Hawaiʻi Guide

KauaʻiNorth Shore (Hanalei & Hāʻena)

Hikes on the North Shore

Kalalau Trail to Hanakāpīʻai

The first two miles of Hawaiʻi's most famous trail — cliffs, valleys, and a wild beach.

<p>Day hikers can walk the Kalalau Trail's opening stretch from Keʻe to Hanakāpīʻai Beach (4 miles round trip; add 4 more, steep and slick, for the falls). It needs the Hāʻena State Park reservation, real footwear, and respect: the stream flash-floods and the beach's currents are lethal — admire the water, don't enter it. The full 11-mile trail to Kalalau requires a separate camping permit.</p>
Time
3-4 hours (beach) / 6-8 (falls)