Getting to Hanalei is about to be far easier. See our latest tips on when to go following the Hanalei Landslide.
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116 thoughts on “Easy Access Following Hanalei Landslide Starts September 4”
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Getting to Hanalei is about to be far easier. See our latest tips on when to go following the Hanalei Landslide.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Comments are closed.
Hi there,
We are going to Kauai in late September, staying in Princeville. As it will be difficult to get to the Hanalei area as much as we had hoped, what are some of your favorite things to do in Kauai other then the Hanalei area? It’s my Husband and myself in our 50’s so we don’t need family type suggestions. We love the quietness and beauty of Kauai.
We are hoping to do a Catamaran along the Napali coast but again depends on ability to get there.
Thank you very much,
Jessica K.
Hi Jessica.
We’d suggest you avail yourself of Andrew’s Kauai Revealed guidebook. Also, it is very easy to access Hanalei on Sundays, and it is just slightly more complicated on Saturdays, if those work for you. Having been there yesterday, we can report there was virtually no wait in either direction.
Aloha.
Do you have a date when the Hanalei Landslide | Road will be open?
Hello,
We’re staying in Princeville in mid-September, and would like to go to Ke’e beach, as well as do some hiking in that area. Is it possible to drive there (or take the shuttle)? I’m a little confused by these scheduled closures.
Thanks
Hi Michael.
You will need entry and parking permits (of course parking only if you are driving). Those have seen selling out exactly 30 days ahead at midnight when they open. See this page to start. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/kauai/haena-state-park/ Then let us know if you have any further questions.
Aloha.
Thanks! I randomly checked for 30 days out (september 9 at 9am here on the east coast, and parking + entry permits are still available. But i’ll be sure to wake up at 6am on the day i need to book. And if we try to cross the bridge at 7:30am, we’ll still be allowed, right?
Hi Michael.
Going across into Hanalei is totally unrelated and you can do that whenever you’d like, as long as it is a crossing time.
Aloha.
Thank you!!
Now that the COVID situation appears to be deteriorating again, we’re considering canceling our trip. We’re scheduled to leave two weeks from today. Do you think it would be unwise to go? We are only out a little bit of money if we cancel but obviously that’s not the most important thing. Is the situation such that it would be good for us to cancel? We really just need the opinion of an objective observer.
Hello BOH – we are staying in Princeville on our upcoming trip in early September and would like to book a sailing out of Hanalei on a Friday. Is there any way to estimate the delays with the single lane guided traffic if we intend to drive during the morning road opening? Thanks!
Hi Ann.
No way to estimate. If someone else has more experience, they can let us know. Reports are the road has backed up to way before the Princeville resort entrance for that time. If you want a guess, perhaps one hour extra.
Aloha.
Thank you BOH, I never fail to check your updates as we plan for our trip. We are going to Hanalei on 8/25 for a scheduled reservation, hopefully we can get to our destination on time. Looking forward to get there in a couple weeks. Mahalo!
Hi Inah.
Thanks for your many comments. Have a great time on Kauai.
Aloha.
We will be arriving in a few days, will we be able to bike from Princeville to Hanalei even with the road closure?
Hello, we will be going to the Hanalei Bay Resort Aug. 11th. Will this closure affect our getting to the hotel?
Hanalei Bay Resort is in Princeville so there is no problem getting to the resort. It does have a magnificent view of Hanalei Bay though. It is not affected by the landslide.
Really good info! Thanks for the effort
Any update to this??
FYI HDOT MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 30, 2021
HANALEI TO HAENA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MEETING
Larry: weekly briefing
• Hanalei Hill Project: update
o 493 soil nails (of 548 total) drilled to date. 55 soil nails to go. Completion date
estimate for this phase of work remains last week of August. The goal is to begin
work on Tecco mesh phase as soon as possible after soil nail wall completion.
o Fi
Does that mean that on weekdays you can only pass the bridge to and from Princeville area to Hanalei from 5:30am-7:45 am and 1-2:30pm or after 5:30pm…otherwise you are stuck and can’t get through?
Hi Holly.
Yes, that is correct.
Aloha.
Thanks for accurate timely info. I was in Princeville in early to Mid June 2021 and the traffic lines to get down to Hanalei were horrible. You had to drive the backway through the shopping center to avoid the traffic trying to get onto Kuhio highway in either direction and many with SUV’s were driving along the grass to avoid the long delays. I frequently saw the line for the bridge backing up past the Golf Club entrance though not as far as the air strip. My local friends refused to drive down there as the tunnel leaking water had made it so unstable. I took their advice and avoided Hanalei for this trip. Anini Beach is more Hawaiian than Hanalei anyway and more to my taste.
