Hiking and Trail Info

Kauai is home to literally the wettest place on earth. With an average of over 472 inches or 39 feet (12 meters) of precipitation each year, Mt. Waialeale  gets enough rain and constant precipitation to give it such a remarkable title. But not all of Kauai is wet and rainy. Hiking in the Waimea Canyon is arid and in some ways  resembles Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Depending on where you decide to go hiking (Waimea is one of my personal favorites) you will encounter fantastic versatility to the land and plant life. Kauai is the oldest of all the Hawaiian islands and has a reputation for being much greener than some of it's neighboring islands. This in part, is due to the towering lush mountains that catch more of the clouds containing precipitation. This means that hiking on Kauai’s brilliant mountains is second to none!

Local Secret - Exploring the North Shore of Kauai can be quite an adventure. One of my favorite secrets to share with visitors is the “Blue Room”.   This is a great option if you are looking for an easier but great activity.  As you drive towards the end of the Kuhio Highway (going north) the road starts to seem thinner as the jungle encroaches more and more over the pavement. On the left side of the road you will notice people exploring some caves, most of which are visible from the road. If you come to the part of the road where the stream flows over the street: then you have gone too far. There is a tinny trail in that if you travel only about 30 yards up you will find a little cave that is full of water. If you take muster the bravery to endure the cold water you can swim to the right and find a little room that once inside makes the water around you seem bright blue. If you listen carefully you can hear the sound of the water level slowly rising and falling against other tiny “rooms” in the cave.

The Napali or "Na Pali" coast

One of the most amazing and at least in my opinion life changing things that Kauai has to offer is its bountiful "Napali Coast" (Pali comes from the Hawaiian word for cliffs).

The Kuhio Hwy. wraps around almost all of the island except instead of making a complete loop there is a stretch of coastline that is home to the legendary Kalalau Trail. The trail spans roughly 11 miles. The last time I kayaked down the Napali coast I saw easily over 20 sea turtles, breaching whales (which is rare in the summer), spinner dolphins, and of coarse the heavenly Kalalau Valley. There are several ways that you can go about experiencing the coast and the easiest is through a guided boat tour. But if you are up for it and are in decent shape, then I recommend hiking as much of the trail as you can. Keep in mind though it is a very steep, and somewhat perilous trail (depending on the weather). If you want to try and make it all the way to the Kalalau Valley and want to camp there you will need to get a permit it advance.   Keep in mind you will want to start very early as to leave yourself enough time to get there.  The seclusion and magisty of the trail are the same thing that make it dangerous.  If you aren’t going to hike the whole thing it is still worth it to go and hike what you can.  Even in the first mile there is a lot to take in.

Should you decide on an easier day activity I also recommend taking the Kalalau trail starting at Ke’e and going roughly 2 miles to Hanakapi’ai.  This is also an option if you want to make it all the way to Kalalau but want to stop and camp after traveling the first 2 miles.  Once in the Hanakapi'ai Valley there is a great waterfall.  The beach is also beautiful, however the state government warns that it is not recommended that you swim as the current is very strong and drownings occur regularly.  Also check weather conditions from the last few days to find out the condition of the trail.  Heavy rain can cause erosion and slick terrain.