Here’s our list of the best hikes on Kauai.
Distance: 4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1150 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
The full, 11-mile stretch of the Kalalau Trail is among the best hikes in the world and resides on many bucket lists. To hike the full trail, you’ll need a camping permit and plan to spend at least one or two nights camping. For more casual hikers, you can hike the first two miles of the trail to Hanakapi’ai Beach without a permit. This 4-mile roundtrip day hike is our top pick for must-do activities on the island. The trail offers stunning views of the Napali coast. The beauty of Napali is hard to describe. Seeing it up close from Kalalau is an experience you won’t forget. The hike itself is challenging, with nearly 1,200 feet in elevation gain over rocky and occasionally treacherous (especially when wet) terrain. Because you’re on the windward side, rain showers are expected, even if there are none in the forecast.
To access the trail, you have two options. You can book an entrance time 30 days in advance at a cost of $25 per vehicle, or you can buy shuttle tickets for $40 per person closer to your chosen date. Click Learn More for more information.
Bonus Hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls
If you’re up for a full day hike, you can extend your trip from Hanakapi’ai Beach by following the stream inland to the Hanakapi’ai Falls. This adds another 4 miles round trip to your hike as well as 1,200 feet in elevation gain. The trail also includes several stream crossings. We recommend poles and waterproof shoes with excellent tread.
#2: Canyon Trail to Wai’poo Falls
Distance: 3 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,237 feet
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
The Canyon Trail offers some stunning views of the Waimea Canyon, bringing you up close to the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” It’s one of our favorite hikes on the island, and is relatively easy to do, albeit with a few steep sections. The weather can be iffy, especially in the afternoon, so plan to go early. We usually park along the road just past the Canyon Lookout. You’ll follow a wide, rocky, and occasionally muddy road about ¾ of a mile down several hundred feet before you connect to the trail. There are good signs. Another nearly mile of hiking on a narrow trail up and down some slippery-when-wet rocks (bring poles!), and you’ll come to a clearing where the views widen and the path follows the canyon rim. You’ll eventually arrive at the smaller upper falls and lagoon where you can swim. You’ll be at the top of the main falls visible from the canyon lookout along the road. Consequently, you can’t view those falls from this trail.
#3: Awa’awapuhi Trail
Distance: 6 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1,900 feet
Difficulty: Hard
The Awa’awapuhi Trail is an unforgettable trail that takes you above the Awa’awapuhi and Nuololo valleys on the Napali coast. The trail is steadily downhill for the first half of this out-and-back hike. You’re mainly in the trees but you have occasional views of the cliffs that surround the valleys on either side. The trail ends at an overlook where you’ll stand 2,500 feet above the valley floor. Photos don’t do this view justice. It’s one of the best views above Napali on the island. After you’ve enjoyed the view, you’ll need to turn around and climb the 3-miles and nearly 2,000 feet back up to the parking lot. In our opinion, it’s well worth it.
#4: Okolehao Trail
Distance: 2.6 miles roundtrip (or 3.5 for the full trip)
Elevation Gain: 1,000+ feet
Difficulty: Hard
The Okolehao Trail is just outside Hanalei and is a great hike to do if you want to burn some extra calories and get a stunning view of Hanalei, Wai’ale’ale, and much of the north shore. It’s very muddy, especially at the start. And it’s pretty steep to both lookouts. The first lookout at the powerline pole is probably enough for most people The view is beautiful, especially on a clear day, where you’ll see Wai’ale’ale behind you, and much of the north shore in front of you. If you want to continue on, you’ll climb a lot more before scrambling up a rope assisted cliff to the second viewpoint. From here, you can truly see nearly a third of the island. The return back down is all downhill, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s easy. It’s pretty steep and incredibly slippery when wet. We did it in the rain, including scrambling down the rope. If we didn’t have poles, we would have slid the whole way down. Bring poles! And have some towels in the car to clean off.
Another good tip: Bring extra shoes. I always bring extra shoes when I hike in Hawai’i so I don’t have to wear muddy shoes home.
You will get muddy on this trail.
#5: Kuilau Ridge Trail (and the Moalepe Trail)
Distance: 3.5 – 5+ miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 680 – 1,000+ feet
Difficulty: Easier side of Moderate
The Kuilau Ridge Trail is among our favorites, especially with younger kids. The trail is well shaded and not terribly muddy, at least for Kauai. It offers beautiful views, especially of Wai’ale’ale. The trailhead is located several miles past the ‘Opaeka’a Falls. There is plenty of parking near the trailhead. We recommend hiking at least the first mile and a half up the ridge to the picnic table. The trail continues past the table and winds down and back up again through a tropical jungle that evokes everything you’ve seen in movies filmed on Kauai. The trail soon connects to the Moalepe Trail, which descends back down toward Kapa’a. We’ve never done the complete route, but it’s worth exploring if you’d like a longer day-long hike.
#6: Mahaulepu Heritage Trail
Distance: 3.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 400 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Looking for gorgeous shoreline views and an easy hike? Don’t miss this 3.8 mile round-trip shoreline hike from Shipwreck Beach to Punahoa Point. The trail is relatively flat and offers numerous shoreline views where you can see the coastline stretching toward Lihue and past Poipu. Keep a watch out for marine life along the various rocky coves as well. We’ve spotted turtles and even a manta ray in the water along this hike.
Distance: 3.2 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: About 1,000 feet
Difficulty: Hard
Want a more adventurous hike? The Nounou Mountain East Trail takes you up the sleeping giant and offers stunning views of the entire eastern shore. It’s a 3.2 mile out and back with nearly 1,000 feet of climbing, including some spots that require scrambling up steep rocks. It can be very muddy and we recommend hiking poles and good shoes. (I like La Sportiva approach shoes for Kauai hikes.)
#8: Pihea Vista Trail
Distance: 4.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 715 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
The Pihea Vista Trail offers beautiful views of the Pihea Valley along Napali. The valley is just past the Kalalau Valley along the coastline. On a clear day, the trail offers stellar views of the valley, Alakai Swamp, and Wai’ale’ale. The trail is reasonably flat, and you can do just the first mile or so for some of the best views. Beware that the beginning of the trail is a fairly steep descent on red-dirt covered rocks that are basically like slick ice when wet. Poles won’t help you much. You truly need good approach shoes to feel even remotely secure descending those rocks when wet. If you continue on the complete trail, you’ll connect with the Alakai Swamp Trail, the highest (in elevation) trail on Kauai that takes you over the wetlands where Kauai’s over 400 annual inches of rain falls to a lookout over Hanalei Bay. That trail is on our bucket list – we’ll report back once we’ve done it! Pihea Vista trail is at the end of the road in Kokee State Park, just past Kalalau Lookout. There is plenty of parking and facilities.
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