DLNR Cites 15 in Kalalau Last Weekend

DOCARE officers are seen here citing illegal campers at Kalalau in 2019. Photo courtesy of DLNR

A team of eight law enforcement officers from the Kaua‘i Police Department and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement wrote 15 citations last Sunday to people in the Kalalau Section of the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kaua‘i, according to a DLNR news release.

“We deeply appreciate the help of the Kaua‘i Police Dept., and the three officers who assisted our officers. They were notified at the last minute and quickly stepped forward to help,” DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla said.

DOCARE began getting reports of people at Kalalau beginning last Wednesday. Kalalau, which lies at the end of the world-famous hike on the Nāpali Coast, remains closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officers report that as many as 25-30 people were in the area from the middle to the end of last week. When KPD and DOCARE officers arrived, they say many people ran and prior to their arrival two large vessels had already transported people out of the area. Commercial ocean activity is always prohibited in the wilderness park.

The names of the people cited are not immediately available.

Currently, the Kalalau Trail is open only to Hanakāpīʻai Stream, the first two miles of the trail and an additional two miles to Hanakāpīʻai Falls.

When open, the Kalalau section requires an overnight permit from the DLNR Division of State Parks. Permits are available starting June 16, and can only be purchased 30 days in advance.

Polihale State Park is scheduled to reopen June 17. DLNR is advising those who are planning to access Nāpali by boat or Kayak need to be aware that launching and landing at Polihale may not be available due to ongoing road repairs.