**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
Monitor local surf and weather reports prior to your park visit.
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[O’AHU] UPDATED 5/18/24 – Diamond Head State Monument: The park will remain CLOSED through Saturday, May 18, due to inclement weather and rock falls.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATED 5/18/24 –Kauaʻi North shore shuttle departures has SUSPENDED due to inclement weather.
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[O’AHU] UPDATED 5/16/24 – Ka’ena Point State Park, Mokuleʻia Section: Vehicle access road has CLOSED due to saturated roads and inclement weather.
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[HAWAIʻI] UPDATED 5/15/24 – Hapuna State Park: Hapuna and the Waialea Section beach and access road has REOPENED following flood cleanup.
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[HAWAI’I] UPDATED 5/13/24 – Akaka Falls State Park to Temporarily CLOSE Weekdays Starting May 15, see Akaka Falls announcement for more information.
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[HAWAIʻI] UPDATED 5/13/24 – Wailuku River State Park: Rainbow Falls; tree trimming starts today until 6/7/24, the park will remain OPEN but some areas may be temporarily closed due to safety.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATED 4/30/24 – Kōkeʻe State Park: Kalalau lookout restroom is CLOSED until further notice.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATED 4/26/24 –Kalalau Trail, Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park: Camping permits held back for local residents during summer, see Kalalau Trail site for more information.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATED 3/18/24 – Kōkeʻe State Park: The gate to Puʻu O Kila Lookout will be closed to vehicular traffic due to road repairs beginning 3/19/24. The lookout will still be accessible by pedestrians, parking is available at Kalalau lookout.
Polihale State Park to Reopen for Overnight Camping
Posted on Aug 1, 2022
(KAUAʻI) – Over two years after closing, due to COVID concerns and overuse and abuse issues, Polihale State Park will reopen to overnight camping beginning August 14, 2022. Reservations will be available online starting August 1 and may be made up to 90 days in advance.
Since December 2020, Kaua‘i’s popular beach and camping area has been restricted to day-use only. Camping without permits, driving on the beach and dunes, and careless behavior in general led to the indefinite closure of the park that July. Going forward, the DLNR Division of State Parks (DSP) expects overnight visitors will camp responsibly and take steps to re-establish positive stewardship of the area.
Stories of Hawaiian marine life rebounding in the absence of people were myriad during the pandemic. Since the 2020 shutdown of Polihale, two monk seal pups have been born in the park. One was just weeks ago and mom is still nursing her on the beach. Notably, these are the first two recorded monk seal puppings at Polihale since 1962.
Aside from its natural beauty, with spectacular cliffs and a stunning beach, the park is also a setting of cultural significance. The sand dunes, with some reaching upwards of 100 feet high, contain Hawaiian burial sites and are key habitat for critically endangered plant species Lau‘ehu and ‘Ohai. The DSP hopes a greater awareness of the value of Polihale can change mindsets and improve the overall conduct of park users. However, DSP has taken proactive steps, including installing additional signs, and placing numerous boulders as barriers to unauthorized vehicle pathways through the most sensitive areas of the dunes, between Poʻoahonu (Queenʻs Pond) and the developed camping areas.
In addition, DLNR has enlisted the services of PBR Hawaiʻi to kickstart a public outreach and consultation effort with the aim of planning future management and improvements at Polihale to enhance protection of resources and quality of experience. PBR Hawaiʻi is the firm which helped shepherd the Hāʻena State Park Master Plan through implementation. That plan has been lauded as a model for community-based management and for mitigating overtourism. The Polihale survey is an opportunity for the community to share inputs and concerns on a vision for the park and can be accessed at the DLNR website.
The remote location and sheer size, however, make enforcement of park rules at Polihale a challenge. Should old abuses return, camping could be shut down again. That’s where help from dedicated residents comes in, as even with posted rules and hours, it is a shared kuleana.
“We look forward to welcoming overnight campers back to Polihale, in limited numbers as is befitting the place,” said DSP Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter. “The late summer timing of this reopening is deliberate, as holiday weekends have seen the heaviest use and most damage to Polihaleʻs fragile resources due to heavy use. By next summer, we intend to have additional protective measures in place, including a pair of new westside park interpretive technicians (Rangers) to patrol and educate park visitors.”
Mālama ka ‘aina includes staying alert to suspected illegal activity. Anyone who witnesses suspicious or illegal actions in a Hawai‘i State Park is asked to call the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) immediately at 643-DLNR (3567), or download (free of charge) the DLNR Tip app, which allows real-time reporting along with the submittal of photographs.
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RESOURCES
(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
HD video – Polihale Lineal Descendants Plead for Good Behaviors (Feb. 9, 2021)
HD video – Polihale State Park (Dec. 2020)
Photographs – Polihale State Park (Dec. 2020)
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/icw61br9tggdcpt/AAB3zi3yH12Qs3SnEyrZ-aHza?dl=0
To make online reservations:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/kauai/polihale-state-park/
To take the Polihale survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PolihaleSP
Media Contact:
Ryan Aguilar
Communications Specialist
Hawai’i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
