READERS COMMENTS

Did this hike with 50 pounds of gear (enough for my 3 weeks of travel) in chacos and foud it a little scary, but all in all not that bad. The exposed section is definitely the scariest bit, but if you are steady it is not an issue.
Posted: May 31, 2009 chris

This place is serious business. Don't make the mistake of believing that it is "no big deal." If you get in trouble, (which you easily could) your only salvation might be that so many people are coming through to dump trash in Hanakoa Valley. If you do go, stop to look up and around once in a while. Enjoy the beautiful walk!
Posted: May 14, 2009 MJM

way more people drown on the beaches then fall off the cliffs !!
Posted: Apr 08, 2009 Big Daddy

Just returned from hiking the Kalalau and Nu'alolo Trail, Awa'awapuhi and Nu'alolo Cliff Trail. My husband and I backpacked the entire island for ten days and logged close to 50 miles of trail hikes, canyon hikes, and all-around trekking. As a result, we carried packs and gear for ten days, and averaged 45 pound packs on all of the trails. Best piece of gear? Hands down, it is the Handpresso Wild. Care to brew a double shot espresso on the trail on the Napali Cliffs? I did! Check out my blog at http://titaniumpersonaltraining.blogspot.com and read all about it. :) Suffice it to say, we are experienced hikers, climbers and backpackers- and we did not find the trails daunting in the least. We explored the side-hikes to the waterfalls on the Kalalau and found it to be well worth the extra miles. The million dollar 360 degree views from our campsite at Kalalau Beach made the whole trip worthwhile. Tips for happy trail running: take a trekking pole. No need for two, because it's nice to have one hand free to grab for rocks on the cliffs in the ferocious headwind. We travel with a Mountain Hardwear Air Jet tent, and it has proven its worth, versatility, durability and usefulness in the tropics and the snows of glacier fields in Alaska. As for sleeping bags? We like Big Agnes sleeping systems, and the Lost Dog bag (mostly a lightweight sleep sheet) worked well for this climate. Packs down to the size of my fist, when compressed. Bring a good water filter- we met hikers who were airlifted off the trail after foolishly drinking straight from a waterfall. Our rating for the difficulty of the Kalalau Trail: 7 out of possible 10. Nu'alolo? 5 out of 10. Danger? Hey, I'm a mom with a small child. I wouldn't risk my life. Danger meter on the Kalalau never exceeded a 7.5, in my opinion. I am no adrenaline junkie, just a well-conditioned, strong Alaskan with a good perspective of what danger really is.
Posted: Apr 02, 2009 Ti Conkle

Did it in February in the rain....yeah it was tough but not as bad as some proclaim. I've seen some guys go 11 miles in and back in under 7 hours.
Posted: Mar 20, 2009 The Mechanic

Attempted the hike in late February 2009. I blew an ankle on a root at about mile 6 so we set up camp, waited a few days until I could walk, and then hiked out.

Although I only did the first 6 miles, I would say this trail was the most dangerous thing I have ever done by about two orders of magnitude. There were regular downpours while we were there so everything was slick and/or muddy. Some of the ledges were more streambeds than trails.

In my opinion, the "difficulty" of this trail really comes from its dangerousness. The trail isn't maintained and is literally sliding into the Pacific. Although a lot of people talk about the mile past Hanakoa as the dangerous part, there was no shortage of unprotected paths in the first 6 miles. I really couldn't believe it was considered safe to backpack. (And hiking out with a bum ankle was worse).

I really can't imagine that the risk v. reward calculous works out in favor of doing this hike. Granted, I never saw the "paradise" at the end. And, although the many scenic views I did get were good, they weren't worth the infinite increase in the likeliness of death. I think this trail is really the stuff for adrenaline junkies or mountain climbers.

A couple of other points: First, we really overpacked. We were set to be in for 5 nights and had 35lb backpacks. I would say skip the luxury items and use a superlight tent or tarp.

Second, even in winter, there was NO need for sleeping backs. Pick up a .25lb sleeping back liner and that should be enough.

Third, this is a jungle... It is going to rain. Sure, you might get lucky, but probably you will not. Take rainproof stuff.

Fourth, although everyone keeps saying to take lugged hiking boots, I think heavy boots might not be the best option. A lot of this hike is scrambling-ish, and I felt my Vasque Sundowners really inhibited my dexterity. Granted, I needed them for my pack weight and they probably save my ankle from surgery.

Fifth, poles. We did not take hiking poles. I did blow and ankle. I was terrified much of the time. I can't say for sure, but I bet poles would have helped.

