Kalalau Valley

Since the Nā Pali Coast is too steep for any motorized vehicles, all access to the valley is by boat or foot, except for emergency helicopter landings.

A limited number of permits are sold for camping in Kalalau Valley every year by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), although parking for campers is no longer allowed at the trail head.

[1] Other endemics include the endangered Schiedea attenuata.,[2] and previously unknown plant species have been discovered there [1] The natural environment and relative isolation, despite the noise of constant helicopter traffic, are the major attractions of the valley.

In spite of the efforts of the state of Hawaii, some people illegally hike the Kalalau Trail and camp and even live in the valley.

On April 28, 2017, Cody Safadago, a man alleged to be living in Kalalau, was charged with stealing a truck and causing an accident that killed a Kauai woman the previous day, while he was driving drunk.

[6][7] The terraced gardens in the Kalalau Valley are threatened by the introduced, invasive trees which create underground root networks invading the rock walls.

[ambiguous] The valley is a part of the Nā Pali Coast State Park and the DLNR is, responsible for its maintenance and preservation.

Kalalau Valley viewed from the Nā Pali Kona Forest Reserve Pihea Trail
Edited version of USGS topographical chart of Kalalau Valley below 2,000 feet elevation. The Kalalau Trail is shown as a black line near the top of the image. The Pihea Trail is shown as a black line near the bottom of the image.
The falls at the end of Hanakapi`ai Valley, on the Nā Pali Coast.