Summer Vacations With an Edge: Kalalau Trail on Kauai

By Alex Salkever

This 11-mile trail runs along the base of vertiginous sea-cliffs fronting the completely undeveloped, completely uninhabited and completely breathtaking North Shore of Kauai. Formerly a mule trail used to supply isolated and now abandoned villages tucked into the pocket valleys -- invariably backed by crashing waterfalls and sandy crescents -- the Kalalau has long been considered among the world's most primo hiking adventures. The region has even been designated as a World Heritage site by the United Nations.
Alas, the trail has apparently deteriorated to the point where even the billygoats in the Kauai Chapter of the Sierra Club get the heebie-jeebies hiking the dirt and rock path that, in places, is now no longer than a foot wide. Meaning, you slip, you die, in all probability. No deaths reported yet but who would want to be first? Sadly, the summer is peak hiking season for the Kalalau. The dry weather means the trail is less muddy and the calm oceans make for more pleasant bathing at the beaches along this coast. Our advice? Hike at your own risk -- or take the kayak tour of the coast, camping along the way.