Road to Polihale State Park opening today

KEKAHA — Polihale State Park opened today, after nearly a month of work to restore the entry road damaged in the April flooding on Kauai.

While it’s one of three places reopening, state officials say repair work is far from 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.”

The initial repairs, consisting of filling and grading the most damaged section of the unpaved 5-mile roadway and making drainage improvements, will allow for some vehicles to access the beach and camping areas.

A second phase of road repair will be ongoing for two weeks and construction could cause delays on the road. The Milolii section of Napali Coast State Wilderness Park is opening today as well for those with overnight and visitor camping permits.

This corresponds to the normal opening day of the summer camping season on Napali, when weather and ocean swells are more friendly to maritime access. Milolii can only be accessed by boat.

Milolii and Nualolo Kai are the only two areas within the Napali Wilderness Park open for visitation and both areas are accessible only by water. Day tours are permitted at both locations.

Kalalau Trail and the valley through which it runs will remain closed until repairs to the trail can be completed, as well as repairs to the highway providing access to Haena and Nepali. Haena State Park, the gateway to the Kalalau Trail, also experienced severe damage during the flooding. These repairs will likely take months to complete.