Aloha Guys-
We always like to take one day for Ke’e and hiking to Hanakapi’ai. My research and personal attempts say that the only way to get the very limited parking/entry passes are to log on at 12am Hawaii time because they are gone 30 days out within minutes. Do you have any insight on this?
thanks
Hi Jon.
That is what we are hearing as well. Please let us know how that goes.
Aloha.
Hi,
I am planning a trip to Princeville June 16th. Are only the beaches on the north shore affected by this closure? Has this closure slowed down the entire island from getting back and forth? I appreciate any reply. Thank you in advance.
Hi Simone.
It just impacts the north shore starting at Princeville.
Aloha.
We have a house rented in Hanalei for two weeks beginning mid September and are watching the progress on the road regularly. I am on the mailing list for Hawaii DOT as well. Be safe everyone – be courteous – anticipate a good outcome.
Gene
Oregon
We are too! See you there. 🙂
Also, with all of the gohaena passes 30 days in advance gone by 12:06 AM Hawaii time this past Monday, 5/17/21, it appeared to me I only had one chance to choose either 1) one of the three time slots (actually the first two time slots were sold out instantly and only the sunset option remained available), or 2) a park entry day pass, which does not include parking. I believe the website only allows you to purchase one time slot at a time, so by the time you buy one time slot, the rest of the day will be sold out.
You have to go online at gohaena right at midnight Hawaii time 30 days in advance or you will not be able to get an entry pass at all, IMO, at least during the peak summer tourist season.
This is why I’ve rented a house near Tunnels Beach. The day use entry passes for Haena are easier to get than parking & entry passes 30 days in advance because there are more of them offered, so I’ll be trying to get just day use entry passes each day so I can either walk the mile from Tunnels to Ke’e or ride a bike to Ke’e. The North Shore is a lot different than it was a few years ago.
Our house is near the Y Camp, exactly two miles each way to the Ke’e life guard stand. During the past winter with no tourists, the road was quiet and was a nice walk. However, when the road is jammed up with cars, it’s not such a nice walk. There are no shoulders, several blind spots, and opportunities to get mud puddle splashed as you get close to the state park entrance. A bike would be a better idea, but you will be relying on cars being willing to share the road with you, since no shoulders.
Holy cow!!! Does that mean Hanalei is cut off?? Wowzers. I will be back in July. Hope it is cleared soon, for everyone’s sake!
– Debbie C
Is the road completely shut down after 11pm? Are you able to bike or walk the road?
“Are you able to bike or walk the road”
That would be a terrible idea even before the slide. It is a very narrow road with no room on the sides to dodge cars, and a severe 180 degree turn with little visibility.
Plus, yes, closed at 11 pm. But Hanalei is also closed well before 11. The Nui used to stay open late, but was just a “young locals” place after 9 pm or so. Tourists not welcome during late night hours. In fact, anyone over 35 best stay away, as well.
Aloha-When I go to the Ha’ena State Park access reservation page it doesnt show any availability. Is this park closed due to this construciton?
thanks
Hi Jon.
No the park is not closed. It appears that there is no availability. The site says it only books out 30 days in advance. When we checked, there was some availability but that was only parking for trail hikers. If we can find out more, we will update you.
Aloha.
Thanks! We have used this system before and there has always been some availability
Hi John,
All the park entry passes go on sale at midnight Hawaii time 30 days in advance. I went on the gohaena website a little before midnight Hawaii time on Monday, 5/17/21, a little before 5 AM Central time, and all of the passes 30 days out were gone by 12:06 AM Hawaii time, even just the park entry day passes that don’t include parking.
I was primarily trying to check on availability for Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park overnight camping permits on the DLNR site, but I also checked out the gohaena website because I’ve rented a house near Tunnels beach next August and wanted to check daily entry permits also.
On Monday 5/17/21 there were 23 overnight camping permits available at midnight Hawaii time for 6/16/21, 30 days out. All of those permits were gone in under one minute.
I’m hoping for a return hike to Kalalau this fall, actually have been trying since 2017 (flood in ’18, road washed out until late summer ’19, pandemic, now landslide), but I won’t book airfare or accommodations until there are 1) vaccine exemptions for mainland travelers, 2) Hanalei Hill landslide is repaired and road re-opened in both directions, 3) get Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park camping permits, which I hope will be easier to obtain once school resumes, and 4) before wetter weather begins on the North Shore around November.
We are excited to be visiting Princeville and Hanalei the first week of June. Our hearts go out to all of those N Shore Kauai residents and businesses who have been impacted by this tragedy. We would love to support the Hanalei economy in any we can. Any ideas beyond just spending our money on local goods and services? Are the conditions for traveling to Hanalei still the same as above? Do we need to make reservations to park and access certain beaches and parks?
Thank you!
Hi Robert.
