A dirt trail along a grassy cliff edge on the Nā Pali Coast, with sunlit ridges and the blue sea beyond

Kalalau Trail: Permits, Camping and Hanakoa

Eleven miles of cliff trail, one permit and a stream that can close the way behind you.

11.0 mi · 2 days · Hard
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Photo: California Cow from Seattle, USA, CC BY 2.0

Closed as of 1 November 2026: you cannot camp or walk past Hanakāpīʻai right now. Ahead of Hurricane Lowell the state closed the Kalalau Trail and camping at Kalalau (notice of 3 September 2026), leaving only the Hanakāpīʻai trail open for day use. Its latest notice (29 October 2026) says all Kauai camping remains closed. Hāʻena State Park reopened on 15 October 2026, and the state has announced no reopening date for the trail past mile 2. Check the state park notices before you apply for a permit or book parking. Everything below describes the trail in normal operation.

The Kalalau Trail runs 11 miles (17.7 km) along Kauai's Nā Pali Coast from Kēʻē Beach to Kalalau Beach, over five valleys, and it never lets you walk on the level. The state calls it graded but almost never level. It is a permit trail: the first 2 miles (3.2 km) to Hanakāpīʻai Beach are open to anyone with a Hāʻena State Park reservation, and everything past that needs a camping permit.

Most backpackers in good condition need a full day for the 11 miles (17.7 km), the state says, and the 22-mile (35.4 km) round trip in a day is off limits without a camping permit. This page draws the way in as two days, Kēʻē to Hanakoa (6 miles (9.7 km)) and Hanakoa to Kalalau (5 miles (8.0 km)), because the state allows a Hanakoa stopover on a Kalalau permit. The way out is the same trail in reverse. Plan on at least one night at Kalalau, and more if you want to rest: the permit can run to 5 nights in the whole park.

The decision that matters is not the hike, it is the paperwork, and it is two separate bookings. The camping permit comes from the state, sells out far ahead and names every hiker. Overnight parking (or a shuttle pass) comes from Go Hāʻena, only once you hold the permit, and is sold per day the car sits in the lot: 1 night needs 2 days, 4 nights need 5. Neither booking includes a spare day. You want one, because a high Hanakāpīʻai Stream or a wet Pōhakuao can hold you back on the way out: keep one night of the 5 and one parking day in hand.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

Loading map...

Elevation Profile

Highest 760 ft (232 m) · lowest 20 ft (6 m)

760 ft20 ft1
0 mi11.0 mi (17.7 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

Day by Day

2 legs and 1 night on the way, each in a different place.

  1. Surf on a small sand beach below green Nā Pali cliffs at Hanakāpīʻai, with pandanus leaves in the foreground
    Day 1

    Day 1: Kēʻē Beach to Hanakoa

    Kalalau Trail Head, Kēʻē BeachtoHanakoa Camping

    Distance
    6.0 mi 9.7 km
    Up
    1,860 ft 567 m
    Down
    1,500 ft 456 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    The first 2 miles (3.2 km) to Hanakāpīʻai Beach is the busy part. The state suggests 3 to 4 hours for the round trip from Kēʻē to the beach, and the walk starts climbing right at the trailhead. Hanakāpīʻai Stream is the crossing that can stop you: the brochure says rocks may be slippery, and the safety page says never cross a flooded stream. The beach has a composting toilet. Do not swim: the state says drownings occur there regularly.

    After the beach the switchback trail climbs 800 feet (244 m) out of Hanakāpīʻai to the highest point on the whole route, through the Hono o Nā Pali Natural Area Reserve. Hanakoa, about 6 miles (9.7 km) in, is a hanging valley with no beach and no shoreline access. Camping is on old taro terraces along both sides of the stream, with a composting toilet and two roofed shelters. There is a 0.3 mile (0.5 km) trail up the valley to 500-foot (152 m) Hanakoa Falls; the brochure says to view it from a safe distance, and the state trail page calls the path poorly marked with hazardous, eroded sections.

    A stopover is meant for a break because of tiredness, weather or darkness. You may not camp here two nights in a row, and the night counts against your 5. The state says that, for experienced hikers in excellent shape, Kēʻē to Hanakoa and back is a long day of 8 hours or more; day hikes beyond Hanakoa are not recommended.

