A Guide to Hiking the Kalalau Trail: Backpacking the NaPali Coast in Kauai
Backpacking the NaPali Coast in Kauai is unlike any other trip we have ventured on. We were blown away by the natural beauty of the NaPali Coast. This hike takes you along the rugged jungle coastline on Kauai’s North shore, and finishes at the remote Kalalau Beach. This is one of the most beautiful beaches, and the only way to access it is by hiking. It felt so special to see the sunset and sunrise in such a secluded and beautiful place!
Kalalau Trail Overview
- Distance: 22 miles roundtrip
- Trail type: out and back
- Elevation gain: 6,512 ft
- Trailhead: Ke’e Beach, Na Pali Coast State Park, Kauai
- Days to complete: 2 days, 1 night
- Permits required: yes
Table of Contents
Best Time of Year to Hike the NaPali Coast
Kauai is known for their lush green jungles, and because of this, Kauai gets the most rain out of all the Hawaiian islands. Because of this, the best time of year to hike the Napali Coast is during the dryer season, which runs April through November. We hiked in early July and lucked out on ideal hiking conditions.
Where to Stay Before and After the Hike?
It is best to start the Kalalau Trail early in the morning; therefore we recommend staying close by. The best options for accommodation close to the trailhead are Princeville and Hanalei Bay. It is about a 30 minute drive from Princeville to Kalalau trailhead.
We stayed at an Airbnb in Princeville and loved it! This Airbnb was walking distance to the popular Hideaway Beach and Queens Bath, as well as a short 5 minute drive to the heart of Hanalei Bay. See below our recommendations for what to do in the Princeville area!
How to Get Permits to Backpack the Kalalau Trail?
Permits are required for the Kalalau Trail to camp overnight in the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. Permits cost $35 per person per night and are available 90 days in advance. The permits go live at midnight Hawaii time and sell out immediately; so yes, unfortunately we had to wake up at 3am PST and cross our fingers we would land a permit! Reserve permits here.
Getting to the Trailhead & Parking Permits
Time to celebrate if you were able to score permits to backpack the Kalalau Trail! Don’t forget to also purchase an overnight parking permit for Haena State Park if you plan on driving to the trailhead and leaving your car there overnight while you hike. The price is per day that your car will be parked. For example, 1 night of camping will be 2 days. The cost is $40 for 2 days. We parked at the trailhead and it was great to be able to hop in the car and drive back immediately after the hike. Purchase parking permits online in advance.
If you do not want to drive and leave a car there overnight, the other option is to shuttle to and from the trailhead. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes and costs $40/person roundtrip. Be aware that there is no overnight parking at the shuttle stops so you cannot leave your car here. You can make a reservation for the shuttle online here.
Kalalau Trail Hike
Before we get started, we cannot stress enough that this hike is a CHALLENGE! Yes, it is absolutely gorgeous and breath-taking and worth every step, but be aware that this is a strenuous trail. There is a total of 6,512 ft elevation gain roundtrip, and it feels like there is a constant uphill and downhill. Not to mention the extra challenge of hiking in the heat and humidity. The hike there took us a total of 8 hours, as we stopped frequently to take pictures and soak up the first views. We started the hike at 7:30am and ended at Kalalau Beach at 3:30pm. Luckily there are incredible coastal views throughout the trail to stop and admire the scenery. The return trip only took us 6 hours as we were cruising back, eager to jump in the ocean and eat a celebratory dinner!
Water
Be sure to bring an Osprey or Camelback water reservoir for your pack since you will need more water than you think. We recommend bringing a 2-3L reservoir and a 2L Nalgene water bottle. You will need to pack a water filtering device (see below for details). There are bathrooms and a water fountain at 0.3 miles. From here, there is a river at mile 2 and mile 6 that are great for filtering and filling up. At Kalalau Beach, there is a waterfall by the campsites to fill up as well.
Miles 1 - 6
The start of the hike felt very smooth, I think largely because of the cooler morning temperatures and our excitement for the trail. The first 2 miles were more crowded because this part of the trail is open to day hikers. There is a river crossing at mile 2 that was a little tricky to cross so we were happy to have hiking poles to steady ourselves on the rocks. It was a little more slippery than expected, so we accidentally got some shoes wet during the crossing! We’d recommend throwing on your tevas (water shoes) to get across this one to keep the shoes dry for the long day of hiking.
