Lower Pali Trailhead

Lower Pali Trailhead on the coast of Kalaupapa.

NPS / Hannah Schwalbe

Quick Facts

Location:

Kalaupapa National Historical Park

Amenities

2 listed

Parking - Auto, Trailhead

Pali Trail The Pali Trail has 26 switchbacks that descend nearly 2,000 feet of elevation over about 3.5 miles. The lower trailhead is located near the coastline on the Kalaupapa Peninsula and should not be confused with the upper trailhead.

A Trail of Isolation

Pali means cliff, and the steep cliff faces around the Pali Trail highlight why Kalaupapa was originally chosen as a place to isolate people with Hansen's disease. The pali around Kalaupapa are the tallest sea cliffs in the world, and they cut the peninsula off from the rest of the island. Rough seas surround the other sides of the peninsula. These barriers create natural isolation for those living in Kalaupapa, and the Pali Trail is the only way into Kalaupapa over land.

The Pali Trail was constructed in the late 1800s to bring mail, cattle, and supplies to the settlement. A padlocked gate wrapped with barbed wire and armed watchmen were placed at the top of the trail to prevent patients from trying to escape.

David Kupele

In the early 1900s, mail was delivered to and from the settlement by mule four times per week. A patient named David Kupele rode the mule up and down the trail, sometimes three or four times a day. Kupele had to ring a bell attached to a wire when he reached the gate. The watchman would send a key down the wire so Kupele could unlock the gate and drop the mail off. He described it as letting himself in and out of prison. The watchman and gate were removed when a cure for the disease was found in the 1940s. Kupele never thought he would live to see that day.

The Trail Today

Today staff use the trail to get in and out of the settlement. It is also used by hikers, visitors, religious pilgrims, and guides, including the world-famous Molokai mules. Supplies and mail are now brought into the settlement via plane or on an annual barge. If you are interested in hiking the trail but live outside the settlement, you'll need to book a guided tour. Hikers are not permitted into the settlement without a permit.