    Sleep
    Hanakoa campsite (stopover only) · Backcountry campsite · How to book
    Water
    Hanakāpīʻai Stream and Hanakoa Stream are the sources. Boil or treat all water; no tap.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    None on the coast.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0

  2. Wide sand beach at Kalalau under a towering black sea cliff, with green Nā Pali ridges and blue sea beyond
    Day 2

    Day 2: Hanakoa to Kalalau Beach

    Hanakoa CampingtoKalalau Camping

    Distance
    5.0 mi 8.0 km
    Up
    900 ft 273 m
    Down
    1,280 ft 389 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    After Hanakoa the trail turns drier and more open, with little shade from the midday sun. This is the exposed half. It crosses 7 small gulches and then the vertical slope of Pōhakuao, where the path is especially narrow with steep drop-offs on the sea side. Go slowly, and wait for it to dry if it is wet. The last stretch is a steep descent down Puʻukulua (Red Hill) to Kalalau Stream, which you cross to reach the beach.

    Camping at Kalalau is allowed only behind the sand beach, under the trees. In summer the sea caves past the waterfall are used as shelter, but winter surf takes much of the beach and floods the caves, and rocks fall near the waterfall and the cliffs. A composting toilet serves the camp. There is a marked 2 mile (3.2 km) trail up Kalalau Valley over old taro terraces to a pool, with several stream crossings; the state asks that you stay on the trail and not disturb the rock walls. Fires are prohibited. Pack out everything you carried in.

    The way back is the same 11 miles (17.7 km) in reverse: the steep climb up Puʻukulua comes first, then Pōhakuao and the 7 gulches, then Hanakoa, and the Hanakāpīʻai crossing last, 9 miles (14.5 km) in. Plan the way out as one long day, or break it at Hanakoa, which counts as one of your 5 nights. Camping is not authorized at Hanakāpīʻai, so decide at Hanakoa in the morning, by the weather and the level of the streams, whether to walk the last 6 miles (9.7 km). At Hanakāpīʻai Stream, if the water is rushing or murky, wait on this side.

    Water
    Streams only, including Kalalau Stream at the valley mouth. No drinking water at camp; boil or treat.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    None on the coast.Reported Nov 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: sergejf, CC BY 2.0

Permits

A permit is required

Anyone who walks past Hanakāpīʻai Beach, 2 miles (3.2 km) from the trailhead, must hold a camping permit for Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park. That is true even for a day hike. The state issues permits for Kalalau; a Kalalau permit is also valid at Hanakoa. Apply on the state's camping reservation site, where you create an account on Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi first.

Permits open 90 days ahead (the state says this can change when the park's access changes) and the state says they often sell out quickly, particularly in summer. The fee is 35 USD per person per night for non-residents and 25 USD for Hawaii residents. The most you can stay in the park is 5 nights, and no two of them in a row at Hanakoa. A stopover at Hanakoa counts as one of the 5 nights. The permit lists every hiker by name and IDs are checked at the park entrance.

A valid Kalalau permit also gets you into Hāʻena State Park, so you do not need a separate entry reservation. Commercially guided camping trips and boat drop-offs at Kalalau are not allowed.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Kalalau Trail, and how to get home from the end.

The start

The trailhead is at Kēʻē Beach, inside Hāʻena State Park, at the end of Kūhiō Highway (Route 56) on Kauai's north shore. The state puts it about 41 miles (66 km) and 1.5 hours from Līhuʻe Airport. The parking lot or shuttle drop-off is a 0.33 mile (0.5 km) walk from the trailhead.

The end

The trail ends at Kalalau Beach, where sheer cliffs block the way on. There is no road, boat pickup or shuttle there: you walk the same 11 miles (17.7 km) back to Kēʻē Beach. Commercial boat drop-off and pickup at Kalalau is illegal.

Shuttle

Campers may be dropped off at the park. Go Hāʻena also sells Shuttle + Entry passes from the Waipā park and ride. They are round trip and valid for all days on your camping permit, but they are a third booking, separate from the permit and from parking. Go Hāʻena posts shuttle suspensions on its conditions page, so check it the day before you start.

Parking

Overnight parking at Hāʻena State Park is only for Kalalau permit holders and is bought separately on Go Hāʻena once you hold the permit. You pay for every day the car is in the lot, so a one-night trip costs 2 days of parking and a four-night trip 5. It opens 90 days ahead. Go Hāʻena says the lot is under construction with fewer spaces, and lists two overnight options that are not run by the state, at Wainiha Country Market and at The Cliffs at Princeville. Parking on the road shoulder is not allowed.

