Kalalau Trail, anyone here hiked it?

[D.O.N.E.]

I'm getting ready to enter the dirty thirties in 2014 so I wanna go big to celebrate. A friend and I caught a Motion episode where they hike the Na Pali coast in Hawaii and our jaws dropped. Gorgeous! We've both backpacked for over 15 years, and remain active so I definitely appreciate that it's a strenuous hike but don't think it's gonna break us by any means. She's a climber and I canyoneer so the cliffs shouldn't intimidate us into turning back either. We are looking to go next summer and I thought I ought to mine bogley for some info.

Anyone here ever been? Even if you've just hiked Hawaii I'd welcome your input! Any tips? I find a lot of websites with general info, any sites or books you'd recommend? One of my biggest concerns is finding out how to get to the trailhead, I've read you shouldn't leave a car at the trailhead but would assume a taxi might get expensive.

[Tystevens]

I've put a good day in on that trail (we started early and got back late), but didn't camp out on it (we didn't have any gear). I don't know how far we went, as we didn't have a gps with us and that was pre-smartphone. but I'd guess we made it 4 or 5 miles in, with plenty of time screwing around on the way, stopping to swim, etc. It is an amazing trail. I don't recall it being too difficult (although I was only 21 at the time!). Lots of ups and downs, but the climbs aren't long. I recall a few nice outlooks where we were pretty high up on a cliff face, but nothing scary. Of course, it is absolutely gorgeous. I want to do the full thing someday, definitely on my "list."

Trailhead was easy to find -- it is the end of the road.

[D.O.N.E.]

Thanks! I'm hoping to start booking everything soon so I'm gathering as much info as I can. I'm all geeked out about the trip! Your notes about the trail are reassuring. I think just gawking at the scenery might distract you from the usual drudgery of long hikes :)

Finding the trailhead doesn't worry me it's the logistics of getting us and our bags physically there. We can get a rental car but then I'm paying for it to sit parked for several days, plus the worrisome note I've seen on websites that warn of having cars vandalized and broken into. I'm not sure how easy it is to get a taxi out there either. Maybe I just need to start calling some local taxi/shuttle companies.

[jman]

I hiked it 2 years ago. How far are you wanting to go on it? If I recall correctly it's a 11mile-one hike, with a boat shuttle involved (if you prefer) otherwise its a 22-mile roundrip. You are right though, it is gorgeous! One of the coolest hikes I have been on! Most people however, just hike 2miles one way to the secluded beach and turn-around there. The beach has some powerful waves there and swimming isn't recommended there.

Umm, along the drive to the Na Pai coast we stopped at "Queens bath" which is basically a ocean pool in the volcanic rock which every few minutes a huge wave comes in and people ride it. That was fun!! But there has been something like 15 drownings there over the past few years.

Kauai is a awesome place! There is a great book that describes everything that you can do there and I highly recommend it to pick it up.

Anyways, I'll try to post some pics for ya tomorrow and get more info about these areas and our previous trip details.


-Brett

[Byron]

I haven't got time right now, but I'll come back in later and give you the full details on that hike, as my girlfriend and I spent two night camped back there. Hopefully the hippies are gone...more on that later.

[D.O.N.E.]

Yeah I'm not liking what I hear about the 'residents' of kalalau. May have to toy with the idea of an Alaska trip....

[cmgz]

We've gone to the first beach. You can't miss the trailhead, it's right by Kee Beach. Parking can be a bear sometimes but there is a dirt lot that if you get there early, works. It's beautiful and I really want to do the whole thing next time we're back. Since it rains all the time there the hills are like the mud scenes in Woodstock. I remember the locals recommended having jungle shoes to dig in better. Maybe someone knows more about them. The first beach was full of feral cats.

