Hiking & Camping

Anini Beach County Park

This 12-acre park is Kauai's safest beach for swimming and windsurfing. It's also one of the island's most beautiful: It sits on a blue lagoon at the foot of emerald cliffs, looking more like Tahiti than almost any other strand in the islands. One of Kauai's largest beach camping sites, it is very, very popular, especially on summer weekends, when local residents flock to the beach to camp. It's easy to see why: This 3-mile-long, gold-sand beach is shielded from the open ocean by the longest, widest fringing reef in Hawaii. With shallow water 4 to 5 feet deep, it's also the very best snorkeling spot on Kauai, even for beginners. On the northwest side, a channel in the reef runs out to the deep blue water with a 60-foot drop that attracts divers. Beachcombers love it, too: Seashells, cowries, and sometimes even rare Niihau shells can be found here. Anini has a park, a campground, picnic and barbecue facilities, a pavilion, outdoor showers, public telephones, and a boat-launch ramp. Princeville, with groceries and supplies, is about 4 miles away. You must have a permit, which costs $3 per person, per night. You can stay at the county parks a maximum of 4 nights, or 12 nights if you are going 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#CAMPING). Follow Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56) to Kilauea; take the second exit, called Kalihiwai Road (the first dead-ends at Kalihiwai Beach), and drive a half mile toward the sea; turn left on Anini Beach Road.

Hanalei Beach

Camping is allowed at this 2 1/2-acre park on weekends and holidays only. Reserve in advance, as this is a very popular camping area. Gentle waves roll across the face of half-moon Hanalei Bay, running up to the wide, golden sand; sheer volcanic ridges laced by waterfalls rise to 4,000 feet on the other side, 3 miles inland. Is there any beach with a better location? Celebrated in song and hula and featured on travel posters, this beach owes its natural beauty to its age -- it's an ancient sunken valley with post-erosional cliffs. Hanalei Bay indents the coast a full mile inland and runs 2 miles point to point, with coral reefs on either side and a patch of coral in the middle -- plus a sunken ship that belonged to a king, so divers love it. Swimming is excellent year-round, especially in summer, when Hanalei Bay becomes a big, placid lake. The aquamarine water is also great for boogie boarding, surfing, fishing, windsurfing, canoe paddling, kayaking, and boating. (There's a boat ramp on the west bank of the Hanalei River.) The area known as Black Pot, near the pier, is particularly good for swimming, snorkeling, and surfing.

Facilities include a lifeguard, a pavilion, restrooms, picnic tables, and parking. This beach is always packed with both locals and visitors, but you can usually find your own place in the sun by strolling down the shore; the bay is big enough for everyone. You must have a permit, which costs $3 per person, per night. You can stay at the county parks a maximum of 4 nights, or 12 nights if you are going 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#CAMPING).

To get here, take Kuhio Highway (Hwy. 56), which becomes Highway 560 after Princeville. In Hanalei town, make a right on Aku Road just after Tahiti Nui, then turn right again on Weke Road, which dead-ends at the parking lot for the Black Pot section of the beach; the easiest beach access is on your left.

Haena Beach Park

There are a lot of pluses and minuses to this county beach park (next door to Haena State Park, which does not allow camping). One plus is its beauty: The nearly 6-acre park is bordered by the ocean on one side and a dramatic mountain on the other. In fact, old-timers call this beach Maniniholo, after the local manini fish, which used to be caught in nets during summer. Across the highway from this park are the dry caves, also called Maniniholo. The caves, really a lava tube, run a few hundred feet into the mountain. The area is great for camping, flat and grassy with palm trees for shade. Now the minuses: This is not a good swimming beach because it faces the open ocean, and Kauai's North Shore can be windy and rainy. However, good swimming and snorkeling are available either a quarter mile east of the campground (about a 5-min. walk) at Tunnels Beach, where an offshore reef protects the bay; or at Kee Beach, about a mile west of the campground. Come prepared for wet weather.

Facilities include the camping area, restrooms, outside screened showers, a pavilion with tables, electric lights, a dishwashing sink, picnic tables, and grills; however, there are no lifeguards. The water here is safe to drink. Supplies can be picked up in Hanalei, 4 miles east. You will need a permit, which costs $3 per person, per night. You can stay at the county parks a maximum of 4 nights, or 12 nights if you are going 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#CAMPING). To get here, take Highway 56 from Lihue, which becomes Highway 560. Look for the park, 4 miles past Hanalei.

YMCA of Kauai -- Camp Naue

Attention, campers, hikers, and backpackers: This is the ideal spot to stay before or after conquering the Na Pali Trail, or if you just want to spend a few days lounging on fabulous Haena Beach. This YMCA campsite, located on Kuhio Highway, 4 miles west of Hanalei and 2 miles from the end of the road, sits right on the ocean, on 4 grassy acres ringed with ironwood and kumani trees and bordered by a sandy beach that offers excellent swimming and snorkeling in the summer (the ocean here turns really rough in the winter). Camp Naue has two bunkhouses overlooking the beach; each has four rooms with 10 to 12 beds, $12 per bunk. The facilities are coed, with separate bathrooms for men and women. There's no bedding here, so bring your sleeping bag and towels. Large groups frequently book the camp, but if there's room, the Y will squeeze you into the bunkhouse or offer tent space, at $12 per person. Also on the grounds is a beachfront pavilion, a campfire area with picnic tables. You can pick up basic supplies in Haena, but it's best to stock up on groceries and other necessities in Lihue or Hanalei. Remember this is the Y, not the Ritz; they only have one employee who handles all the bookings plus everything else related to the Y activities. The best way to find out if they have space available is to call (do not e-mail, do not send a letter), tel. 808/246-9090. The Y simply is not set up to answer mail. Instead, a few months before your trip, call and they will let you know if there is space in the campsite or if the bunkhouse will be available.

