![]() It’ll take forever to pass tourists wearing loafers. You’ll want to get to the parking lot by at least 9am, especially in the summer–there’s overflow parking 1/4mi away, and that fills up early as well. The biggest downside is this hike is very popular, especially the first 2mi, and you need advance reservations. Begin with a stop at the Kokee Museum to get an overview of the park. You’re exposed on the coast, hiking into a rainforest, stream jumping, hiking into a bamboo forest, and then you end at a 300-ft waterfall. Bring sunscreen, water, a picnic lunch, suitable footwear, and a Waimea Canyon trail map. The 2mi hugs the coast, and at the end, you can opt to head straight inland for 2mi to Hanakapi’ai Falls. You can hike the first 2mi without a backcountry permit (you can do the full 22mi hike in 3 days). The Na Pali coast is only accessible via the Kalalau trail or by ocean–there’s no roads. This trail along the Na Pali coast is in my top 3 hikes of all time (the other two are in Bryce Canyon and the Redwoods). The Awa’awapuhi Trail offers more jaw-dropping views at the edge of the earth, but the Kalalau trail is more varied and more enjoyable altogether as a hike in itself.
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