From here, there is an option to take a 4-mile round trip detour hike up to the Hanakapiai Falls. We decided not to do this (recommendations from other bloggers) to save time to truly enjoy the final destination of Kalalau Beach. We were happy we saved the time!
After mile 2, the trail becomes very quiet and is only reserved for hikers with permits to Kalalau Beach. From here, you climb up and then descend into the Hanakoa Valley. This is a very jungly part of the trail with great views of the green rocky mountainside.
There is another river crossing at mile 6. We stopped here to filter and fill up our water bottles. Because of the heat and humidity, we found ourselves drinking way more water than usual. We also stopped for lunch to fuel ourselves for the last half of the trail. We were so happy we packed fresh sandwiches and coffee cake from the local market to energize us!
Mile 7 - 11
We were blown away by the coastal views of the last half of the trail. Starting at mile 7 is the famous “Crawlers Ledge”. We had watched videos and read blog posts about how this is one the most dangerous hikes in the world. We were pleasantly surprised that this leg of the trip was not as scary as we initially expected! The trail was very narrow, and there was a very steep drop off into the ocean, but with hiking poles, we felt steady. Luckily, neither one of us are afraid of heights, but I do think this would be a tricky trail to overcome if you were. The weather conditions were ideal for us – no wind or rain – which made the passing much easier. We brought microspikes for our hiking boots for peace of mind in case the trail was muddy, but fortunately we did not need to use them.
The second half of the hike (mile 7 through 11) was by far our favorite of the entire trail. The ocean views, jagged jungle coastline, and red rocks were so memorable. There was one more river crossing at mile 10.5 and this one was pretty deep, so we decided to throw the Tevas on and not risk any slips this time around. The excitement of seeing the beach and setting foot on the sand felt like a true accomplishment after 11 long miles to get here!
Camping at Kalalau Beach
Camping at Kalalau Beach was such a reward for completing this hike. We felt like we were living in a dream being able to camp literally on the sand at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world! There were plenty of places to camp along the beach, each area feeling secluded from the next. We recommend camping towards the end of the beach, closer to the waterfall. The waterfall is a great water supply and also serves as a shower to cool off after the long day (there were even PVC pipes that we used as a powerful shower head to get all the sand off). Being close to it was ideal for the night!
The only thing to look out for when choosing a campsite is to not camp too close to the outhouses (they were a bit smelly). Other than that, there were tons of fiddle-leaf fig trees that served as a great place to hang a zip-line or a hammock.
One word of caution is how strong the current is at Kalalau Beach. We were very much intending to spend the afternoon swimming in the ocean after a long day of hiking, but after seeing how strong the waves were crashing at the beach, we were hesitant to go for a swim. John braved the water for a few minutes, but feared going too far as the current had a strong undertow. Because there’s no phone service and very few people around, it’s wise to use caution when swimming here and not go out past where you can stand if the current feels strong.
We are firm believers that watching the sunset and sunrise is the best part of backpacking, and this hike was no different. We walked out on the beach, cooked our dehydrated meals, and enjoyed them while looking back at the stunning NaPali Cliffs towering above our tent. We soaked up every minute of this night and must have sat out there for hours as the sky slowly lost color. Camping on the sand made for one of the most comfortable backpacking sleeps of all time and you really can’t beat going to bed with the sound of crashing waves right outside your tent!
Ending the Kalalau Trail
The return hike felt much harder, probably because our legs were a bit tired from the day before, but also because it was very hot and humid with more sun exposure in the middle of the day. Hiking out took us only 6 hours compared to 8 on the way in since we had some extra motivation to finish the trail and jump in the ocean at Tunnels Beach! Tunnels was one of our very favorite spots in Kauai. We especially loved it because the water was a lot calmer than most of the other beaches. It was so blue, we could swim here for hours. There was no better way to end the trail than jumping in the water after a long two days of hiking!
Packing List to Hike the Napali Coast
This was our first time backpacking a coastal trek in a warm climate so we modified our packing list slightly.
The essentials:
- Backpacking pack + raincover
- Tent (+ stakes, rainfly, and groundsheet)
- Instead of a sleeping bag, we used a thin sleeping bag liner because of how warm it was at night time!
- Sleeping pad
- Pillow
- Hiking poles – a must!
