Your Guide
🏕️
Malia Reyes
Certified wilderness guide and Kauai native. Has completed the Kalalau Trail more than 400 times since age 16. Holds state guide permits for the trail and handles all logistics including the controlled permit system. Works with the Nā Pali State Wilderness Park on trail maintenance and invasive species removal.

The Kalalau Trail is 11 miles from Ke'e Beach to Kalalau Valley, along a clifftop path above the Nā Pali coast. The permit system is controlled and highly competitive. The trail gains and loses thousands of feet through jungle, ridgeline, and exposed coastal sections. Malia has done it more than 400 times — the first time at 16 with her father, every time since with intention. She knows where the wild goats water at midday, which coastal sections offer the clearest views of Honopu arch below, and where to stop in silence long enough for the birds to resume singing. She handles the permit logistics. You just show up and hike.

What Your Day Looks Like

A sample itinerary

Early morning (5:30am)
Pre-dawn start from Ke'e Beach — Malia insists on early departure to reach the exposed sections before afternoon heat. She briefs the day: conditions, key stopping points, water sources (she carries filtration), and the emergency protocols. The first mile through Hanakāpī'ai Valley is lush — she identifies the native and invasive species as you walk. Her rule: leave no trace means you carry everything in and out, including any trash you find.
Mid-morning (7am–12pm)
The central section — the one that earns the reputation. Ridgeline trails with coastal exposure, the Hanakoa Valley descent and climb, the switchbacks above the ocean. Malia knows the exact points where wildlife is most consistent: the nene goose nesting sites, the red-footed booby colony at the cliff edge, the Hawaiian petrel if you're there in breeding season. The valley views are surreal — Nā Pali from above, the ocean below.
Kalalau Valley (12–2:30pm)
Arrival at Kalalau Valley and beach — 11 miles in. A valley that was continuously inhabited for centuries, then abandoned in the early 20th century. Malia explains the history of the last residents, the taro terraces still visible in the jungle, the reason this valley was isolated even by Hawaiian standards. Lunch at the beach, then the return — a different experience from the trail heading east.
What's Included

Everything is handled

✓ State trail permits (your group, handled by Malia)
✓ Full day guided hike with wilderness-certified guide
✓ Water filtration and electrolytes throughout
✓ Packed trail lunch and snacks
✓ First aid and emergency equipment
✓ Transportation to Ke'e Beach trailhead
Best For
◆ Serious hikers and outdoor adventurers
◆ Photography enthusiasts (dramatic coastal and valley views)
◆ Anyone who wants to earn the most dramatic landscape in Hawaii
◆ Groups comfortable with strenuous full-day activity