Hiking & Camping

Waimea Canyon Trails

On a wet island like Kauai, a dry hike is hard to find. But in the desert-dry gulch of Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific (once you get here, you'll see why -- it's pretty spectacular), you're not likely to slip and slide in the muck as you go.

Canyon Trail -- You want to hike Hawaii's Grand Canyon, but you don't think you have time? Well, then, take the Canyon Trail to the east rim for a breathtaking view into the 3,000-foot-deep canyon. Park your car at the top of Halemanu Valley Road (located between mile markers 14 and 15 on Waimea Canyon Rd., about a mile down from the museum). Walk down the not very clearly marked trail on the 3.5-mile round-trip, which takes 2 to 3 hours and leads to Waipoo Falls (as does the hike below) and back. We suggest going in the afternoon, when the light is best.

Hike to Waipoo Falls -- The 3-hour round-trip hike to Waipoo Falls is one of Kauai's best hikes. The two-tiered, 800-foot waterfall that splashes into a natural pool is worth every step it takes to get here. To find the trail, drive up Kokee Road (Hwy. 550) to the Puu Hina Hina Outlook; a quarter mile past the lookout, near a NASA satellite tracking station on the right, a two-lane dirt road leads to the Waipoo Falls trail head. From here, the trail winds gently through a jungle dotted with wild yellow orchids and flame-red torch ginger before it leads you out onto a descending ridgeback that juts deep into the canyon. At the end of the promontory, take a left and push on through the jungle to the falls; reward yourself with a refreshing splash in the pool.

Kokee State Park

At the end of Highway 550, which leads through Waimea Canyon to its summit, lies a 4,640-acre state park of high-mountain forest wilderness (3,600-4,000 ft. above sea level). The rainforest, bogs, and breathtaking views of the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon are the draws at Kokee. This is the place for hiking -- among the 45 miles of maintained trails are some of the best hikes in Hawaii. Official trail maps of all the park's trails are for sale for 50¢ at the Kokee Natural History Museum (tel. 808/335-9975).

A few words of advice: Always check current trail conditions. Up-to-date trail information is available on a bulletin board at the Kokee Natural History Museum. Stay on established trails; it's easy to get lost here. Get off the trail well before dark. Carry water and rain gear -- even if it's perfectly sunny when you set out -- and wear sunscreen.

Awaawapuhi Trail -- This 3.25-mile hike (6.5 miles round-trip) takes about 3 hours each way and is considered strenuous by most, but it offers a million-dollar view. Look for the trail head at the left of the parking lot, at mile marker 17, between the museum and Kalalau Lookout. The well-marked and maintained trail now sports quarter-mile markers, and you can pick up a free plant guide for the trail at the museum. The trail drops about 1,600 feet through native forests to a thin precipice right at the very edge of the Na Pali cliffs for a dramatic and dizzying view of the tropical valleys and blue Pacific 2,500 feet below. It's not recommended for anyone with vertigo (although a railing will keep you from a major slip and fall). Go early, before clouds obscure the view, or go late in the day; the chiaroscuro sunsets are something to behold.

The Awaawapuhi can be a straight out-and-back trail or a loop that connects with the Nualolo Trail (3.75 miles), which provides awesome views and leads back to the main road between the ranger's house and the Kokee cabins, about a mile and a half from where you started. So you can hike the remaining 1.5 miles along the road or hitch a ride if you decide to do the entire loop but can't make it all the way.

Halemanu-Kokee Trail -- This trail takes you on a pleasant, easy-to-moderate 2.5-mile round-trip walk through a native koa and ohia forest inhabited by native birds. The trail head is near mile marker 15; pick up the Faye Trail, which leads to this one. The Halemanu-Kokee Trail links Kokee Valley to Halemanu Valley (hence the name); along the way, you'll see a plum orchard, valleys, and ridges.

Pihea Trail -- This is the park's flattest trail, but it's still a pretty strenuous 7.5-mile round-trip. A new boardwalk on a third of the trail makes it easier, especially when it's wet. The trail begins at the end of Highway 550 at Puu o Kila Lookout, which overlooks Kalalau Valley; it goes down at first, then flattens out as it traces the back ridge of the valley. Once it enters the rainforest, you'll see native plants and trees. It intersects with the Alakai Swamp Trail. If you combine both trails, figure on about 4 hours in and out.

Alakai Swamp Trail -- If you want to see the "real" Hawaii, this is it -- a big swamp that's home to rare birds and plants. The trail allows a rare glimpse into a wet, cloud-covered wilderness preserve where 460 inches of rainfall a year is common. This 7-mile hike used to take 5 hours of sloshing through the bog, with mud up to your knees. Now a boardwalk protects you from the shoe-grabbing mud. Come prepared for rain. (The silver lining is that there are no mosquitoes above 3,000 ft.)

The trail head is off Mohihi (Camp 10) Road, just beyond the Forest Reserve entrance sign and the Alakai Shelter picnic area. From the parking lot, the trail follows an old World War II-era four-wheel-drive road. Stick to the boardwalk; this is a fragile eco-area (not to mention the mud). At the end of the 3.5-mile slog, if you're lucky and the clouds part, you'll have a lovely view of Wainiha Valley and Hanalei from Kilohana Lookout.

