THE ULTIMATE HIKE IN KAUAI

Have you ever dreamed of a hike in Kauai located on unstable cliffs, having thousand foot drop offs on each side of you. No? Me either.

I am talking about the Awa’awapuhi hike located in Waimea Canyon in Koke’e State Park. What a name for a trail huh? Like how do you even pronounce that? Ha-ha

Anyways, let’s get into all the knitty gritty details of this hike. You won’t be able to get the amazing views if you visit on a cloudy day. The fog rolls in and can completely cover the canyon. So, for your safety and your viewing pleasure, I highly recommend visiting on a sunny day.

Second thing to note is: make sure you bring the proper shoe attire. If it has recently rained, which most likely it has because it is Kauai, you need to have shoes with good traction. This hike can get REAL muddy and you will be slipping and sliding all over the place.

THE HIKE ITSELF

The Awa’awapuhi Trail begins at a parking lot just before the Kalalau lookout. The trailhead itself is on the left hand side of the parking lot. So, if you can do math and put two and two together…your hike is downhill the whole way there and then…yup that’s right! Uphill the whole way back!

Once you finish the downhill portion, you will reach the end which offers a lookout point with some amazing panoramic views. There is a bar that is supposed to prevent people from going past this point; however, if you got some gut then you may just want to walk out past the bar.

For full details on this hike check out Alltrails information here.

Please please please, if you choose to go past the “stopping” point be extremely careful. There are crazy drop-offs with potentially unstable cliffs and this can be VERY dangerous. If you want some epic views of the Na Pali Coast though, then this is your spot.

Enjoy a nice picnic lunch at the bottom of the hike before heading back out on your journey through the humid air back up to your car.  Congratulate yourself for finishing a 6.4 mile hike by enjoying a refreshing shave ice from JoJos down the road in Waimea Canyon. Check out all their flavors here.

Lots and lots of people travel to Kauai for incredible views like these and fun adventure stories to go home with. Don’t go home without doing this hike for yourself. You won’t regret it! If you are looking for other adventures in Kauai make sure to check out my post here.