N pali Coast State Wilderness Park
Kauai, HI Hours and Location

Aloha and Welcome to Hawaii’s State Parks!

Hawaii is the most remote land mass on earth. Its reputation for unsurpassed natural beauty is reflected in its parks. Hawaii’s state park system is comprised of 51 state parks encompassing nearly 30,000 acres on the 5 major islands. The park environments range from landscaped grounds with developed facilities to wildland areas with trails and primitive facilities.

Outdoor recreation consists of a diversity of coastal and wildland recreational experiences, including picnicking, camping, lodging, ocean recreation, sightseeing, hiking, and pleasure walking. The park program protects, preserves, and interprets excellent examples of Hawaii’s natural and cultural history. The exceptional scenic areas are managed for their aesthetic values and developed for their superb views.

We invite you to experience Hawaii, learn about its unique resources and history, and participate in outdoor recreation by visiting our parks. As you visit, please help us protect Hawaii’s fragile and irreplaceable resources for future generations

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About this location:

State Park

Hours

Daily During Daylight Hours

Entrance Fee

• None

About

The Nāpali Coast is a very special place. The pali, or cliffs, provide a rugged grandeur of deep, narrow valleys ending abruptly at the sea. Waterfalls and swift flowing streams continue to cut these narrow valleys while the sea carves cliffs at their mouths. Extensive stone walled terraces can still be found on the valley bottoms where Hawaiians once lived and cultivated taro.

PLEASE VIEW OUR KALALAU TRAIL SAFETY VIDEO HERE.

Permits Required : Camping permits required, special rules apply to Nāpali
Coast camping. DAY-USE HIKING PERMITS FOR THE KALALAU TRAIL HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. DAY HIKING IS NOW ALLOWED WITHOUT A PERMIT UP TO HANAKĀPĪʻAI VALLEY (2 MILES IN FROM TRAILHEAD). ANYONE PROCEEDING BEYOND HANAKĀPĪʻAI VALLEY MUST POSSESS A VALID CAMPING PERMIT.

Services/Facilities : Camping at Hanakoa and Kalalau Valleys by permit only. Composting toilets at Hanakapi‘ai, Hanakoa, Kalalau, Nu‘alolo Kai and Miloli‘i. Rain shelters at Hanakoa, shelters with picnic tables at Miloli‘i. NO DRINKING WATER – stream water must be treated. NO TRASH SERVICE – pack out what you pack in. There is no cell phone coverage in this park.

Commercial uses within State Parks are prohibited. This includes guided hikes/overnight trips, and boat drop-off or pick-up, except by special permit.

PLEASE NOTE: It is not legal for anyone to provide commercial boat transport to drop off passenger at Kalalau or Milolii camping areas. Please do not enlist the services of these illegal operators, who contribute to overcrowding and excess trash in the park.

Gear : Travel light. Lightweight hiking shoes with good traction are popular. Camping gear should include a lightweight sleeping bag or blanket, sleeping pad, tent or tarp, cooking stove and fuel, water purification tablets or filter, first aid kit, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, rain gear, toilet paper, and biodegradable soap.

As of November 2010, a portion of the Kalalau campground in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park is now permanently closed to camping to protect park users from potential rockfall hazards in this area. The closure was implemented following a rockfall hazard assessment and mitigation project which was conducted in Summer of 2010.

Rockfall hazard and no camping signs have been posted in the Kalalau trail segment now off-limits to camping up to Ho’ole’a Waterfall. The closure affects approximately 16 formerly popular campsites along the trail closest to the waterfall. Returning campers should be aware that some sites they formerly enjoyed are now unsafe and off-limits. Transit through the area is still allowed along the existing trail, however hikers are encouraged not to linger in the area.

A replacement set of composting toilets has been installed centrally within the new designated camping area at Kalalau. Campers are also allowed to set up camp on the sand beach fronting the now closed area, so long as they stay well away from the cliffs. Camping is not allowed beyond the waterfall/stream, including within the cave just west of the waterfall, which remains a hazardous rockfall zone.

NEW POLICY AS OF MAY 2010 : In response to public demand and to promote improved public safety, beginning May 19, 2010, permits for Nāpali Coast will be issued for Kalalau only, the preferred destination at the end of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail. However, permits for Kalalau will also be valid for camping at Hanakoa , which is located a little beyond the halfway point of the trail, roughly 6 miles in from the trailhead. Permits specifically for Hanakoa will no longer be issued, but hikers are encouraged to stopover and camp at Hanakoa if they possess a valid permit for Kalalau and they feel the need to break up their trek due to such factors as fatigue, inclement weather, or impending darkness.

Permitted campers are cautioned that the new policy is not a license to camp anywhere along the trail. Hanakoa and Kalalau, which contain facilities to support camping activities, remain the only two authorized areas for camping along the trail. The total number of nights that are allowed for camping in the park is still 5 – so a stopover at Hanakoa, going either direction along the trail, counts as on e of the authorized nights, and therefore reduces the total number of nights permitted at Kalalau.

At the trailhead (in Hā‘ena State Park) can be found restrooms, outdoor showers, trash cans, drinking water and payphone.

Activities

• Boat Tours
• Bow hunting
• Camping
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Sightseeing
• Wildlife Viewing

Facilities

• Campsites
• No Drinking Water
• Restroom

Camping

Camping permits for Nāpali coast are extremely popular, and often sell out well in advance, particularly during summer. Please plan accordingly.
Fees start at $15 per person per night.

Hazards

• Falling Rocks
• Hazardous Cliff
• Flash Flood
• Dangerous Shorebreak
• High Surf
• Strong Current
• Waves Break on Ledge

Prohibited

• No Bicycles
• No Boat Landing or Launching
• No Animals/Pets
• No Alcoholic Beverages
• No Open Fires
• No Littering/Dumping
• No Rock Climbing
• No Smoking
• No Commercial Activities
• No Plant Removal