Hiking Hawaii: Kauai's Kalalau Trail to Hanakapiai Falls-by Gabi- Hiking in Kauai requires a certain amount of patience, endurance, vigilance, and unlimited time for taking breaks to absorb all the sights along the trail (and take in some water!). This is especially true when hiking the 8-mile Kalalau trail on Na Pali Coast towards Hanakapi’ai Falls - a spectacular 300-foot waterfall, which thanks to the wet climate of Kauai, is always in its full, majestic water flow. We set out on this hike early in the morning, although plenty of hikers had us beat to the start already. By 9AM, the parking lot was filled up with cars and people began pouring out; most with plans to either do the “full” 8-mile round trip hike inland towards the waterfall, or the shorter, 4-mile RT trek on the Na Pali coast. Few hikers we saw carried large backpacks; those are the ones that obtained a permit to camp past the Hanakapi'ai beach, not an easy task considering you have to carry all of your drinking water. Anyhow, we were feeling particularly heroic that day, so we packed plenty of water, snacks, and sunblock, and set out to complete the full 8-mile hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls. This waterfall is extra special for us as we wanted to see the location where our brother Tommy popped the question to his now wife & our sis-in law Aleksandra, a couple years back. Once we arrived at the Waterfall, it was clear as to why he had chosen that spot. Well done brother! :) The going towards the Falls was tough: the trail often alternates between cliff-hugging switchbacks and steep climbs up and down into the valley's lush forest - but if you’re prepared and ready for the slippery and rugged route, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views each step of the way. Let me guide you along the way visually with the below pics:
Our first glimpse of the Na Pali Coast up ahead. Would you believe that this is the result of a long history of naturally occurring erosion? Hashtag nature is beautiful ya'll!
In fact, don't even wear your Monday shoes ... yuck!
The bamboo forest reminded Edi and I of scenes from LOST - especially the opener where the protagonist Jack Shepherd wakes up from the plane crash among bamboo trees... which by the way - bamboo is actually a grass, not a tree - who knew?!
And here it is! We finally arrived at the waterfall. This view made everything worth it. Within seconds of coming into the valley of the waterfall, we felt the cold from the rocks & the freezing mist fill the air.
This photo should give you a good idea of the scale of this thing however keep in mind I am still standing quite far from the waterfall. Even from this point, I was not able to capture the full waterfall in all its glory with my iPhone. So many missed snapchat opportunities..., gahh!
A few brave souls ended up taking a dip in the freezing cold water at the base of the Falls.
But Yoloooooooo, right? We made it out successfully, all limbs still attached and no fingers/toes lost! (Ps. Don't be jealous about my tan lol).
As you can see from my off-white Hawaiian tan and super kewl, half faded flash tat, I fit right in with the rest of the locals!
Edi bought in an awesome trucker hat while in Hawajiii - check out the brand here!
One last shot of the waterfall because LOOK AT HOW MAJESTIC, AHSFAHSGIUHAIUSGHI !!!
Look at this weird pen15 tree - what the what??
Nearing the parking lot already, my pony tail (and the rest of me) was a sweaty mess. As you can see, the Kalalau Trail is a challenging but rewarding hike. For the more experienced hiker, I highly recommend the full 8-mile round trip trail towards the waterfall. For a more relaxed hiking experience, I encourage you to do the 4-mile round trip hike along the Na Pali coast to Hanakapi'ai Beach. This side of the island is only accessible by foot, so you won't be able to get views like these unless you go on a boat excursion (which Edi did 2 years ago and loved) or take a helicopter or a plane tour. Get your hiking shoes ready, pack some snacks and water, charge your cameras and get out there peeps! It'll be one of the best things you do and see in life. Comments
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