Warning! This hike is for very experienced hikers only.
Trail conditions and weather can cause dangerous or deadly conditions.
In September of 2019 I backpacked to Kalalau and spent four nights at the beach. This was my first solo trek to Kalalau, really my first solo multi-day of any sort. It was also my longest stay at Kalalau. The entire trail — the whole Na Pali really — had been off-limits due to earlier mud slides on the North Shore. Just before the shutdown I had started a passion project — a video game simulation of the Kalalau Trail. This was my first time hiking the trail since completing the simulation, and it was very strange hiking places that I had spent hours modeling on the computer.
I’ve hiked Kalalau several times now, and have also kayaked to Kalalau and Milolii. Each approach has its good and bad points. The backpacking option lets you see many beautiful waterfalls along the trail. In fact there is a waterfall for pretty much every little valley along the way. The photo below is pretty bad, one of the less amazing waterfalls and not a great shot, but on this trip I was focused on getting GPS data for each landmark item and I did not spend as much time on image quality. I can assure you though, the hike is continuously amazing in its beauty. It’s also very difficult!
People tend to focus on the famous Crawler’s Ledge when they ask about Kalalau and the dangers of the hike. My opinion is that the dangers of Kalalau are a little broader and are two-fold. First, the entire hike is somewhat risky. You must be completely in the moment when hiking or you risk hiking off into oblivion, not just at Crawler’s but at many spots along the trail. And second, rockfall at the trail and at Kalalau Beach is a frequent risk. The possibility of rockfall exists in many places, and rockfall occurs regularly. Crawlers Ledge is really not any more risky than many other spots on the Na Pali in my opinion.
Rockfall can happen just from erosion due to wind or rain, but on the Kalalau Trail it can also be caused by critters. On this trek I saw goats cause rockfall multiple times and even witnessed a bird cause rockfall. The goats in the image below are directly over the trail, just beyond Crawler’s Ledge. They followed me through the entire exposed / steep area and knocked down rocks several times. I like goats generally but I did not enjoy their presence.
Here is another goat photo, not as good but even scarier. There are six goats in this photo. Two are kind of visible in the middle, just to the left of center. They are all on the buttress at the rocky end of camp at Kalalau, right next to the waterfall where people like to shower. Four other goats (besides the six) had climbed up directly over the shower waterfall before I took this photo. All of these goats were directly over where people walk. The shower waterfall has a very pointed sign that warns of rockfall and says “leave this area immediately”, but people still tend to take showers there. I have to admit it does feel great.
Here is a photo with no goats. This couple — you can barely see them in the photo — paddled inflatable stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) from Heana to Kalalau and then headed around to Milolii and out at Polihale. That is the standard kayak run. I met them and they were very nice and were having quite an adventure. Personally I would be hesitant to take inflatable SUPs out on that route. The ocean off the Na Pali is very large and can get very wild. There are a lot of tourist boats to ask for help, but if you get in trouble around the point and get taken out to sea by the current, it could be a problem. This photo was taken as they launched. The view is right from my campsite.
Four nights at Kalalau seemed too short. I spent each morning taking photographs of trees and rocks, for use in my Kalalau Trail application. Afternoons I spent mostly just watching the tourist boats go by. I ate a lot of fruit right off the trees, lilikoi and guava, plus some bananas. I met a lot of neighbors on the beach and in camp, and watched storm clouds come and go, occasionally with a sprinkling of rain. I recommend everyone try it.
