Hanakapi’ai Falls Hike Guide
Hanakapi’ai Falls is a stunning waterfall hike located on the Na’Pali Coast of Kauai. This gem of a trail is the farthest that a dayhiker can venture on the Kalalau Trail without an overnight permit. The trail starts at Ha’ena State Park and works up and down the rugged coastline before a stream crossing forces hikers to travel another few miles upstream to the 300ft waterfall. This hike is excellent for swimming and is one of the best trails on the entire island of Kauai. As of 2024, permits are required to start this trek.
Hanakapi’ai Falls Guide
Hanakapi’ai Falls Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars) – Destination Hike
Virtual Trail Guide: Hanakapi’ai Falls
Distance: 9 Miles RT
Elevation Start: 0ft
High Point: 762ft
Total Elevation Gain: 2,500ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 5-7 Hours Total
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult What does this mean?
Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – Avoid this hike during or after a heavy rain
Directions to Hanakapi’ai Falls
Trailhead: Ha’ena State Park
Getting Here: As of 2024, Hanakapi’ai Falls requires a reservation (either at the parking area or through a shuttle) to access this hike. If you are driving directly to the state park, follow the top link. If you are taking the shuttle, the bottom link is your destination and the shuttle will take you the rest of the way.
State Park (Self Driving)
Shuttle Directions
Parking: Both the shuttle parking area and State Park lots are big with lots of spots. Both areas have restrooms and require a reservation to access.
Fee/Reservations: The fee for this hike varies depending on your reservation. Read a full explanation here. Essentially, you have two options: park and take a shuttle into the park OR drive into the park on your own. The first option is more expensive but usually more flexible on finding a reservation. If you are looking for a specific day/time – be sure to check this frequently. *NOTE* These reservations are for the Hanakapi’ai Falls and Hanakapi’ai Beach only, if you are looking to hike the full Kalalau Trail, you must make that reservation here. These are MUCH harder to reserve.
Summary
Dogs: Dogs are not allowed in Ha’ena State Park or on Hanakapi’ai Falls trail.
Camping: The only option to camp on this trail is by obtaining a permit to hike the full Kalalua Trail. This is a tough permit to come by, you can read more about that process here.
Hike Xfactor(s): Hanakapi’ai Falls, like many hikes in Kauai, will open and close depending on the weather. If there has been a lot of recent rain or heavy rain is in the forecast, expect the State Park to close this trail and not refund your hike reservation. Even if the trail is open, be super careful with the many water crossings you have, including the initial one. If the water is higher than your thighs or brown/murky you may not want to attempt to cross or hike further.
Hike Tip(s): If you are hiking Hanakapi’ai Falls through the shuttle reservation, I would HIGHLY recommend starting as early as you possibly can. The last shuttle back to the parking area is an easy one to miss and getting back to your car would be extremely difficult should you miss it. There is nothing worse than feeling rushed on this stunning hike. If your shuttle reservation is later in the day, I would STRONGLY recommend showing up early and riding stand-by (an option for all reservation times).
Best Views: This trail is stunning from start to finish. There is a lot of hype around Hanakapi’ai Falls but in our opinion, this was the best hike we did while on Kauai. The waterfall is stunning, swimming areas, great and the coastal views are breathtaking. While pretty, we both felt that Hanakapi’ai Beach was not a worthy hike in its own right.
Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike.
Hanakapi’ai Falls Route
Gear Needed
- La Sportiva Men’s Trail Runners
- Backpack (Summer)
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360, Drone
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
