u/DiscombobulatedAct33

This is really heartbreaking. I was on the trail about a week ago during the rain and found the sections around crawlers edge incredibly dangerous. In dry conditions it feels manageable, but once the clay gets wet some sections become incredibly unforgiving very quickly.

Just a reminder for anyone planning this hike: conditions matter a lot. Don’t push through bad weather just because you already started.

Thinking of his loved ones.

I’m writing this as a PSA. Just finished the Kalalau Trail a couple days ago and, honestly, I feel lucky to be alive. We made it out to Kalalau Beach without issues, but the rains that have now shut down the park for the last few days completely changed the trail on our hike back out.

The red clay sections became unbelievably slippery, and there were a couple moments where I genuinely wasn’t sure we were going to make it across safely. Huge shoutout to the group we hunkered down with around mile 6 for a couple hours until conditions improved enough for all of us to work together and get everyone across the river safely.

My biggest advice: if there is any threat of rain, do not underestimate the exposed sections around Crawler’s Ledge. The rain had stopped the morning of 5/9, and the first couple miles out of the beach were reasonably dry, so we thought we were good, but a downpour that started around 10 a.m. transformed the trail into something genuinely dangerous.

Please be extremely careful in those sections. There is very little to grab onto, and in some spots a slip could have catastrophic consequences.

The beauty of the Nā Pali Coast was absolutely spectacular, but the conditions can change incredibly fast and deserve a tremendous amount of respect.