Kalalau Valley Kauai

The Kalalau Valley is located on the northwest side of the island of Kauai, located in the Na Pali Coast State Park and features beautiful Kalalau Beach.

The valley is known for its stunning beauty as you can see from the photos on this page. Kalalau is surrounded by lush cliffs more than 1/3 mile high. The bottom of the valley is broad and flat, with an accessible area of roughly 2 miles long and 0.5 miles wide

The only means to access the valley (legally) are either by kayak or hiking in via the Kalalau Trail.

Well into the 20th century, many native Hawaiians lived in the valley farming taro from a large complex of terraced fields. However today, the state park forbids any one from living in the valley.

The Na Pali coast is too steep for any motorized vehicles, so access to the valley can only be by either boat or foot. Kayaks are a popular way of visiting the valley, but sea conditions typically make this too dangerous to attempt during the winter.

Hiking the Kalalau Trail is popular, but you'll need to be in good shape as the trail is roughly 11 miles long, quite strenuous, and dangerous in certain areas.

Access to the Kalalau valley is limited in the name of conservation. A small number of permits for camping in the Kalalau Valley are issued every year by the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources. And anybody wanting to hike beyond the Hanakapiai valley will need a permit for staying in the Kalalau valley overnight.

Campers must stay in the designated camping area within 100 yards of the beach. There is also a small waterfall here used for bathing and washing dishes.

The natural beauty and relative isolation of the Kalalau Valley are its major attractions.

The magnificent and historical terraced gardens in the Kalalau Valley are currently threatened and being destroyed by introduced and invasive trees.

These introduced trees create an extensive underground root system that invaded the traditional rock walls of the terraces.

Since these trees are not a native species, they aren't suited for the heavy daily Pacific Ocean winds that frequent the valley.. These trees frequently fall and topple the rock walls causing permanent damage.

Along with the non-native trees, there is also concern the helicopters used for the popular Helicopter Tours of the area are causing issues as well. Many helicopters fly below legal limitations to "get a closer view" and this can cause considerable disturbance to visitors wanting to enjoy the Na Pali coast.

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