hiking in Kauai
 

Can anyone recommend good hiking trails in Kauai. We've got the ultimate guide, but we're looking for anyone who has experience with relatively low-key trails since we'll have a toddler in a back pack. don't want anything too dangerous. Any ideas? thanks!

The best trail is the kalalau trail at the end of hwy.56. You can hike into Hanakapiai beach about 2miles in from the trailhead. Be careful at the beach though, its very dangerous to swim there. The ultimate guide is probably the best book about the island.They pretty much covered everything.

I agree with the assessment of The Ultimate Kaua'i Guidebook. It is the best. The Kalalau Trail's first two miles to Hanakapi'ai are the easiest. However, when the wife and I went, it was raining and the trailhead at Ke'e Beach was more like a stream with good water flow than a hiking trail. We thought IT WAS a stream at first so we went back down to the readerboard and looked at the map again just to be sure. After the first couple hundred feet it dried out. It was still raining, but there was no flow on the trail. And the actual stream crossings on the trail were a little scary because they were rain-swollen. It was still a beautiful hike. <BR> <BR>I DO NOT think, however, taking a toddler on this trail is a good idea. There are sections on this part of the Kalalau Trail that are a couple hundred feet above the water where you have sheer cliff going up on one side of the trail and sheer drop to the shore below on the other side with NO guardrails for safety! Not a good place for a toddler....even in a backpack. Not to mention the swollen stream crossings if it's raining. <BR> <BR>My suggestion: Go to the Kalalau Lookout on Hwy 550 on the west side and just look at the Napali Coast from there. Or take a boat tour of the coast. On our first trip to Kaua'i, we took Capt. Zodiak and they actually rode us into a seacave on the Napali Coastline in one of those hard-hulled inflatibles. It was an awesome ride. I have a picture looking out through the cave opening. However, the Ultimate Guide states that they (and all others) are now prohibited from running from Hanalei Bay. All of the boat tours now orginate from the west side (Hanapepe) of the island. So it's a long ride. :( <BR> <BR>Take the Ho'opi'i Falls hike (page 161). Or the Secret Tunnel to North Shore hike (page 165). Not good for a toddler in a backpack because of low clearance but it is low risk. I haven't tried any others so I can't vouch for their safety. But we are going back in Sept. and will be trying some of the others. We'll see. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

I agree with previous poster. THe kalalau trail is a fabulous hike..but not with a toddler on your back. <BR> <BR>The trail is narrow, slippery and uneven. A toddler on your back wiil raise your center of gravity and make you more susceptible to slipping or falling( with no guard rails). <BR> <BR>I'm not sure where you will be staying, but you might want to cosider hiking in Waimea Canyon

Hi Laurie - <BR> <BR>A good place to find all kinds of hiking trails at varying degrees of difficulty is Kokee State Park in Waimea Canyon. There is a nature center there that has small scale mock-ups of the trails and give the rating for level of difficulty for each one, as well as a free map of these trails. In addition, you may want to pick up the book Kauai Trailblazer, which is extremely detailed and well-organized. I agree that the Kalalau Trail, while magnificent and breathtaking, wouldn't be a good idea with a toddler for the reasons stated by the above poster.

Hi Laurie, I agree with Margot! When we were there we did some of trails at Kokee and loved it! We were even able to see a wild pig on the trails, that was a big highlight of our hike. Gorgeous place... Judy :-)

Aloha Laurie, <BR>A hike up the back of the Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mtn)could be "do-able" with a toddler as long as it hasn't rained for around 24hrs before your hike and you are in decent shape. (A few yards of steep switchbacks.) <BR> <BR>Like most trails on Kauai, it gets slippery after a rain. <BR> <BR>They have a picnic table at the last stop before the peak. You may not want to go all the way to the peak because with a child since you have to walk/crawl over some rocks and one side is pretty much straight down. <BR> <BR>Great 360 degree view of the Coconut Coast, Mt Waialeale, King Kong, Wailua River, Kilohana Crater, etc. <BR> <BR>If I can make it up there after pounding down a platter of Eggbert's Royal Banana Coconut pancakes and a gallon of cinnamon hazelnut coffee, packing a toddler is a walk in the park. <BR>Mahalo, <BR>Kal <BR>236...

Thanks for the great ideas! These trails sound wonderful. Looks like we'll leave the little punkin with grandma and grandpa back at the condo pool! thanks!

Sleeping Giant is a good kid-toting trail. We also attempted the Ho'opi'i Falls hike from the Ultimate Kauai book with our five-year-old and our baby in a backpack. We had a great little hike but never found the right trail to the waterfall. The map directions were a little confusing. Still, it was amazing how beautiful and lush the land was just inland from the Kapa'a area and we had a lot of fun poking around. We have also done the first couple of miles of the Kalalau trail, very pretty but busy and slippery. Wouldn't do with a child on my back. If you can do a hike without your child, would recommend the Nu'alolo Trail up at Koke'e State Park. If you have the time, going out on the Nu'alolo Trail and taking the connecting cliffside trail to return on the Awa'awapuhi Trail is a great view with truly awesome views of the Na Pali Coast. It's about an 8-mile hike but really spectacular. There are also a number of great hikes on jeep track trails up in Koke'e that would be easy to do with your child. Just walking and listening to the birdsong is pretty incredible. The visitor's center at Koke'e has good maps and advice. Another good spot for a scenic hike/walk would be heading out from the Hyatt at Poipu along the lithified dunes or driving down to Maha'ulepu (beyond the Hyatt) and again walking along the dunes and coastal cliffs. This is a part of Kauai that many people never see. There is a gentleman who does walking tours of this area through the Kauai Historical Society. Lots of great places for do-able hikes.