Napali Coast hike: Kalalau Trail to Hanakāpī’ai Falls

On the third day of our trip (October 16), Matt and I hiked to Hanakāpī’ai Falls. This hike is part of the Kalalau Trail, which is an 11-mile out-and-back along the Nāpali Coast. Matt had his heart set on this hike, but I'd heard from friends that it was extremely difficult, so I was nervous. I tend to tap out around 7 miles, and the waterfall hike was 8 (according to Matt...remember that).

I decided it was doable. We could always turn back early if we wanted to! And man, I can't lie: it was rough, but I'm really glad we went.

Matt and I caught the 10:20 shuttle to the trailhead at Hā’ena State Park on the north side of the island. The guide at the trailhead told us all that the hike to the waterfall was actually 9.2 miles (upon learning this, I gave Matt quite the Look) and extremely difficult. He warned us to leave the waterfall by 2:30pm at the latest to ensure we could catch the last shuttle at the end of the day, at 5:40pm. Missing the shuttle would mean a 6-mile walk down the road back to the parking area.

This may be a good time to note that apparently this trail is considered one of the most dangerous in the world; people have died falling off the trail into the water below, and many have been swept out to sea from the beaches. So, that's fun.

Straight from the park's website.

Anyway, with the guide's warnings in mind, I ate a granola bar, and we set out. The day was beautiful, but definitely warmer than my typical hiking weather, with temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity around 60%. As we started, I experienced a wave of nerves; the beginning of the hike was already really steep, and I wasn't sure I had 4 miles of vertical climbing in me!

Spoiler: coming back down these really sucked

About a mile in, though, I realized I felt great! I even told Matt, compared to Kelly Butte, the climbs felt way easier. Despite the heat and humidity, I actually felt incredibly strong. And that feeling continued for the entire first half of the hike.

The views are sort of indescribable. I never get tired of hiking through evergreen forests, and I'd often said the ferns in Washington make it feel like you're in a jungle, but hiking through an actual tropical jungle hit different. It's no wonder Kaua'i was the filming location for Jurassic Park.

Preview of the Log Stairs from Hell

The hike out to the beach featured constant climbs and descents, which was a nice change from Washington hikes that tend to just go up and up and up. The trail is carved into the ridge of the mountain, so the ocean was directly below us the entire time. That was just really cool, to get forest, mountain, and ocean views simultaneously.

The stream down to the beach

Two miles in, we reached a rock-filled stream that bisects the trail and leads down to Hanakāpī’ai Beach. The beach is really cool; the stream runs along the top of the beach so the sand stretches between both fresh and ocean water. We didn't waste much time here, but many people stop at the beach and picnic before heading back to the trailhead.

Freshwater stream leading out to the ocean.

From the beach, we continued on to the waterfall trail, which is unmaintained and much trickier. It wasn't empty, but it was definitely less popular than the trail to the beach.

We crossed a few rivers before reaching the final mile to the waterfall. At that point, around mile 3, the trail became a lot less navigable. Basically, it narrowed drastically, so we were pressed up against the side of the mountain, and our way was obstructed by a whole lot of big, slippery boulders. 

Scaling those rocks wasn't too hard on the way up, but I knew right away they would be difficult on the way back, when we'd have to slide down them but avoid falling over the edge into the river below.

Trail? What trail?

More "unmaintained" trail

First glimpse of our destination

At this point, I was still having fun, but I was getting hungry. I wanted to wait to eat until we reached the waterfall, but I hadn't had a very big breakfast and I had made the mistake of packing only a couple protein bars. All the water I was drinking masked my hunger, but I could tell my body and brain weren't communicating as smoothly as they should've been.

Lots of vertical climbs up rocks and boulders at this point

Almost 5 miles in, we reached the waterfall, and the trek felt well worth it.

The Hanakāpī’ai waterfall is 300 feet tall and honestly, pictures don't do it justice. The trail dead-ends there, so you're in a sort of open cavern, surrounded on all sides by the mountain, with the waterfall and lake before you. You really get the sense that you've reached a specific destination, with nowhere to go but back.

Matt's head (near the waterfall, above the pointy rock in the foreground) gives you an idea of scope

We reached the waterfall around 1:45pm. With the guide's warning in mind, Matt swam a bit and we ate and took photos, then started back around 2:15pm. This is where my lack of food really caught up with me. The rocks I had so easily climbed up on the way in proved very difficult to navigate on the way back. 

I slipped during our first river crossing, soaking one boot. (This turned out to be a cool learning experience, because I got to see my alpaca socks in action--I quickly forgot I had gotten wet at all because they were so effective at wicking the water away from my feet. I didn't remember I'd gotten wet until I took my boots off at the end of the trip and found they were still wet!) Shortly after that, I slipped again, twisting my ankle in a narrow crevasse between a rock and the cliffside.

At this point, I was frustrated and really worried about time. I'll admit, I cried a little.

We didn't stop much for photos on the way back

But, that said, once we got through that treacherous mile between the waterfall and the rest of the trail, things improved. I reminded myself that I should be present in the moment and try to enjoy myself. By the time we reached Hanakāpī’ai Beach again, we knew we were okay on time. The pressure came off a bit, and I was able to relax again.

These were not fun to come down

Those last couple miles were really hard. I've never hiked such a long, difficult hike, and my legs were feeling it. I relied on the hiking pole to help me climb what Matt and I affectionally dubbed the Log Stairs from Hell, which I had all but skipped down on our way in. The steep ascents I'd merrily scampered up early in the hike were torture on my knees on the way down.

But we made it! We arrived back at the trailhead around 5:00pm. I had consumed my entire 50oz CamelBak and half my extra water bottle and hadn't peed on the trail once, which worried me, but I had a successful trip to the bathroom that set my mind at ease. I was so full of water and adrenaline I didn't even feel hungry. I just felt sore, tired, and accomplished.

We caught the 5:10 shuttle back to the car, changed in the backseat, and made our way to Hanalei for dinner. We ate at Tahiti Nui, which our tubing guide had told us has the world's best mai tai. I had a burger (which truly hit the spot) and a virgin mai tai (Matt had the real thing), and we split the lilikoi cheesecake for dessert.

This hike was absolutely fantastic, and it proved to me that I am more than capable of completing a hard-rated hike, but packing enough food and water is key to a successful trip. Don't tell Matt, but I'd be happy to do it again.

Ali