The Perfect Day: Nā Pali Coast
Our day will start in Princeville, which is the closest town to the Nā Pali Coast. I recommend getting an early start to maximize your time on the coast. From Princeville, you want to go to Ha'Ena State Park. Ha'Ena State Park is open from 6:30am to 5:30pm everyday.
There are two ways to get to Ha'Ena State Park:
Option 1: Drive
It is only a 30 minute drive to Ha'Ena State Park from Princeville, but the parking is very competitive. There are only 100 parking stalls in the parking lot – 70 allocated visitor parking stalls and 30 Hawaii resident parking stalls. Reservations may be made online at www.gohaena.com up to 14 days in advance and no later than the day before your visit. Parking sells out almost immediately each day, so it is important to be prepared if you are planning on parking.
Option 2: Shuttle
My recommendation is to take advantage of the Kauai North Shore Shuttle. This shuttle is inexpensive and convenient, picking you up at Princeville Golf Club and dropping you off right at Ha'Ena State Park. Reservations can be easily made online by visiting the website linked below.
Once you arrive at Ha'Ena State Park, you want to make your way to the Kalalau Trailhead. The Kalalau Trail is one of the most famous in the world, stretching 22 miles down the Nā Pali Coast. But because this is a day trip, we will only be hiking two of those 22 miles.
The first two miles of the trail take you up and down the jagged cliffs of the coast and offer countless breathtaking views. Upon completion of the first two miles, you will find yourself at Hanakāpīʻai Beach.
Hanakāpīʻai Beach is the perfect place to enjoy lunch, swim in the ocean, or explore the caves along the mountains. If you arrive early enough, you will find that you essentially have the beach to yourself.
After you have finished at Hanakāpīʻai Beach, it is time to make your way inland to Hanakāpīʻai Falls. You will see signs that direct you to the falls, making it hard to get lost. You will hike another two miles inland until you reach the falls.
Hanakāpīʻai Falls is hands-down the most beautiful waterfall I've seen. It is a massive 200-feet of falling water into a large pool. There are countless rocks around the pool that you can lay on and sunbathe. The water is freezing cold, making is extremely refreshing after hiking four miles. We ended up staying at the falls for three hours before making our way back.
After you are finished at the falls, it is time to make your way back to Ha'Ena State Park. It is another four miles back to the park. The entire hike can take anywhere from three hours to nine hours, depending on how fast you walk and how long you choose to stay at the beach or the falls.
Our guide for Kauai and Oahu are listed below:
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Thank you for reading through this guide and happy traveling!
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