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Kalalau Trail
Hiking Trail
Hard
19.56 mi
6,271 ft
The Kalalau Trail is an 11 mile (18 kilometre) trail along Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai (Hawaii) from Keʻe Beach to the Kalalau Valley. It is considered to be incredibly beautiful but also not without danger and should not be underestimated.
The Kalalau Trail goes 11 miles each way and while it can be done in a single day, most hikers camp en route and take 2 days over it (camping is only permitted at a forested streamside campsite at Hanakoa Valley (at the 6 mile mark) and Kalalau Beach - the finish point of the trail. Permits are required to camp and a permit is also required if you want to hike the whole trail in a day (ie. without camping), although it is permitted to hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls and back without a permit. Visit the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resource Online Reservation System to reserve your permit. The scenery and terrain on the trail is staggering in both its quality and variety, with the wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, streams, valleys and even stone walled terraces where early settlers lived and farmed taro (a type of vegetable). The trail crosses 5 major valleys and undulates all the way to Kalalau beach and there are a number of river crossings which can be treacherous after bad weather (a good rule of thumb is to never cross a river deeper than your knees) but quickly return to normal levels when the sun reappears. The trail itself can also be slippery after bad weather, and the risks of hiking this trail are exacerbated by the lack of cell phone coverage on it. Despite these risks, the vast majority of hikers have a wonderful time on this trail and return to civilisation confirming its "epic" reputation! Written by Charlie Boscoe
The Kalalau Trail goes 11 miles each way and while it can be done in a single day, most hikers camp en route and take 2 days over it (camping is only permitted at a forested streamside campsite at Hanakoa Valley (at the 6 mile mark) and Kalalau Beach - the finish point of the trail. Permits are required to camp and a permit is also required if you want to hike the whole trail in a day (ie. without camping), although it is permitted to hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls and back without a permit. Visit the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resource Online Reservation System to reserve your permit. The scenery and terrain on the trail is staggering in both its quality and variety, with the wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, streams, valleys and even stone walled terraces where early settlers lived and farmed taro (a type of vegetable). The trail crosses 5 major valleys and undulates all the way to Kalalau beach and there are a number of river crossings which can be treacherous after bad weather (a good rule of thumb is to never cross a river deeper than your knees) but quickly return to normal levels when the sun reappears. The trail itself can also be slippery after bad weather, and the risks of hiking this trail are exacerbated by the lack of cell phone coverage on it. Despite these risks, the vast majority of hikers have a wonderful time on this trail and return to civilisation confirming its "epic" reputation! Written by Charlie Boscoe
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ke'e Beach Trail | 0.50 mi | 394 ft | 14.8% |
| Ke'e Beach to Hanakapi’ai Beach | 2.09 mi | 486 ft | 0.2% |
| Ha'ena to Kalalau Beach | 10.81 mi | 810 ft | 0.0% |
| Kuhio Hwy Climb | 0.25 mi | 400 ft | 29.8% |
| Hawaii 560 Climb | 0.30 mi | 144 ft | 8.9% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.19 mi | 249 ft | 23.6% |
| Hawaii 560 Climb | 0.68 mi | 584 ft | 16.1% |
| After Hanakapiai beach to kalalau beach | 9.14 mi | -761 ft | -0.7% |
| Hawaii 560 Climb | 0.26 mi | 272 ft | 19.2% |
| Kuhio Hwy Climb | 0.26 mi | 135 ft | 9.6% |
| Hawaii 560 Climb | 0.32 mi | 364 ft | 20.5% |
| Pihea Trail Climb | 0.23 mi | 141 ft | 11.1% |
| Pihea Trail Climb | 0.25 mi | 161 ft | 12.1% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.40 mi | 262 ft | 12.4% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.43 mi | 249 ft | 10.9% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.28 mi | 295 ft | 19.5% |
| Kalalau Beach to Ha'ena | 10.79 mi | -807 ft | -0.0% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 1.05 mi | 732 ft | 13.1% |
| Napali Coast Trail | 9.65 mi | -728 ft | -0.0% |
| Kuhio Hwy Climb | 0.34 mi | 151 ft | 8.3% |
| Kuhio Hwy Climb | 0.65 mi | 354 ft | 10.2% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.23 mi | 174 ft | 14.1% |
| Kuhio Hwy Climb | 0.38 mi | 318 ft | 15.7% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.22 mi | 144 ft | 12.2% |
| State Highway 560 Climb | 0.85 mi | 492 ft | 10.9% |
| Hanakapiai to Ke'e | 1.81 mi | -633 ft | -0.5% |
| Kalalau Trail Climb | 0.19 mi | 292 ft | 28.8% |