Kalalau Beach is a beach on the Nā Pali Coast at the base of the

Kalalau Valley The Kalalau Valley is located on the northwest side of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The valley is located in the Nā Pali Coast State Park and houses the Kalalau Beach. The Nā Pali Coast is rugged and is inaccessible to aut ...

in north-west

Kauai Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

. It is the final destination of the

Kalalau Trail The Kalalau Trail is a trail along Nā Pali Coast of the island of Kauai in the state of Hawaii. The trail runs approximately along the island's north shore from Kee Beach to the Kalalau Valley. The trail has been named one of the most beautif ...

, one of the most difficult trails on the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...

. The beach is approximately 1 mile long, with trails snaking through the rest of the valley where people in hiding are rumored to live. There is a camp site on the beach, with a waterfall providing fresh water and

composting toilet A composting toilet is a type of dry toilet that treats human waste by a biological process called composting. This process leads to the decomposition of organic matter and turns human waste into compost-like material. Composting is carried ou ...

s available. Camping requires a permit. The beach has high surf, due to the lack of off shore reefs to break the waves. There are strong rip currents making swimming near impossible. In years past, companies offered a landing service, boating hikers in and out of the beach so that they could hike the trail easily. It is still possible to

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

into and out of the beach. The trail ends at Kalalau Beach, as the ocean comes up the cliffs at the western end. Kayaking and swimming (by strong swimmers with fins) from Kalalau Beach are the only ways to reach Honopū Beach. Long term tourists who stay beyond the authorized five days that a camping permit allows are generally considered squatters. These year-round residents may hike out every few months to get food and supplies. Their presence creates an interesting local culture. Many squatters are students on summer vacation, but others have lived in the valley for decades. Park rangers occasionally clear these inhabitants out or chase them into hiding. Water from the waterfall should be purified by boiling or

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

pills, due to the threat of

leptospirosis Leptospirosis is a blood infection caused by the bacteria ''Leptospira''. Signs and symptoms can range from none to mild (headaches, muscle pains, and fevers) to severe ( bleeding in the lungs or meningitis). Weil's disease, the acute, severe ...

, a bacterial disease spread through contact with infected rat and goat urine. There are herds of feral goats roaming the beach and valley. The goats are a non-native species, and to prevent overpopulation the Department of Land and Natural Resources allows hunting on weekends in August and September. Visitors can find field-dressed pelts hanging around, as hunters pack out only the meat.

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

, and cherry tomatoes are abundant in the valley and are cultivated by the locals.

External links

Napali Coast State Wilderness Park
(contact for camping permits)
Hawaii State Parks: Kalalau TrailExtensive Journal With Photos
*{{gnis, 360030
More on Kalalau Beach Kauai
Beaches of Kauai

See also

External links