Hike the Kalalau Trail - The First 2 Miles: To Hanakapiai Beach
The trail head is at Kee Beach, at the end of Highway 560. Even if you only go as far as Hanakapiai, bring water.
Do not attempt this hike unless you have adequate footwear (closed-toe shoes at least;
hiking shoes are best), water, a sun visor, insect repellent, and adequate hiking clothes.
(Shorts and T-shirt are fine; your bikini is not.) It's only 2 miles to Hanakapiai Beach, but
the first mile is all uphill. This tough trail takes about 2 hours one-way and dissuades
many, but everyone should attempt at least the first half mile, which gives a good hint
of the startling beauty that lies ahead. Day hikers love this initial stretch, so it's usually
crowded. The island of Niihau and Lehua Rock are often visible on the horizon. At mile
marker 1, you'll have climbed from sea level to 400 feet; now it's all downhill to
Hanakapiai Beach. Sandy in summer, the beach becomes rocky when winter waves
scour the coast. There are strong currents and no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk.
You can also hike another 2 miles inland from the beach to Hanakapiai Falls, a 120-foot
cascade. Allow 3 hours for that one-way stretch.
Hanalei
Five miles past Kilauea, just past the Princeville Shopping Center, is Hanalei Valley
Lookout. Big enough for a dozen cars, this lookout attracts crowds of people who peer
over the edge into the 917-acre Hanalei River Valley. So many shades of green: Rice
green, taro green, and green streams lace a patchwork of green ponds that back up
to green-velvet Bali Hai cliffs. Pause to catch your first sight of taro growing in irrigated
ponds; maybe you'll see an endangered Hawaiian black-necked stilt. Don't be put off
by the crowds; this is definitely worth a look.
Just past Tahiti Nui, turn right on Aku Road before Ching Young Village, then take a right
on Weke Road. Hanalei Beach Park, one of Hawaii's most gorgeous, is a half-block
ahead on your left. Swimming is excellent here year-round, especially in summer, when
Hanalei Bay becomes a big, placid lake.
Waimea Canyon
The Grand Canyon of the Pacific: Waimea Canyon
The great gaping gulch known as Waimea Canyon is quite a sight. This valley, known for
its reddish lava beds, reminds everyone who sees it of the Grand Canyon. Kauai's
version is bursting with ever-changing color, just like its namesake, but it's smaller -- only
a mile wide, 3,567 feet deep, and 12 miles long. A massive earthquake sent a number
of streams into the single river that ultimately carved this picturesque canyon. Today,
the Waimea River -- a silver thread of water in the gorge that's sometimes a trickle,
often a torrent, but always there -- keeps cutting the canyon deeper and wider, and
nobody can say what the result will be 100 million years from now.
You can stop by the road and look at the canyon, hike down into it, or swoop through it in a helicopter.
The Drive Through Waimea Canyon & Up to Kokee
By car, there are two ways to visit Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park, 20 miles from
Waimea. From the coastal road (Hwy. 50), you can turn up Waimea Canyon Drive
(Hwy. 550) at Waimea town; or you can pass through Waimea and turn up Kokee Road
(Hwy. 55) at Kekaha. The climb is very steep from Kekaha, but Waimea Canyon Drive
, the rim road, is narrower and rougher. A few miles up, the two merge into Kokee Road.
The first good vantage point is Waimea Canyon Lookout, located between mile markers
10 and 11 on Waimea Canyon Road. From here, it's another 6 miles to Kokee. There are
a few more lookout points along the way that also offer spectacular views, such as Puu
Hina Hina Lookout, between mile markers 13 and 14, at 3,336 feet; be sure to pull over
and spend a few minutes pondering this natural wonder. (The giant white object that
looks like a golf ball and defaces the natural landscape is a radar station left over from
the Cold War.)
Kokee State Park
It's only 16 miles from Waimea to Kokee, but the park is a whole different world because
it is 4,345 acres of rainforest. You'll enter a new climate zone, where the breeze has a
bite and trees look quite continental. You're in a cloud forest on the edge of the Alakai
Swamp, the largest swamp in Hawaii, on the summit plateau of Kauai. Days are cool
and wet, with intermittent bright sunshine, not unlike Seattle on a good day. Bring your
sweater and, if you're staying over, be sure you know how to light a fire. (Overnight lows
dip into the 40s [single digits Celsius].)
The forest is full of native plants, such as mokihana berry, ohia lehua, and iliau (similar to
Maui's silversword), as well as imports like Australia's eucalyptus and California's
redwood. Pigs, goats, and black-tailed deer thrive in the forest, but the moa, or
Polynesian jungle fowl, is the cock of the walk.
Right next to Kokee Lodge (which lies on the only road through the park, about a mile
before it ends) is the Kokee Natural History Museum (tel. 808/335-9975;
www.kokee.org), open daily from 10am to 4pm (free admission). This is the best place
to learn about the forest and Alakai Swamp before you set off hiking in the wild. The
museum shop has great trail information and local books and maps, including the
official park trail map. We recommend getting the Pocket Guide on Native Plants on
the Nature Trail for Kokee State Park and the Road Guide to Kokee and Waimea
Canyon State Park.
A nature walk is the best introduction to this rainforest; it starts behind the museum at
the rare Hawaiian koa tree. This easy, self-guided walk of about a quarter mile takes
about 20 minutes if you stop and look at all the plants identified along the way.
Two miles above Kokee Lodge is Kalalau Lookout, the spectacular climax of your drive
through Waimea Canyon and Kokee. When you stand at the lookout, below you is a
work in progress that began at least 5 million years ago. It's hard to stop looking; the
view is breathtaking, especially when light and cloud shadows play across the red-and-orange cliffs.
There's lots more to see and do up here: Anglers fly-fish for rainbow trout, and hikers
tackle the 45 trails that lace the Alakai Swamp. That's a lot of ground to cover, so you
might want to plan on staying over. If pitching a tent is too rustic for you, the wonderful
cabins set in a grove of redwoods are one of the best lodging bargains in the islands
(see chapter 5.). The restaurant at Kokee Lodge is open for continental breakfast and
lunch daily from 9am to 3:30pm.
For advance information, contact the State Division of Parks, P.O. Box 1671, Lihue, HI
96766 (tel. 808/335-5871; www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/kauai.html); and the Kokee Lodge
Manager, P.O. Box 819, Waimea, HI 96796 (tel. 808/335-6061). The park is open daily
year-round. The best time to go is early in the morning, to see the panoramic view of
Kalalau Valley from the lookout at 4,000 feet, before clouds obscure the valley and
peaks.