Safety

  • No emergency services and no cell coverage on the coast. The state says that in an emergency someone must hike out for help or signal a passing helicopter or boat. Leave your permit dates and planned return day with someone at home.

  • Streams flood fast. Hawaii's clear, gentle streams can turn into deep muddy torrents, the state warns. Never cross a flooded stream, avoid swift water above the knee, and wait: the level can drop as fast as it rose. Hanakāpīʻai Stream at mile 2 is the first crossing in and the last one out, and the one that can cut you off from the trailhead. Go Hāʻena says to shelter in place until it is safe, because there is no cell service for a rescue call. Keep a spare night on the permit and a spare day on the parking.

  • The narrow stretch after Hanakoa. Beyond Hanakoa the trail crosses 7 small gulches and the vertical slope of Pōhakuao, where it is especially narrow with steep drop-offs on the sea side. The state asks for extreme caution, especially when it is wet. If the ground is wet and you are not comfortable, wait for it to dry; that is the other reason to keep a spare night.

  • Falling rocks and cliff edges. Stay away from the base of cliffs, narrow canyons and waterfalls, and do not loiter under the Kalalau waterfall. Rocks fall without warning, and the state points to the beach in front of the Kalalau sea caves as a sign of it. The ground at cliff edges can break away, so stay back.

  • Drink only treated water. Streams are the only fresh water, and there is no drinking water at the campsites. The state brochure says to boil or treat all drinking water, because untreated stream water can carry leptospirosis.

  • The ocean. Swimming, wading and bodysurfing are not recommended at Hanakāpīʻai or Kalalau unless you are an experienced swimmer who knows the local conditions: there are no lifeguards, and rip currents are worst in winter. Tsunami: Hanakāpīʻai and Kalalau beaches are low-lying; if the sea draws back or a warning comes, go to high ground at once and do not return until officials clear it.

  • Heat on the open section. After Hanakoa the trail is drier, open and has little shade. Start early, as the state advises, and drink plenty of water.

  • Goat hunting may be allowed on weekends in August and September, mostly in Kalalau Valley and above the trail between Hanakoa and Kalalau. Safety zone signs are posted; stay on the main trails.

Kalalau Trail: FAQ

Can you camp or hike the Kalalau Trail right now?

No. As of 1 November 2026 the state has the trail past Hanakāpīʻai and all Kauai camping closed, and only the 2-mile (3.2 km) Hanakāpīʻai trail is open for day use. The state has given no reopening date, so check its park notices before you book anything. The rest of this page is written for a normal year.

Do you need a permit to hike the Kalalau Trail?

Not for the first 2 miles (3.2 km), to Hanakāpīʻai Beach, where a Hāʻena State Park entry or parking reservation is enough. Anyone going farther needs a Nāpali Coast camping permit, even for a day hike. The state also says nobody without one may attempt the 22-mile (35.4 km) round trip in a day.

How much does a Kalalau permit cost and how far ahead do you book?

The state charges 35 USD per person per night for non-residents and 25 USD for Hawaii residents, and permits open 90 days ahead. It says they often sell out quickly, especially in summer. Check the permit page for the current opening rules.

How many nights can you camp on the Kalalau Trail?

Up to 5 nights in total in the park, with no two nights in a row at Hanakoa. Only Hanakoa and Kalalau are authorized camping areas; the Kalalau permit covers both.

Can you hike the Kalalau Trail in one day?

Only with a Kalalau camping permit. The state says that most backpackers in good condition need a full day for the 11 miles (17.7 km) one way, and that the 22-mile (35.4 km) round trip in one day is prohibited for anyone without a permit.

Is there drinking water on the Kalalau Trail?

No. The state says there is no drinking water at the camps and that streams are the only fresh water. The brochure says to boil or treat all of it, because untreated stream water can carry leptospirosis.

Where do you park for the Kalalau Trail?

In the Hāʻena State Park lot, with an overnight parking reservation from Go Hāʻena that you can only buy after you hold a Kalalau camping permit. It is a separate booking from the permit, and a one-night trip needs 2 parking days. Go Hāʻena notes the lot is under construction with fewer spaces and lists non-state options at Wainiha and Princeville.

What if the stream at Hanakāpīʻai is high?

Do not cross. The state says clear streams can become muddy torrents quickly and to wait, since the water can fall as fast as it rose. Go Hāʻena adds that if the water rises you should shelter in place until it is safe, because there is no cell service for a rescue call.

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