Kalalau Trail Friends
The Kalalau Trail along the Napali Coast of Kauai is receiving much needed improvements through the efforts of volunteers. The Friends of Kalalau Trail is a crew working to restore this world famous hike. Twice a month a professional crew hired by Pono Pacific Land Management welcomes volunteers to assist with trail rehabilitation between the trailhead at Ke‘e Beach and Hanakapi‘ai Beach. Volunteers learn about wilderness trail building, and contribute their labor to improving this prized asset which is used by visitors and local hikers as well as hunters helping control the feral goat and pig populations on the North Shore.
The first mile of the Kalalau Trail is used by up to five hundred people a day in the summer, and this project to rehabilitate the two miles of trail between Ke‘e Beach and Hanakapi‘ai Beach is funded by a state grant. The trail rehabilitation work will be completed by the end of this year, and volunteers are a strong component to the project. “Hiking the Kalalau Trail is an unforgettable experience and people should be able to enjoy this beautiful wilderness without being in danger due to the poor condition of the trail,” said one volunteer. “It’s tremendously rewarding to go out with the trail building crew and in just one morning help transform a trail section from degraded and hazardous to smooth.”
The Friends of Kalalau Trail is recruiting community minded individuals looking to learn the basics of trail construction and maintenance, while getting your hands dirty and helping the crew, who are led by Native Hawaiian Conservation and Hiking Expeditions. Volunteer days start at 8:00 am at the trailhead at Kee Beach Park and generally end around 2:00 pm. Tools and equipment are provided. Volunteers will need gloves, working boots, pants, water, and lunch for the day. Upcoming volunteer workdays are scheduled for March 20, April 3, April 17, May 8, and May 22 at the Ke‘e Beach trailhead. Volunteers are asked to pre-register for the workdays by e-mailing kalalautrail@ponopacific.com or calling 628-7545.
