Hā'ena State Park — Attraction in Kauai

Ha ena State Park at the end of the highway is an awesome view of Key Beach. Is this the start of the Nepali Trail if you want to take this Trail even in part you need to go on a dry day otherwise it's totally muddy and the rocks can be very hazardous. Unless this is the type of thing you like. At this location is also very good facilities including a good size rest area with showers and toilets. This is a great place to wash off either from swimming in the ocean or on your way back from the trail when you are muddy. No matter how difficult the trail is the views and you will see are awesome amazing and one of a kind. The blue of the water, the view from the distance of the mountains, and the tropical nature trail is one of the most spectacular as you will ever see. Even if you walk the first two miles of the trail you will be impressed and you will remember it forever. If you are able to do this Trail I suggest you try even for just the beginning of the trail on a day trip. But make sure you start out early and turn around when it's time to get back if you're not ready to spend the night there and make a hard trip of it. If you do want to spend more than one day they're on the trail make sure you get your permit for overnight stay. Let me stress that you need to be ready to go on this trip make sure you have lots of water, it is extremely hot, start out early, and watch your footing very carefully. On more than one occasion while on this Trail I have seen people helicopters out of the park being hurt. One of the party that I've gone with has even broken a toe on the loose rocks and vines that cover the...

First off, let me start by saying if you're planning on doing this hike go online a month in advance and book it. They aren't joking when they say it sells out fast if you're planning on parking on site. That said, we did not drive our car. We ended up taking the shuttle which was convenient overall, but we had to pay a little more. The only reason we wish we drove a car was to take advantage of the beach right at the beginning of the trailhead. It looks like a really cool beach, but we were not properly prepared to take advantage of it.

The hike itself was absolutely incredible. Very hard I will say, but worth it! The views as you hike to the first destination which was the beach or some of the best views we saw in Kauai. Be sure to take the time to stop and look up as there are some very beautiful views on this hike!

We didn't end up going to the waterfall. We are not seasoned hikers and we did not want to overdo it. We were told the waterfall is absolutely worth it, but plan for an extra 2+ hours if you're going all the way to the waterfall.

Few Quick Tips: As others have said, be sure to bring at least 2 liters of water per person and pack plenty of snacks / a light lunch.

Good hiking sandals were amazing for this hike as it rained which made the trail really muddy and there's several water crossings. We went with Chacos.

Book early! You cannot go to the park without a reservation, so make sure that you book 30 days in advance and follow the directions on the website!

Go early! Plan a reservation early morning. You can avoid the heat and give yourself enough time to truly...

State Park is well maintained and worth a visit. MUST reserve entry pass with GoHaena. Recommend booking 30 days in advanced if wanting to go on your own vs. taking the shuttle.

Although we found the shuttle reliable and time efficient as we could go to the State Park and Beach Park without waiting for parking spots, we would have preferred to have our own vehicle so we could pack our hike, snorkel, and beach gear, lunch and change of clothes. Day lockers are unavailable so we were limited to what we could carry on our hike.

Hike to Hanakapiai Beach is 2 miles. It took us 2.5 hours from the trailhead, including frequent stops to take pictures. We found the trail difficult as it was either uphill or downhill, rocky, and often wet. We are athletic but not acclimated well to humidity and our packs were likely too heavy (due to the reasons above). We would have preferred hiking with poles and recommend this. We felt safe with 2L of water each to hike roundtrip to the beach. We skipped the additional 2 mile hike to the waterfall as it felt risky with only 3L of water each. Especially in anticipation for the trek back in August's afternoon heat.

We returned to the trailhead and snorkeled at Ke'e Beach which is guarded and great for seeing small fish, the occasional turtle and seal. Restrooms, showers, and picnic tables available.

Unfortunately the wet caves by the State Park were closed, but we were able to shuttle to the Beach Park 1 mile away (including Tunnels/Makua Beach and dry cave) great for snorkeling. If able to bring chairs umbrellas and cooler could be a great all...