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- Kalalau Beach — The dramatic payoff at the end of the 11-mile slog: a wide, golden beach backed by towering cliffs, sea caves you can poke into at low tide, and that unreal feeling of having staked a piece of the Na Pali coast for yourself. (Personal favorite — nothing beats eating a tired backpacker dinner while the surf thunders below.)
- Na Pali sea cliffs / panoramic viewpoints — Jagged, green cliffs plunging straight into the Pacific make the trail feel cinematic from almost every vantage. The views are staggeringly vertical and change constantly with light and clouds; no other mainland U.S. hike serves cliff drama like this.
- Hanakapiai Beach & Hanakapiai Falls — Two hits in one: the powerful surf and raw beach about 2 miles in, and the lush 300-foot waterfall (a ~4-mile round trip
- Kalalau Beach — The dramatic payoff at the end of the 11-mile slog: a wide, golden beach backed by towering cliffs, sea caves you can poke into at low tide, and that unreal feeling of having staked a piece of the Na Pali coast for yourself. (Personal favorite — nothing beats eating a tired backpacker dinner while the surf thunders below.)
- Na Pali sea cliffs / panoramic viewpoints — Jagged, green cliffs plunging straight into the Pacific make the trail feel cinematic from almost every vantage. The views are staggeringly vertical and change constantly with light and clouds; no other mainland U.S. hike serves cliff drama like this.
- Hanakapiai Beach & Hanakapiai Falls — Two hits in one: the powerful surf and raw beach about 2 miles in, and the lush 300-foot waterfall (a ~4-mile round trip inland from the beach). The falls are pure jungle-vibe reward — bring water shoes for slippery stream crossings and beware of strong currents at the beach.
- Hanakoa Valley — A shady, fern-filled river valley mid-trail where you can hear waterfalls and find cool pools, a few campsites, and a real feeling of stepping deeper into the island’s interior. It’s the mellow, green contrast to the exposed cliff stretches and a practical place to rest or shelter if weather turns.
- Ancient Hawaiian sites & taro terraces in Kalalau Valley — Beyond the scenery, the valley holds old taro loʻi, stone platforms, and cultural traces that remind you the place has been inhabited and cultivated for centuries. It’s a humbling, human layer to the wild landscape — treat it with respect and leave everything as you found it.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.