CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsHike· Molokai· Hawaii
Kalaupapa Trail and Overlook
21° 10.6′ N · 157° 0.3′ W
From the Kalaupapa Lookout in Palaau State Park, 1,600 ft up, the whole peninsula and its settlement are laid out below; the steep 3.5-mile Pali Trail drops down the cliff from nearby.
Practical
The overlook (coordinate) is at the end of Kalae Highway about 3 miles north of Kualapuu: free, restrooms and picnic tables, no drinking water; a short trail leads to Phallic Rock (Kaule o Nanahoa). Palaau State Park camping requires a State Parks permit. NPS describes the 3.5-mile Pali Trail as extremely steep with uneven surfaces; it is open only to permitted tour participants with a DOH permit and crosses private land at the top (trailhead OSM 21.1715, -156.9989). Wikipedia reports the trail reopened in July 2026 after closing in 2018, but NPS paused public tours shortly after: confirm before going.
Best for
The view of Kalaupapa without a permit