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Posted (edited)

Trip: Kauai North Shore - Kalalau Trail

Trip Date: 03/28/2025

Trip Report:

 

Went to Kauai for spring break... no climbing... what a bummer. At least I got to hike some cool terrain. Would highly recommend.

 

Only had the morning so I went light and fast. Only made it 9 out of the 10 miles out before my turn around time... I had to meet the family at a beach (tough life)... but this did get me to the ridge overlooking the Kalalau Vaslley, which is where the end point is. Trail was very rough and couldn't run very much. Once the sun was higher, heat stroke felt like it was just around the corner. Last 2 hrs were rough and once I reached the Ke'e beach I stood under the rinse shower for 5 minutes with all my clothes on and chugged a liter of water much too fast.

The permit system is a little difficult to navigate, you can book 3 months out and need an overnight permit to go past Hanakapiai creek. I lucked out and snagged a pass a month out. The permit system does make it very nice once you're in, as there are very few people around for such a known and beautiful trail. There are lots of tour boats and helicopters showing the wealthy and lazy around this side of the island. It's pretty annoying in general. However, it was ego tickling when I was running a particularly exposed section of cliff and some guys in their boat tour a 100m off shore started cheering and chanting.

Here's the pictures...

Big plants

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Big cliffs

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Exposed trail... still nice and shady on the way out

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Wild goats... combined with the vegetation and the volcanic rock and it's basically just like the Cascades.

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Count the tour boats

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More big cliffs

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Looking back, rugged terrain

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More big cliffs, oooh pretty light

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And even more big cliffs

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Looking back out / big cliffs redeux

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Kalalau Valley

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Exposed scramble section... felt very chill but there were some seriously sketched out hikers

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Beach recovery... water was too warm to ice bath... pity

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Gear Notes:
Trail shoes, snacks, lots of water and electrolytes.

Approach Notes:
Ha'ena State Park shuttle from Hanalei. Book your permit online 3 months out.

Edited by bedellympian
  • Like 1
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Posted

One of my favorite hikes ever, so great!....spent five days out there in the fall of 2002 on our honeymoon....what a magical spot!  Too bad about all the boats and helicopters these days, I don't remember many at all. 

I've been thinking about going back for our 25th anniversary in a couple years and this TR is good motivation!  If you went a little further, dropped down into the valley and then scrambled up towards the SW end of the Kalalau beach, you would have seen this view of those cliffs in a couple of your photos:

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  • Like 1
Posted

That is a cool hike.  Did it too.  People were scared of the "cliff area".  I didn't think that was that bad.  I thought the red dirt area AFTER the cliff area was the most dangerous part, because if that area was wet, it would be very very slippery.  Make sure when you do this trip take running shoes with good tread!

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