Kalalau hike and Ke'e beach

Question

We want to ride the shuttle to Ke'e beach and hike Kalalau trail then hang out at the beach after. Where would we store our beach stuff? Do we have to take it with us on the hike?

Answer

The Kalalau Trail on Kauai’s Na Pali Coast is a beautiful but rugged hike, and planning how to manage your beach items is important since the trailhead at Ke'e Beach is at the start of the trail.

There are no lockers, storage facilities, or official places to leave belongings at Ke'e Beach. This means that anything you want to keep safe while hiking must go with you, or you risk leaving it unattended, which is not recommended. The first two miles of the trail to Hanakapi’ai Beach are heavily trafficked, but beyond that, it’s remote, with no supervision, so leaving items on the beach could result in theft or damage from weather.

Here are some options for managing your beach items when hiking:

Take only essentials: Pack a small daypack with water, snacks, sun protection, and anything you absolutely need for the hike. Leave larger or non-essential beach items in your car or accommodations.
Use waterproof dry bags: If you want to bring your phone, camera, or small valuables, place them in a waterproof dry bag that can be carried comfortably on the hike.
Shuttle or local storage services: Some local tour companies or shuttle services may allow you to leave bags temporarily, but this must be arranged in advance. Do not assume the shuttle will store items for free.
Split items among hiking partners: Distribute necessary items among members of your group to minimize load.

After finishing your hike, you can enjoy Ke’e Beach with the items you carried or return to your vehicle or shuttle storage to retrieve anything left behind. Many hikers choose to do a half-day hike, carrying only essentials, then return to fully enjoy the beach with the rest of their gear.

In summary, you should plan to carry what you need for the hike. There are no official storage options at Ke’e Beach, and leaving things unattended is risky. A small, comfortable backpack with dry bags is the safest approach for valuables, while the rest of your beach items stay in your car, hotel, or arranged storage.

Kalalau hike and Ke'e beach

More Kauai Travel Questions

The attractions mentioned in this question

Popular Destinations

Popular Travel Questions