Kalalau Trail itinerary
Every mile marker on the Kalalau Trail route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Kalalau Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Kalalau Trail. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by reservation.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Kee Beach (trailhead) is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 8
- Across the markers
- 11.0 mi
- Published route length
- 11 mi
- Published ascent
- 800 ft
How long it takes: 2-5 days. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
These two figures disagree. Adding up the climbs between the markers gives 1,050 ft, which is more than the 800 ft published for the whole route, and the marker sum can only ever be a floor. Both are printed as the catalogue records them rather than one being quietly dropped.
The Kalalau Trail route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
10 ft
Kee Beach (trailhead)
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The trail starts at Kee Beach inside Haena State Park, at the end of Kuhio Highway.
2.0 miles · 4 ft down to Hanakapiai Beach
Mile 2.0
6 ft
Hanakapiai Beach
The first 2 miles of the trail, from Haena State Park to Hanakapiai Beach, make a popular day hike; a day-use permit covers this stretch and camping is not allowed here without a valid overnight permit for beyond.
0.2 miles · 762 ft up to Hanakapiai Falls (side trail)
Mile 2.2
768 ft
Hanakapiai Falls (side trail)
A 2-mile round-trip spur up Hanakapiai Valley to a 300-foot waterfall, popular with day hikers who turn back at Hanakapiai Beach.
3.7 miles · 258 ft down to Hanakoa Falls (side trail)
Mile 5.9
510 ft
Hanakoa Falls (side trail)
A short spur trail above Hanakoa Camp leads to Hanakoa Falls.
0.1 miles · 278 ft up to Hanakoa Camp
Mile 6.0
788 ft
Hanakoa Camp
A mid-trail camp 6 miles from the trailhead; camping here is limited to one night at a time, no two consecutive nights allowed.
0.8 miles · 602 ft down to Crawler's Ledge
Mile 6.8
186 ft
Crawler's Ledge
A narrow, exposed section of trail with a severe dropoff to the ocean; DLNR warns hikers not to loiter on the cliff sections.
2.9 miles · 186 ft down to Kalalau Valley
Mile 9.7
0 ft
Kalalau Valley
The trail descends into Kalalau Valley in its final mile before reaching the beach.
1.3 miles · 10 ft up to Kalalau Beach (trail end)
Mile 11.0
10 ft
Kalalau Beach (trail end)
The trail's end, 11 miles from Kee Beach; camping here is capped at a total of 5 nights in the park.
Getting a Kalalau Trail for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Kalalau Trail dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks Kalalau Trail around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.