Alan Carpenter, assistant administrator of the Division of State Parks (DSP), noted that after more than two years of being closed due to COVID-19 precautions, Polihale State Park will reopen to overnight camping beginning Aug. 14.
The park, including Kaua’i’s beach and camping area, has been limited to day-only use since December 2020, with the restrictions enacted due to problems with people camping without permits, driving on the beach and dunes, and other reckless activities; a recent news release from Gov. David Y. Ige’s office said.
“We look forward to welcoming overnight campers back to Polihale, in limited numbers as is befitting the place,” Carpenter said in the release. “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.”
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is turning to PBR Hawai’i to drive a public outreach effort for the purpose of planning management, future updates and resource protection at Polihale to ensure visitors have a positive experience; the release said. PBR Hawai’i was involved in seeing the Hā’ena State Park Master Plan through to its completion, an effort that has been seen as a model of success for managing tourism traffic.
A Polihale survey will give the community a chance to provide input on the future of the park, the release said. The survey can be found on the DLNR website.