Hāʻena State Park reopens to the public on Thursday, more than a month after Hurricane Lowell forced its closure, with shuttle service, day hiking to Hanakāpīʻai Beach and Falls, and the park's familiar entrance fees all resuming on Kauaʻi's North Shore. The park has been closed since Sept. 6, when it shut down ahead of the storm's arrival over safety concerns, and the closure was later extended so crews could complete hazard assessments and repairs.
The reopening was first detailed by Hawaii News Now, which reported that the park will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., including holidays, unless an emergency closure is issued. Hurricane Lowell passed west of Kauaʻi as a Category 2 storm in September, making it the strongest tropical cyclone to directly strike Kauaʻi County since Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to DisasterAWARE. The storm caused an estimated $400 million in statewide damages and knocked out power to more than 90% of Kauaʻi County after damaging roughly 1,500 miles of utility transmission lines, per Wikipedia.
Lowell was linked to at least three fatalities across Hawaiʻi, including a 74-year-old Kalaheo man swept away by storm surge near Nomilu Fishpond on Kauaʻi's south shore, as Hoodline previously reported. State Parks Administrator Alan Carpenter said park staff and partners Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana and The Hanalei Initiative worked diligently to reopen the park and trail after the storm, and he described the reopening timeline as a collaborative decision made with community leaders.
Day Hikes Return, But the Backcountry Stays Shut
Shuttle service resumes Thursday alongside the park reopening, and day-use hiking will be permitted to Hanakāpīʻai Beach and Valley and Hanakāpīʻai Falls. Overnight camping at Hāʻena State Park will remain closed until further notice, and hiking beyond the two-mile point of the Kalalau Trail will also stay off-limits for now. The remaining nine miles of the trail into Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park remain strictly closed to both day use and overnight camping, according to Hawaii-Guide.com, which notes the remote route traverses steep coastal cliffs requiring extensive hazard mitigation before it can safely reopen.
The park's reopening matters locally beyond recreation — Hāʻena State Park supports about 50 local jobs, and the reopening arrives as Kauaʻi's tourism economy continues to absorb the storm's fallout. Direct domestic passenger arrivals to Līhuʻe Airport dropped nearly 62% in late September compared with a year earlier, falling from a daily average of 2,247 visitors to 859, as travelers delayed trips following storm damage and park shutdowns, per Beat of Hawaii.
Entry Fees, Resident Parking, and Reservations
Hawaiʻi residents with a state driver's license or ID can enter the park for free and without day-use reservations. The park reserves 30 parking stalls specifically for residents, and vehicle occupants must show Hawaiʻi identification to use that resident parking. Out-of-state visitors are asked to make online reservations, with park entrance costing $5 per person — free for children age 3 and younger — and parking reservations costing $10 per vehicle, per the station's report.
Hāʻena's reservation and shuttle system isn't new; it dates back to the park's master plan adopted after an 18-month closure that followed catastrophic North Shore flooding in April 2018. That plan capped daily visitation at 900 people, down from roughly 3,000 before 2018, and required advance reservations and shuttle transportation for out-of-state visitors, according to Kauaʻi Now. Reservation, parking, and shuttle operations are managed through a partnership between state officials and the two Native Hawaiian nonprofits Carpenter credited with the reopening effort.
Other Kauaʻi Parks Still Closed
Restrictions remain in place at other Kauaʻi state parks even as Hāʻena reopens. At Wailua River State Park, individual kayakers are still not allowed at Fern Grotto, hiking beyond the trailhead remains prohibited, and access to ʻUlewehi Falls stays closed. Kōkeʻe and Waimea Canyon state parks remain closed until further notice because of extensive storm damage, the same account notes — a closure Hoodline has previously tied to widespread timber downfall and structural damage, including at Camp Alan Faye in Kōkeʻe.
DLNR said refunds will be issued for missed camping or lodging reservations caused by the storm closures, with processing expected to take two to three weeks. On the North Shore, residents in Hāʻena and neighboring Wainiha endured power outages lasting until Sept. 17 while standing floodwaters created sanitation risks from overflowing cesspools, as Hoodline reported in its coverage of the storm's aftermath. The park's reopening marks a visible step forward, but recovery across Kauaʻi's rural communities and outdoor recreation sites remains a phased, ongoing effort.
