besthike.com - the blog

Most do only the 4mi return from the trailhead at stunning Ke’e Beach through to Hanakapiai Beach (one drowning / year). This is the glorious, but dangerous, Na Pali coast.
Serious hikers definitely want to overnight on the Kalalau Trail, the best hike in Hawaii. The highlight of my 3wks on Kauai.
I was there […]

Often included on lists of “best hikes in the world” — deservedly — is the Kalalau Trail on Kauai. It’s widely considered the best hike in Hawaii.
Many non-hiking tourists get a taste of the Kalalau by doing the challenging first 2mi (3.2km) from the trailhead at Ke’e Beach through to gorgeous Hanakapiai Beach.

Ke’e […]

Another GREAT Kauai hike with an unappealing name. (Like the Swamp Trail.)
… follows a 13 mile electric transmission line maintenance route and ends near the Keahua Forestry Arboretum in the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve. This is a dry-weather, all day hike. …
Steep, eroded, slippery at saddle. …
Hawaii Trails
If you have only one vehicle, do […]

I like the route Lonely Planet Hiking Hawaii recommends for Alakai Swamp:
Kalalau Lookout trailhead > Phea Lookout > Kilohana Lookout. And back.
That’s maximum bang / mile, I think.
It’s a brilliant hike, too, by the way. Don’t be deterred by the name “Swamp”.

OK, it’s a swamp. But it’s so weird and unexpected after […]

A local recommended an excellent, unique — but extreme — hiking adventure:

Get used to the mud. Most of the time, it’s easier just to go right through the middle while looking for submerged rocks and logs. If you do have hiking boots, it’s best to avoid overtopping them.
Maybe too extreme, or too dirty, for me. […]

Still dreaming of Kauai.

This trail begins near Wailua’s Keahua Arboretum and travels up to views of Mt.Waialeale (clouds permitting) and the ocean. Picnic at the lookout point or continue on to explore lush hillsides of fern and vegetation.

Kuilau Trail
My latest idea is to rent a mountain bike and ride to many trailheads […]

Stuart at Trail Spotting recommends the Kauai - Alaka’i Swamp Trail 11mi (17.7km). Hard.
… Take a westerly drive around Kauai until you run out of road and you’ll find yourself overlooking the plunging cliffs of Kalalau Valley on the fabled Na Pali Coast.
The only way to explore beyond this point by land is on […]

Friends just confirmed today they are spending 2wks on Kauai the end of March.
Of course, that got me thinking. …
This is the guidebook my friends are using. It has a pretty good overview of hikes on the island.

The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed
Other resources include this DVD: Hiking Hawaii: Kauai
And these guidebooks:
Kauai Trailblazer: […]

The only way to bring media attention to this great trek, I reckon:
Papua New Guinea’s historic Kokoda Trail has been closed to tourists until a dispute over a proposed copper mine is resolved, Australian media is reporting.
Local Koiari landowners have felled a tree across the track near the village of Naoro, 55km from Port […]

I loved the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) hike when I was there in 1997. But it was somewhat dangerous.
No worries if you want to do it today. From a recent trip report:
… Darren and I took an overnight bus to Taganga, a tiny town on the Caribbean coast. We wanted to go on the […]