau
Giant plant along the trail
Chilling on the red hill
Noni fruit
The dry season in Kauai runs from April to September. You’re still not guaranteed to have good weather in those months, but in general it’s the best time to do the hike. It’s going to be easier, safer, and more enjoyable.
The rainy season in Kauai runs from October to March, and the island is especially wet from December to February. You can still do the trek in those months, but you have a higher chance of running into rain, mud, and cloudy weather.
Every time I’ve done Kalalau was in the rainy season, just because we prefer to go to Hawaii in the winter to escape the cold on the mainland. One of the nice things in the winter is that it’s easier to snag permits because there’s less competition for them.
As you would expect, I’ve run into rain on most of my hikes at Kalalau, but it was still a blast and the hike is still very doable in the wet season as long as you’re careful and you respect the weather.
Before my hike, I kept an eye on the weather forecast for Hanalei at TWC and Accuweather, and that was pretty accurate.
The state may close the trail if the weather gets too sketchy, but you can monitor that on the DLNR website or Go Ha’ena.
A phone pic from my first hike at Kalalau
Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this guide for how to hike the Kalalau Trail in Kauai.
Don’t forget to check out my other Hawaii travel guides before you go!
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