Kauai’s Most Famous Trail Reopens, but Only a Sliver of It

Haena State Park on Kauai’s north shore has reopened after being closed for more than five weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell. Cleanup and repairs are complete enough to let visitors back in, and shuttle service to the park has resumed, according to Travel Weekly’s report on October 23.

The reopening comes with a big caveat for hikers. Only the first two miles of the Kalalau Trail, which lead to Hanakapiai Beach and Valley, are open for now. The full 11-mile length of the trail, one of Hawaii’s best-known backcountry routes, stays closed until further notice, so anyone who planned the complete Na Pali Coast trek will need a different plan.

Out-of-state visitors can reserve entry through Gohaena.com, which the report says works as it did before the storm. Travelers should book there rather than turning up, since the park has long relied on a reservation system to manage crowds on a narrow road and a fragile coastline.

Elsewhere on the island the picture is less settled. All other state parks on Kauai, including Kokee and Waimea Canyon State Parks, remain closed. The state parks administrator told Travel Weekly the park supports about 50 local jobs, a reminder of what the long closure has meant for the north shore. Anyone heading to Kauai soon should check the state’s park pages before booking tours or rentals tied to those closed areas.

Sources: Travel Weekly, Travel Weekly (Hawaii)