It was light rain on the red dirt, around the 7.4 mile mark, when my cousin’s boots gave way and he started sliding toward the cliff. Mud was caked on the soles, the path had eroded into a slope that leaned toward the drop, and for one second I was sure he’d go over. It all happened fast and slow at the same time. He dropped to all fours and found traction. I sat on the trail and scooted back on my bottom. We walked out.
Kauai’s Kalalau Trail is one of the most beautiful hikes in the country. It’s also, by the numbers, one of the deadliest. I’ve hiked it three times, including a solo hike in the rainy season, and this is what I wish someone had told me before I started.
How many people have died on the Kalalau Trail?
As of 2026, there have been 18 confirmed deaths on the trail itself if you exclude the beaches, or 60 when you include drownings at Hanakapiai, Kalalau, and Honopu Beach. The breakdown, as best it can be documented:
- 7 falling deaths from steep ledges, and possibly more
- 3 drowning deaths in the streams along the trail (Hanakapiai, Hanakoa, and Kalalau)
- 42 drowning deaths at the beaches along the trail
- 2 health-related deaths, possibly heart attacks or heat exhaustion
- 6 deaths with unknown causes — a body that couldn’t be identified, or someone who disappeared and was given up for dead after decades
I’m not listing these to scare you out of the trek. I want you to make an informed choice, and keep safety close while you’re there.
The cases, in brief
These are the documented cases as of 2026, from police reports and local news. Each one is a person, and some of them may have been avoidable with a little more awareness.
- May 2026 — An unidentified man from California, 37, was found unconscious on a cliff section and died in hospital. (Kauai Police Department)
- December 2024 — Lauren Cameron, 32, from Alaska, was swept away by currents and drowned at Hanakapiai Beach. (Kauai Fire Department)
- January 2024 — Matthew Wu, 30, from New York, fell 30 feet near Hanakapiai Falls and died. (Kauai Police Department)
- April 2021 — Jeremy Kanoa Hughes, 43, drowned while swimming at Hanakapiai Beach. (Kauai Now)
- June 2020 — Andrew Jardine, 41, collapsed about 200 yards from Ke’e Beach and died; no signs of foul play. (Kauai Police Department)
- June 2020 — Amber Philips, 32, drowned in the Kalalau Valley stream, with injuries consistent with a fall. (Kauai Now)
- December 2019 — An unidentified man from China, 27, drowned while swimming at Hanakapiai Beach. (Honolulu Star Advertiser)
- September 2019 — An unidentified man from Hawaii, 41, drowned trying to swim from Kalalau Beach to Honopu Beach. (Hawaii News Now)
- January 2018 — Timothy Axtelle, 57, from Washington, drowned at Hanakapiai Beach. (Kauai Police Department)
- January 2017 — Ramona van Schendel, 39, from the Netherlands, fell and died in the Space Rock area, roughly three miles from the Ke’e Beach trailhead. (Kauai Police Department)
We were actually hiking this trail with friends when Ramona died, and we found her abandoned backpack near the cliff. We didn’t learn what had happened until later. That’s the thing about this trail: the stories reach you from a distance, and then one day you’re in them.
- November 2016 — Janet Ballesteros, 53, drowned at Hanakapiai Beach. (Hawaii News Now)
- August 2014 — Zachary Rose, 29, fell off the edge near Crawlers Ledge and landed on rocks 50 feet below the trail. (Hawaii News Now)
- August 2014 — An unidentified woman from Hawaii, 19, was swept away while crossing the Hanakoa stream. (Hawaii News Now)
- April 2014 — Daniel Foster, 31, from Texas, fell from a cliff deep in the Kalalau Valley. (Honolulu Star Advertiser)
- August 2013 — An unidentified man from Germany, 61, collapsed from fatigue near the 8 mile mark. (Honolulu Star Advertiser)
- February 2013 — Norka Villacorta, 43, from New York, was swept away crossing the Hanakapiai stream during a flood. (New York Post)
- January 2013 — Ilya Lomov, 42, from California, disappeared after last being seen camping in the valley. (SFGate)
- June 2012 — Rose Schlegel, 30, fell 20 feet down a cliff after dark near her campsite. (Kauai Now)
- March 2008 — Jesse Glen Pinegar, 22, from Utah, disappeared; his campsite was found near the 5 mile mark. (SFGate)
- January 2004 — Bradford T. Turek, 28, from Ohio, disappeared; last seen at Kalalau Beach. (SFGate)
- March 1979 — Two unidentified, unidentifiable bodies were found together in Hanakoa Valley; they remain in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. (SFGate, NamUs)
- 1971 — A rappelling biologist found two separate remains off a cliff, from people who died years apart. (SFGate)
- 1970-2012 — A total of 29 hikers drowned at Hanakapiai Beach, and 7 at the Kalalau/Honopu beaches, most of them in the winter. (Honolulu Civil Beat)
There was once a wooden sign with tally marks at Hanakapiai Beach claiming 80 to 100 deaths, but it was unsourced — anyone could add a mark. I’d rather trust the documented numbers.