[Taylor]

Laura and I spent a couple weeks in Kauai a few years back. Hiking to Hanakapi'ai beach and falls was just one of the awesome things we did on the island. I would go back and do the whole trail someday too. It is 11 miles one way, and unless something has changed, there's no road at the end to do a car shuttle. Get the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed for lots of inside info. Kauai is amazing, our favorite place in Hawaii.

[jman]

Laura and I spent a couple weeks in Kauai a few years back. Hiking to Hanakapi'ai beach and falls was just one of the awesome things we did on the island. I would go back and do the whole trail someday too. It is 11 miles one way, and unless something has changed, there's no road at the end to do a car shuttle. Get the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed for lots of inside info. Kauai is amazing, our favorite place in Hawaii.

You are correct. I was thinking we did a car shuttle there. Nope. We did a boat shuttle at the end of the 11mile hike to expedite our trip. There were some sketchy places along the hike as it neared the coast somewhere near mile 8, I think too. hmm...that reminds me...I haven't done a TR of that entire trip.

lol - I'm getting my canyoneering shuttles mixed in with other trips. Not good.

[Taylor]

Ah, to have so many trip reports that you get them mixed up... It's a good life, isn't it?

A boat shuttle at Kalalau beach would be cool-you would get to see those pristine beaches without the scary swim.

[Byron]

Well, it looks like you've already got the scoop on the hippies that "live" back in there. So here's the deal...

When Tiffany and I went, back in '07, I had no idea that these people were "occupying" the place...so I was quite shocked after I went through the trouble to pay for a camping permit months in advance only to find that the "rangers" could care less about the valley and the squatters have taken over the camp. And I mean taken over, we had to camp about a quarter mile away.

The hippies that were there weren't very friendly...they're a bunch of bums that hit you up for food and give you the "this place belongs to us, dude" attitude. Not only that, they're thrashing the place...chopping down trees to build huts and for firewood. There wasn't a stick any bigger than your finger within a half mile of the campsites.

They use beat up jet skis or some other type of watercraft to bring in people and supplies. They also live up in the valley, building these little tent villages. There are trails shooting off the main drag that lead to abandon campsites, with tons of trash all over the place. Stinking hippies... they talk about "respect" for the earth but selfishly destroy. It was pathetic.

It might not be so bad for you, because you know they are there. I was expecting a much more pristine experience, and was profoundly disappointed. It's too bad, because it really is quite beautiful...it really should be a national park, as there would be federal rangers that would not tolerate that nonsense.

If you go, the trail is just fine. I'm sure you've heard about the "washed out, straight down bits", but it's exaggerated. A bit of loose scree and some slight exposure, but not a big deal.

Here's the deal with the parking. Whenever I hear rumors about break ins, I will look around the ground for broken car window glass. It looks different that regular broken glass, it's in little squares...if you see lots of that, especially fresh, then there's a problem. I didn't see any when we got there and our jeep had no problems while we were gone for three days. Just don't leave anything valuable in there...carry it in with you or perhaps rent a safe deposit box at a local bank to store it.

Sometimes these places that get the bad raps for break ins that came about because some local teenager 15 years ago went on a tear...the rap sticks. I just look for the glass. No glass, no problem, generally.

After we hiked out, I drove to Lihue and went to the state parks office to complain to the top dog. He told me it's been a problem for years, and every time they send a ranger in there to chase them out, they just come right back in. "Like cockroaches" he said. There are just so many bums and hippies on all the islands, really...they overrun the state parks. I told him about the destruction in there, and he was sorry for my experience, but there's only so much they could do.

Seemed to me that he and his ranger buddies spent most of their time wondering what plate lunch to eat from day to day. Typical Hawaiian deal...they're really lackadaisical over there.

Two years ago, I ran into a Kauai local at LAX the insisted the hippies have been chased out of there for good...color me skeptical.

Anyway, if you go, have fun...now that you know what to expect, it might not be so bad. I have tons of pictures, but they're on film prints and I'm too lazy to scan them. Just google Kalalau hippies and you'll get the picture.