Division of Forestry and Wildlife

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

For Immediate News Release May 25, 2018

DLNR REMINDER:  LIHU‘E-KOLOA FOREST RESERVE
REMAINS CLOSED DUE TO FLOOD DAMAGE
ALSO STILL CLOSED: HA‘ENA AND NAPALI COAST STATE PARKS

LIHU‘E —  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is reminding residents and visitors to Kaua‘i that certain forest and park areas on Kaua‘i which suffered damage during historic flooding in mid-April remain closed.

Forestry areas closed/open:

The entire Wailua portion of the Lihu‘e-Koloa Forest Reserve is now open.  However, vehicular access is still closed to the Wailua Management Road (aka Loop Road) beyond the Keahua Arboretum parking lot, due to the hazardous road conditions.

All recreational activities are open to the public which include hiking along the Loop Road, Kuilau, Moelepe and Powerline Trails, public hunting in unit C, and Keahua Arboretum. 

Repairs to the Loop Road will be ongoing. These repairs will consist of repairing sections of the road that were eroded away by the heavy rains and fixing the river crossings that were washed away that have now become impassable. 

State Parks areas open/closed

Polihale State Park on Kaua‘i reopened on Tuesday May 15, following repairs to the unpaved 5-mile roadway.  A second phase of road repairs lasting two weeks after the reopening should be completed by next week.

Additionally, the Miloli‘i section of Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park reopened for visitation and overnight camping to those with valid permits beginning May 15 as well.  This corresponds to the normal opening day of the summer camping season on Nāpali, when weather and ocean swells are more friendly to maritime access.  Miloli‘i can only be accessed by boat. 

Hāʻena State Park, the gateway to the Kalalau Trail, experienced severe damage during the flooding.  It and Napali Coast State Wilderness park remain closed for public safety until clearing and repairs to the highway providing access to the parks can be completed. The Kalalau beach campsites and the 11-mile Kalalau Trail were also damaged and are closed. Repairs will likely take months to complete.

“We realize the importance of our State Parks to residents and visitors alike, and the value they bring to our economy,” said DLNR Chairperson Suzanne Case.  “We are pleased to be able to open some park areas, as conditions allow. We appreciate the publicʻs respect of our closed areas as we allow the community to heal, and work to repair the extensive damage caused by last monthʻs flooding.  It will be a long process.”

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Media Contact:

Deborah Ward
DLNR Communications Specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320