Na Pali Coast State Park

Simply put, the Na Pali Coast is the most beautiful part of the Hawaiian Islands. Hanging valleys open like green-velvet accordions, and waterfalls tumble to the sea from the 4,120-foot-high cliffs; the experience is both exhilarating and humbling. Whether you hike in, fly over, or take a boat cruise past, be sure to see this park.

Established in 1984, Na Pali Coast State Park takes in a 22-mile stretch of fluted cliffs that wrap the northwestern shore of Kauai between Kee Beach and Polihale State Park. Volcanic in origin, carved by wind and sea, "the cliffs" (na pali in Hawaiian), which heaved out of the ocean floor 200 million years ago, stand as constant reminders of majesty and endurance. Four major valleys -- Kalalau, Honopu, Awaawapuhi, and Nualolo -- crease the cliffs.

Unless you boat or fly in, the park is accessible only on foot -- and it's not easy. An ancient footpath, the Kalalau Trail, winds through this remote, spectacular, 6,500-acre park, ultimately leading to Kalalau Valley. Of all the green valleys in Hawaii (and there are many), only Kalalau is a true wilderness -- probably the last wild valley in the islands. No road goes here, and none ever will. The remote valley is home to long-plumed tropical birds, golden monarch butterflies, and many of Kauai's 120 rare and endangered species of plants. The hike into the Kalalau Valley is grueling and takes most people 6 to 8 hours one-way.

Despite its inaccessibility, this journey into Hawaii's wilderness has become increasingly popular since the 1970s. Overrun with hikers, helicopters, and boaters, the Kalalau Valley was in grave danger of being loved to death. Strict rules about access have been adopted. The park is open to hikers and campers only on a limited basis, and you must have a permit (though you can hike the first 2 miles, to Hanakapiai Beach, without a permit). Permits are $10 per night and are issued in person at the Kauai State Parks Office, 3060 Eiwa St., Room 306, Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/274-3444; www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dsp/fees.html). You can also request one by writing the Kauai Division of State Parks, at the address above. For more information, contact the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl St., Room 130, Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel. 808/587-0320).

Hiking the Kalalau Trail

The trail head is at Kee Beach, at the end of Highway 560. Even if you only go as far as Hanakapiai, bring water.

The First 2 Miles: to Hanakapiai Beach -- Do not attempt this hike unless you have adequate footwear (closed-toe shoes at least; hiking shoes are best), water, a sun visor, insect repellent, and adequate hiking clothes. (Shorts and T-shirt are fine; your bikini is not.) It's only 2 miles to Hanakapiai Beach, but the first mile is all uphill. This tough trail takes about 2 hours one-way and dissuades many, but everyone should attempt at least the first half mile, which gives a good hint of the startling beauty that lies ahead. Day hikers love this initial stretch, so it's usually crowded. The island of Niihau and Lehua Rock are often visible on the horizon. At mile marker 1, you'll have climbed from sea level to 400 feet; now it's all downhill to Hanakapiai Beach. Sandy in summer, the beach becomes rocky when winter waves scour the coast. There are strong currents and no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk. You can also hike another 2 miles inland from the beach to Hanakapiai Falls, a 120-foot cascade. Allow 3 hours for that one-way stretch.

The Rest of the Way -- Hiking the Kalalau is the most difficult and challenging hike in Hawaii, and one you'll never forget. Even the Sierra Club rates the 22-mile round-trip into Kalalau Valley and back as "strenuous" -- this is serious backpacking. Follow the footsteps of ancient Hawaiians along a cliff-side path that's a mere 10 inches wide in some places, with sheer 1,000-foot drops to the sea. One misstep, and it's limu (seaweed) time. Even the hardy and fit should allow at least 2 days to hike in and out. Although the trail is usually in good shape, go in summer when it's dry; parts of it vanish in winter. When it rains, the trail becomes super-slippery, and flash floods can sweep you away.

A park ranger is now on-site full time at Kalalau Beach to greet visitors, provide information, oversee campsites, and keep trails and campgrounds in order.

Camping in Kalalau Valley & Along the Na Pali Coast

You must obtain a camping permit. The camping season runs roughly from May or June to September (depending on the site). All campsites are booked almost a year in advance, so call or write well ahead of time. Stays are limited to 5 nights. Camping areas along the Kalalau Trail include Hanakapiai Beach (facilities are pit toilets, and water is from the stream), Hanakoa Valley (no facilities, water from the stream), Milolii (no facilities, water from the stream), and Kalalau Valley (composting toilets, several pit toilets, and water from the stream). To get a permit, contact the Division of State Parks, 3060 Eiwa St., Suite 306, Lihue, HI 96766 (tel. 808/274-3444; www.kauai-hawaii.com/activities.php). Generally, the fee for a state park camping permit is $5 per campsite per night, but the Na Pali fee is $10 per campsite per night. You cannot stay more than 5 consecutive nights at one campsite. Keep your camping permit with you at all times.