What the rescues tell us
Deaths are the worst of it, but hundreds of injuries and rescues have happened over the years, and someone seems to get hurt on the trail almost every day. A few stand out, because they show how quickly things turn:
- December 2025 — A 65-year-old hiker from Utah fell 10 feet near Hanakapiai Falls and got a 6-inch laceration to his head. (Kauai Fire Department)
- October 2025 — A 57-year-old man was airlifted after a spider bite turned into an infection. (Kauai Fire Department)
- April 2025 — About 50 hikers sheltered in place overnight when heavy rain made Hanakapi’i stream impassable. (Kauai Fire Department)
- August-September 2024 — At least 50 hikers got sick with vomiting and diarrhea after a norovirus outbreak; the trail closed for a one-week disinfection. (Ars Technica, Department of Health)
- November 2023 — A woman from New York fell 60 feet and was rescued; an eyewitness said she was “lucky to be alive.” (Kauai Now)
- February 2016 — A dozen hikers were stranded when Hanakapiai stream flooded; some nearly got swept away trying to cross in chest-deep water. (DLNR)
- April 2014 — The Kauai Fire Department rescued 121 hikers by helicopter in two days after flooding. (Seattle Times, Kauai Now)
- February 2013 — A group of 55 hikers was stranded on the far side of Hanakapiai stream. (New York Post)
One line I’d put on a sign: EMS isn’t a taxi service. Please don’t call for help at Kalalau unless it’s absolutely necessary — every questionable evacuation ties up resources that a real emergency needs.
What we can learn from this
The ocean is the biggest danger
By far the biggest killer at Kalalau is swimming in the ocean, especially at Hanakapiai Beach. Don’t swim there in the winter, or when the waves are big. Honestly, I don’t swim there even when the water is calm — there are too many current deaths to take the risk. It’s tempting partway through a long trek, but swim at one of the waterfalls instead.
The streams don’t wait
Don’t be tempted to cross the main streams when they’re flooded. Sit and wait. A flood can build while you’re still deciding, and the people who got stranded in 2013 and 2016 were the ones who tried.
Watch the goats
Falling rocks are usually not a big problem, but on my last hike, when we reached camp, there were goats above the Ho’ole’a waterfall kicking down fist-sized rocks into the pool. We waited, and showered later. Look up before you stand under anything.
Crawlers Ledge is not as bad as the videos
The notorious “Crawlers Ledge” isn’t actually the most dangerous cliff on the trail — you’re walking on solid rock, the path is wider than a person, and the narrowest part takes 5 or 10 minutes even at a slow pace. Some of the online videos use fisheye lenses that exaggerate how narrow it looks. Walk slowly, hug the wall, and let oncoming hikers pass without doing anything fancy.
What I’d call genuinely trickier is the red dirt before and after Crawlers Ledge. Between the 7 and 8 mile marks, the path is loose dirt — slippery crumbs when dry, slick mud when wet. That’s where my cousin nearly went over in the rain. In that episode, in 2018, the path had eroded into a slope toward the cliff, and there was no traction at all. In hindsight we should have waited for the rain to stop. We were tunnel-visioned on reaching Kalalau Beach before dark. It’s always better to arrive safe than not at all.
And the rest
Don’t hike near steep cliffs in the rain or after dark. Wear grippy shoes, carry a proper headlight, and know when to stop. The grass on the lower sections barely hides a 1,000-foot fall in places, and the drop-offs are sometimes hidden by bushes.
Is Kalalau dangerous or safe?
Kalalau is an extreme hike by most people’s standards, and it’s fair to call it one of the most deadly hikes in the U.S. — though fewer people attempt the objectively worse ones. It’s also been safely hiked by hundreds of thousands of people over the years, and I’ve done it three times without getting hurt.
If you’re a fit, experienced hiker and you respect the weather, you’ll almost certainly be fine. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s a massive hike that almost anyone will find challenging. I wouldn’t suggest it for young kids, for people who aren’t steady on their feet, or for anyone who isn’t comfortable with heights.
The Golden Hour: the last light at Kalalau Beach, when the Na Pali cliffs go pink and the campers are still quiet. You earn it. Most people do it on the way back, in the first hour after sunrise, when the trail is empty and the sea glass light is at its softest.
FAQ
Can I do just part of the Kalalau Trail?
Yes. The first 2 miles to Hanakapiai Beach and the waterfall is a lot easier, and the permit is easier to get. But the best views are only unlocked later, when you reach Kalalau Beach. The further you go, the better it gets.
Is there a safer alternative with similar views?
Yes — the Awa’awapuhi Trail on the same side of Kauai. It’s short enough to do in one day, still challenging, with the same kind of exotic coastal scenery, and none of the remote camping exposure.
When is the best time to hike Kalalau?
Summer is the gentler season — smaller surf, drier trails. But the trail runs year-round, and the deaths happen in both seasons. If you go in the winter, treat the ocean and the streams as the main hazards, and don’t cross a flooded stream on hope.
A note from Luna
Some trips go exactly as planned, and some you just have to get through. Kalalau is one of the ones where the two meet. Go when you’re ready, watch the sky, and come home.