After the past week of repetitively jamming my feet into ski boots in negative temperatures, I came back to just a few days to immediately unpack and repack my bags. Molly and I had been planning our trip to Kauai for months now and it was finally time to take off!
We arrived just before sunset so it only really gave us time to get acquainted with the neighborhood and go grab dinner at a fun bar around the corner. We did need to rest up though because our first real day was going to start before sunrise.
We woke to the sound of roosters at around 5:30 to get all of things packed and ready to go for the shuttle up to the Na Pali coast. The shuttle drive in was primarily in the dark as the sun would officially rise after we started our hike. That morning light made outlining the beautiful homes and beaches along the drive made it seem like a dream to live in these places among the water. Before we got off, the bus driver joked that this would be a very difficult hike, but we’d love it! And they weren’t wrong.
The hike starts off along the ocean as you quickly find yourself climbing steep Rocky stairs to reach an undulating trail that over looks the steep cliffs. You pop in and out of the valleys at times fully covered by a tree canopy and others fully exposed to a view of the ocean. This continues along for a few miles where you make it to a beach made up of large boulders and the trail splits off to hikers going further along the coast to camp or to a 300’ waterfall a few miles into the valley.
The latter was our objective for the day, we wanted to go further along the coast, but we didn’t have the required permit to do so. Making our way along the valley, the scenery changes a bit to big patches of bamboo alongside a stream. Some of the creek crossings were a bit difficult to maneuver but we made it across with only 1 shoe taking a swim.
We were lucky to have gotten off the bus when we did and arrive at the waterfall early. There were only two other groups during the time it took for us to snap a few photos and have a snack. The real hoard of people was arriving just as we made our way back.
The rest of the way back to Ke’e beach was pretty busy. It was definitely nice to get the early start and have some peace and quiet on the trail making our way out there. We even made it back in time to hangout on the beach and get a nap in before the first of the afternoon shuttles arrived.
After the hike, we stopped in Hanalei bay for a snack and to play in the waves for a bit. This was a beautiful pit stop and we’ll be heading back many times this trip as it’s only a 15 minute drive from where we’re staying in Princeville.
We ended our day with a sunset down at Queen’s Bath. The waves were crashing pretty heavily so we didn’t jump in, but it was a beautiful sunset. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
