Kauaʻi Trails & Access
Kauaʻi is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands and has some of the most dramatic landscapes in which to hike. From the Kalalau Trail on Kauaʻi’s lush north shore to trails in the beautifully arid Waimea Canyon, Kauaʻi offers breathtaking views of ancient lands forged in fire and shaped by water.
If you’re preparing for a hike and looking for use and access information on a specific trail, we host that information on the mobile app Outerspatial and in your web browser at the interactive Hawaiʻi Trails portal. The Hawaiʻi Trails portal also includes information for commercial trail vendors.
Kauaʻi Nā Ala Hele Advisory Council
The Nā Ala Hele Advisory Councils provide advice and assistance to the department in implementing the Nā Ala Hele Program. There are seven councils: a statewide council, and island councils for the islands of Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. Members of the advisory councils are appointed by the department chairperson and represent stakeholder groups including hikers, hunters, bikers, equestrian riders, off-highway vehicles, Hawaiian cultural representatives or practitioners, fishers, environmentalists, affected landowners, or other trail and access advocates.
For information on the Kauaʻi Advisory Council, contact Nā Ala Hele staff.
Kauaʻi Trails
The webmap below shows Kauaʻi Nā Ala Hele trails, overlaid on public reserve types and with DOFAW campsites. Click on a trail to see basic info and find a link to that trail’s use details on the HawaiiTrails website (hawaiitrails.hawaii.gov). You can find current hazards or closure information on that site. In the map below you can also click on the public reserve area that your trail of choice goes through. If available, we have links to a webpage about that reserve. Based on the reserve type you may need certain permits, which you can learn about at our Permits & Guidelines page. If the web map below does not display properly, try opening it fullscreen.
For more info on Nā Ala Hele or to see pages for other islands, visit the Nā Ala Hele homepage.