Final thoughts: if you have a spouse or kids, this isn't the trail for you. If you absolutely have to do it, make sure your life insurance and disability insurance is in order. Seriously.
Posted: Mar 03, 2009 mike

My wife and I hiked the first 3 1/2 miles of this trail. The trail was wet, muddy, and a mass of tangled roots, made even more dangerous by the mud. One friend lost his footing, fell off the trail, dropping faster and faster toward a cliff. By the grace of God, a tree limb impailed his forearm,which later required multiple major surgeries,but the limb help arresting his fall before he plunged off the cliff.
Posted: Mar 01, 2009 John Nichols

Actually I feel the most "difficult" hike on Kauai is down to Wailua Falls.The most dangerous, Kalalau Trail. The Nualolo Cliffs Trail may be higher, but the dangerous part last maybe 50 feet. The Kalalau Trail almost a mile of tricky hiking. I have lots of pictures and videos at...
http://www.condosinkauai.com/All_Kauai_Sites.html
Posted: Feb 23, 2009 Chuck

read the comments ..all were there just after us.. the last comment...thats the part we did twice...the cliff trail we got lost on!!!!!!
***sorry I thought this was going to the above address... please ignore...
Posted: Dec 11, 2008 gayle

read the comments ..all were there just after us.. the last comment...thats the part we did twice...the cliff trail we got lost on!!!!!!
Posted: Dec 11, 2008 gayle

We just completed the trail last week (Nov 8-12, 2008). It was absolutely amazing. I read the article about the 10 most difficult hikes after we had purchased our airfare and permits for the trip and my wife gave me a hard time about it. I was cautiously optimistic about the ability of each of the members of our four-person party. I had completed several moderate to difficult practice hikes carrying 35-40lbs (60lbs when I carried my wife's pack). My wife, who doesn't have quite as much time, or desire, to dedicate to hiking, did 3 practice hikes (3-5 miles) with a 20-25lb pack on easy to moderate trails. She was the least physically prepared but, with some great conversation to keep her mind off the difficult trail, she was able to complete the hike without serious pain. The wife of the other couple had never backpacked except for a few practice hikes and had extremely minimal camping experience. We convinced her that she could be comfortable sleeping on the Exped 7 Downmat ~$140. She runs quite a bit so she was physically able to do the trip. Just make sure your backpack is fitted to your body by a professional. What a trooper.

The most important piece of equipment we took were the trekking poles (we had Leki Ultralight poles ~$110). The poles greatly increased our stability and confidence as we crossed the trail.

We were extremely fortunate that there was no rain the entire time we were there and, although the trail was slick the first mile or two, it wasn't the mud bog we were warned about. Also, none of the rivers were impassible as we have read horror stories about high waters.

I was concerned about the narrow trail on the cliffs because of what I had read. That part of the trail (mile 7-8) is on the dry side and not slick at all when we were there. What was interesting is that my wife felt comfortable enough to take out the camera and snap pictures of us coming up behind her. That made me nervous as she was turning around with her pack on, but it just pointed out that there was more room on the cliff than I was led to believe. The most difficult part, in my opinion, was the portion where the trail is sloped, loose dirt just before the "balcony". I was grateful for the trekking poles. I never feared for my life, I just knew we had to be careful. This part of the trail seems to be receiving care by volunteers.

Another great piece of equipment I was grateful for was the Sea to Summit ultralite microfiber XL towel ~$32. The sand is easily cleaned off of it and it dries very quickly.

I would not have even tried the hike had I not read about it in Backpacker magazine about 6 months ago. What a great place to visit. ENJOY!


Posted: Nov 19, 2008 BJ

can u give me some info about the most dangerous island in America
Posted: Nov 19, 2008 soran

I went with my son's Boy Scout troop when they hiked Kalalau in 2005 and I consider it to be the very best hike in the state. There is really only one spot that I thought was dangerous; where you are contouring along the above-mentioned cliffside about a mile past Hanakoa. The rest of the trail is fairly strenuous, but I don't consider to be very dangerous. I agree that trekking poles and lugged soles are a must, especially if carrying a heavy pack. To me the Waimano Ridge trail on Oahu has far greater exposure to falling off trails with 500 foot-plus sheer drops.
Posted: Nov 15, 2008 Neil Okuna

I hiked a part of this trail this summer. (The rest of the family didn't want to do more, so we did not complete it - darn it!) Besides the sheer drops to the sides, and the slipperiness of the muddy trail, the winds were unbelievable. At one overlook, we felt like we were going to be blown off!
Posted: Nov 15, 2008 Elizabeth Ray

it's just that exposed section that's dangerous. The rest is beautiful.
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 joe

I hiked the Kalalau Trail numerous times. It is one of the ten best trails I hiked in my life. It is not a technical hike and like any hike it helps if you have brains between your ears. You do need to cross streams. So if you cross and camp and then return after a rain you may need to wait until the volume of water in the stream is reduced. So allow some flex time on your return.
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 Brad Peebles

The most dangerous trail on Kauai is probably the Nualolo Cliff Trail, part of the Nualolo "loop." It's terrifying, you can fall 2000 vertical feet in some parts (with the trail washed out sometimes and cliffs you can't grab because the cliff face crumbles when you grab it). Anyway, people actually do die on that trail, so when publishing about "dangerous trails," maybe publish about trails where people actually die.
Posted: Nov 13, 2008 MCR

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