Kauai’s Kalalau Trail closed due to suspected norovirus outbreak

Kalalau Beach sits on the north shore of Kauai’s Nāpali Coast at the terminus of the famed Kalalau Trail, an 11-mile nerve-eater of a path that traverses valleys and sea cliffs that persistently rise hundreds of feet above the water. The popularity of the route and one way in, one way out nature of the beach means there’s a lottery and permit process required to access it, and the camping area at Kalalua Beach is designed to accommodate some 80 people at capacity.

That number has been reduced to zero temporarily, however. Upon recommendation of the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Governor Josh Green officially closed all access to the Kalalau section of the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park beginning September 4th in the wake of a series of reported gastrointestinal illnesses by campers at the beach whose symptoms line up with that of a norovirus.

According to Maui Now, the DOH has already received reports from 24 separate individuals who experienced ‘acute gastrointestinal illness,’ all of whom had hiked the trail since August 14th.

While the precise reason for the outbreak has yet to be determined, a source familiar with the camping area at Kalalau Beach noted to Lit Wick that a number of different factors could be the culprit. Norovirus is often most often transmitted via contaminated water, and dozens of goats live above the waterfall that provides a ‘fresh’ water source to the camping area. Wild pigs also frequent the area, and those two species doing their business very well could have tainted the water.

Meanwhile, the proliferation of campers at the location means that human waste has also become an increasing problem, with bathrooms often gross and overflowing to the point where people simply poop outside. That’s a pretty norovirus-y combination if I’ve ever heard one.

The closure is expected to last for the next seven days. Those with existing permits are asked to either reschedule to a later date or seek a refund. For more information as this situation develops, I suggest you follow Beat of Hawaii, who has been posting updates including interviews with several individuals whose health has been directly impacted.