Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The trailhead is located at the end of Hawaii 56 in Haena State Park, near a piece of land
once owned by Elizabeth Taylor's brother Howard. After being denied a building permit, he
let a bunch of hippie friends build tree houses there, and the place became known as “Taylor's
Camp.”
WHILE YOU'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Because Kalalau Beach is surrounded by towering cliffs,
pali
in Hawaiian, the only
way to get there is by foot or, in certain months when the surf is less fierce, by boat.
If you're going by boat, you might want to zip another 160 miles northwest to see
the beginning of our country's latest national monument: the Northwestern Hawaii-
an Islands Marine National Monument. This string of largely uninhabited islands,
atolls, and reefs that extends 1,200 miles into the Pacific is the largest protected area
on the planet, bigger than all our national parks combined. And while it has only 65
residents, the island chain teems with a different kind of life—huge congregations
of Laysan albatrosses (dubbed “gooney birds” for their comical landings and mat-
ing rituals), green sea turtles, spinner dolphins, and the endangered Hawaiian monk
seal. In all, the islands shelter about 7,000 species of marine and terrestrial life.
The first few miles of the Kalalau Trail are widely used. The majority of hikers stop at
Hanakapiai Beach, 2 miles in, and a few go the next 4 miles to Hanakoa Falls, a stunning
100-foot falls and pool. Only the hardy continue on to Kalalau Beach.
To camp or even hike the Kalalau Trail, you have to get a state permit. It's advisable to
secure one as early as possible, because two-thirds of all camping permits to Kalalau for the
summer are issued a full year in advance. You're also required to sign a statement promising
that you'll use “good judgment”—not a bad vow to make, considering that the trail is only
inches wide in some places with sheer 800-foot drops to the sea. Signs along the way will
remind you of your promise, saying, for example, “Tidal Wave Marker” or “This lifesaving