Campgrounds & Wilderness Cabins in Kokee

Cabins & Tent Campgrounds -- Camping facilities include state campgrounds (one next to Kokee Lodge and four more primitive backcountry sites), one private tent area, and the Kokee Lodge, which has 12 cabins for rent at very reasonable rates. At 4,000 feet, the nights are cold, particularly in winter. Because no open fires are permitted at Kokee, the best deal is the cabins. The Kokee Lodge Restaurant is open daily from 9am to 3:30pm for continental breakfast and lunch. Groceries and gas aren't available in Kokee, so stock up in advance, or you'll have to make the long trip down the mountain.

The state campground at Kokee allows tent camping only. Permits can be obtained from a state parks office on any island; on Kauai, it's at 3060 Eiwa St., Room 306, Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/274-3444; www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/fees.html). The permits are $5 per night; the time limit is 5 nights in a single 30-day period. Facilities include showers, drinking water, picnic tables, pavilion with tables, restrooms, barbecues, sinks for dishwashing, and electric lights.

Tent camping at Camp Sloggett, owned by the Kauai YWCA, 3094 Elua St., Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/335-6060; fax 808/245-5961; www.campingkauai.com), is available for $10 per person per night (children under 5 stay free). The sites are on 1 1/2 acres of open field, with a covered pit for fires and a barbecue area, plus volleyball and badminton nets. There are also hostel-style accommodations at the Weinberg Bunkhouse, with bunk beds, separate toilets, showers, and kitchenettes ($20 per person). To get here, continue on the highway past park headquarters and take the first right after the Kokee Lodge. Follow the dirt road and look for the wooden CAMP SLOGGETT sign; turn right and follow the bumpy road past the state cabins into a large clearing.

Backcountry Camping -- The more primitive backcountry campgrounds include Sugi Grove and Kawaikoi, located about 4 miles from park headquarters on the Camp 10 Road, an often muddy and steep four-wheel-drive road. Sugi Grove is located across the Kawaikoi Stream from the Kawaikoi campsite. The area is named for the sugi pines, which were planted in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. This is a shady campsite with a single picnic shelter, a pit toilet, a stream, and space for several tents. The Kawaikoi site is a 3-acre open grass field, surrounded by Kokee plum trees and forests of koa and ohia. Facilities include two picnic shelters, a composting toilet, and a stream that flows next to the camping area. There is no potable water -- bring in your own or treat the stream water.

Permits are available from the State Forestry and Wildlife Division, 3060 Eiwa St., Room 306, Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/274-3444; www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/fees.html). There's no fee for the permits, but camping is limited to 3 nights. You can also request the Kauai Recreation Map (with illustrations of all roads; trails; and picnic, hunting, and camping areas) by mail; contact the Forestry and Wildlife Division at the number above to find out how.

Beach Camping at Polihale State Park

Polihale holds the distinction of being the westernmost beach in the United States. The beach is spectacular -- some 300 feet wide in summer, with rolling sand dunes (some as high as 100 ft.), and the islands of Niihau and Lehua just offshore. Bordered by a curtain of Na Pali Coast cliffs to the north, razor-sharp ridges and steep valleys to the east, and the blue Pacific to the south and west, this is one of the most dramatic camping areas in the state.

The campgrounds for tent camping are located at the south end of the beach, affording privacy from daytime beach activities. There's great swimming in summer (even then, be on the lookout for waves and rip currents -- there are no lifeguards), some surfing (the rides are usually short), and fishing. The camping is on sand, although there are some kiawe trees for shade. (Warning: Kiawe trees drop long thorns, so make sure you have protective footwear.) Facilities include restrooms, showers, picnic tables, barbecues, and a spigot for drinking water. You can purchase supplies about 15 miles away in Waimea.

Permits, which are $5 per night, are available through the State Parks Office, 3060 Eiwa St., Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/241-3444). You're limited to 5 nights in any 30-day period. To reach the park from Lihue, take Highway 50 west to Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range. Bear right onto the paved road, which heads toward the mountains. There will be small signs directing you to Polihale; the second sign will point to a left turn onto a dirt road. Follow this for about 5 miles; at the fork in the road, the campgrounds are to the left and the beach park is to the right.

Beach Camping at Lucy Wright Park

If you want to camp on the west side but can't get a space at Polihale State Park, the county allows camping at the 4 1/2-acre Lucy Wright Park, located just outside Waimea. Not the best beach park, it's okay for camping in a pinch. The park, located on the western side of the Waimea River, is where Captain Cook first came ashore in Hawaii in January 1778. The park is named after the first native Hawaiian schoolteacher at Waimea, Lucy Kapahu Aukai Wright (1873-1931). The beach here is full of flotsam and jetsam from the river, making it unappealing. On the other side of the Waimea River, across from Lucy Wright Park, is the 17 1/4-acre Russian Fort, with ruins of a Russian fort built in 1815. Facilities at Lucy Wright include the camping area, restrooms, a pavilion, picnic tables, and (cold) showers. You need a permit to camp at any of the county's seven beach parks. Permits are $3 per person, per night. You can stay at the county parks a maximum of 4 nights (or 12 nights if you go from one county park to another). To apply for the permit, contact Shani Saito in the Permits Division of Kauai County Parks and Recreation, 4193 Hardy St., Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/241-6660; www.kauai-hawaii.com/activities.php). To get to Lucy Wright Park, take Kaumualii Highway (Hwy. 50) to Waimea and turn left on Alawai Road, which leads to the park.