- Microspikes – we ended up not using these, but they would be helpful if the trail was wet or slippery
Clothing:
- Tanks/tees
- Shorts
- Hiking boots + socks
- Underwear / sports bra
- Sun hat, sunglasses
- Tevas or waterproof hiking sandals (needed for river crossings)
- Rain jacket (luckily we did not even need it)
Cooking:
- Jetboil + fuel
- Utensils
- Mug
- Water filter (we recommend this one)
- Water bottles
- Food – see below
Food:
- Coffee
- Snacks: our favorites are trail mix, meat sticks, apples
- Breakfast: our go-to is protein oatmeal
- Lunch: sandwich from local store
- Dinner: dehydrated meal – GoodtoGo and Heather’s Choice are our favorites!
Other:
- Headlamp with extra batteries
- Sunscreen, bug spray
- Travel towel
- Bladder for water
- Playing cards
- Phone charger
- First aid kit
Recommendations for Princeville, Hanalei Bay, Kilauea Area
Coffee
Wishing Well Coffee and Tea (Hanalei)
- This was a great place for early morning coffee as it opened at 6:30am, which is very unique for Kauai! Most other cafes only open later.
Outpost Coffee at Hanalei Market (Hanalei)
- This is a great local roastery tucked away inside the market.
Hanalei Coffee Roasters (Hanalei)
- This is an all time classic in Hanalei. But be prepared to wait in a long line for coffee or breakfast.
The Haven (Hanalei)
- Located near Tunnels Beach and the start of the Kalalau Trail, this is the perfect place to grab a coffee before the hike. We were happy to see they serve pourovers!
Trilogy Coffee and Tea Bar (Kilauea)
- Our favorite coffee shop in this area! Their cold brew was to die for and they had lots of options for healthy baked goodies.
Breakfast/Lunch
Nourish Hanalei (Princeville)
- We could come back here every single day! This tiny little shop has a gorgeous view over Hanalei Bay. They have great healthy options for bowls, salads, and acai. We got take-away and brought it to the beach.
Saenz Ohana Breakfast (Princeville)
- Do not underestimate this little food truck. Their breakfast was so tasty! We got the pulled pork omelet and sausage breakfast burrito. While their breakfast is on the heavier side, it was delicious.
The Spot North Shore Kauai (Princeville)
- Great quick breakfast option! We enjoyed their healthy egg breakfast bowl.
Fresh Bite Farm to Beach (Hanalei)
- Healthy food truck with salads, bowls, and sandwiches in Hanalei.
The Dolphin (Hanalei)
- The Dolphin has both a restaurant and a fish market. We went to their fish market and got a sushi roll and poke for the beach. Their poke was absolutely incredible! The ahi sesame poke and spicy poke were both mouth-wateringly good.
Kilauea Fish Market (Kilauea)
- YUM! We went here twice because of how good their fish tacos were! This is a must go.
SushiGirl (Kilauea)
- Some of the best maki rolls of our lives! Highly recommend their spicy poke maki roll and don’t forget their sauce, so good.
Market/store
Hanalei Market (Hanalei)
This market is located in the heart of Hanalei and is a go-to for healthy snacks and packed lunches. We got some snacks and a sandwich for the hike.
Healthy Nut Market and Cafe (Kilauea)
This is another great healthy market located in Kilauea. We bought a chickpea wrap to bring on our hike which was great!
Kilauea Farmers Market (Kilauea)
If you find yourself in the area on a Saturday, do not miss the Kilauea Farmers Market. This was a highlight as we got to try all the fresh local fruits including papaya, mango, coconut, and dragonfruit. We also purchased some local macadamia nut coffee cake.
Dinner
Bar Acuda (Hanalei)
- WOW do we still dream of this dinner and cocktails. Bar Acuda is a tapas style restaurant that encourages multiple shared plates. We ordered the cucumber salad, Ono market fish, lamb riblets, and macadamia nut pesto pizza. Every dish was phenomenal. Reservations book up in advance, but we were able to walk-up and eat at the bar.
Postcards Restaurant (Hanalei)
- We ended up not making it to Postcards, but would recommend it as another dinner option in Hanalei.
We hope this Kalalau backpacking guide was helpful! Kauai will now and forever be a favorite tropical paradise. It is just a matter of time until we come back!