First, yes the conditions are the same in terms of one alternating lane during very limited hours, and all day on Sunday. Certainly, there are options for donations beyond supporting the businesses, such as food banks for example. Maybe others will suggest different options,.
Aloha.
Robert, we were just there in early May. If you plan to have dinner over there make reservations. We saw quite a bit of people turned away especially at Baracuda. Excellent place to eat, Tapas style. If you are staying at HBR, they have no restaurants open when we were there. The shopping center with the grocery store seemed to be all open. Let me know if you have any questions as I would be happy to answer.
Thank you Melanie!
We will definitely support the schools – the keiki are the next generation of Hawaii so their education is equally if not more critical. Mahalo!.
Aloha Robert and others visiting Kaua’i,
Mahalo for thinking about our north shore residents and wanting to support the community. It’s been a tough few years with the April 2018 flood, the pandemic and now the latest landslide. I’m a parent at Hanalei Elementary School and it’s been a struggle just getting our kids and staff to an from school everyday! I look thought I’d share a Gofundme campaign that supports Hanalei Elementary School in case you or anyone else might be looking for some local causes to support. Though this campaign doesn’t focus on local businesses, it does support the only elementary school servicing Ha’ena, Wainiha, Hanalei and Princeville. Here is the link: gofund.me/95114bfe. Mahalo nui loa! We hope you have a wonderful stay here–thank you for supporting our local businesses!
People also need to understand that tourists need reservations for Ke’e (Haena) Beach. The last two Sundays they turned around over 700 cars who had no clue that reservations are required for off islanders. You can still make a nice drive to the end of the road but will not be admitted to the beach without a reservation. And please don’t be rude to the Aunty who is the gatekeeper there, she is only doing her job and is a very sweet lady.
I have gone to the reservations site multiple times and it shows no availbility
That’s because the island is hopping with tourists right now.
We have parking pass reservations for Haena State Park on 2 separate days this week. For both reservations, we booked 30 days in advance when the tickets went live. For both reservations, they were completely sold out later that same morning.
We’re off island right now, but our neighbors tell us it’s been a complete “Sh$t Show” on Sundays. Just a long line of cars that get turned around at the Ke’e parking kiosk. Too many people don’t “get” the double bridges crossing Wainiha river, either. It’s not 1 car at a time, or 50. 7(ish) is posted for a reason. It’s hard to see the line of cars waiting across the other side. I’m surprised there are not more “road rage” incidents.
You’d be way better off avoiding weekends, and using the early morning access on a weekday, instead. Spend the day out there, and go back during the afternoon access, or after 5.
Not to split hairs, but when do they “open” the next 30 days for new reservations? For instance, all of June and July are sold out, so it’s obviously more than 30 days that they opened a couple of weeks ago. Will July 1st open the whole month of August? And August 1 open up all of September? I’ve never had trouble in the recent past getting 2 different days to hike Kalalau during our stays, but seems like it’s even harder now and don’t want to screw this up! THANKS
Hi Joell.
It doesn’t seem to be working exactly as we had been led to believe. So at this point, we aren’t sure what they are doing.
Aloha.
I tried for two nights to get tickets 12 AM Hawaii time is 4 AM my time so I had to be up by 4 AM two mornings in a row to get tickets you have to login 30 days in advance right at 12 AM Hawaii time seriously the tickets were sold out in 30 seconds luckily on the second time I tried to login I was able to get tickets do you on your laptop because I tried on my smart phone and something kept going wrong. I think it was confusing to realize that only one days tickets go up at that time.
Hi Joell,
I’ve been working out this puzzle for about a month now. I’m a statistician planning a trip to Hanalei next month, with what appears to be too much free time, lol.
The passes go on sale one day at a time at midnight local time, thirty days in advance. So only one day at a time will become available. They’re typically gone in a matter of minutes, so timing is everything.
I checked availability every night at midnight Hawaii time for a month from which I gathered the following results:
1. Entry Only passes are more likely to be available than Parking + Entry on any given day.
2. Days of the week in order from best availability to worst availability:
1st: Wednesday
2nd: 3-way tie: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
3rd: 2-way tie: Friday, Sunday
Last: Saturday
3. For Parking + Entry, sunset has the worst availability on any given day, and morning and afternoon are about equally likely. (Entry Only passes are all day).
I hope that helps!
Wow. Super helpful!!! My 30 days ahead is coming up very soon!!!I will use this info. Big thanks!
Aloha! I wasn’t able to locate “Hanalei Hill” on the map and am trying to pinpoint the starting point of the closure. Can you advise whether the closure impacts access from Princeville to “Hanalei Valley Lookout” or “Hanalei Town Center”? Thank you!
Hi Jen.
The one alternating lane will prevent access to the Hanalei Bridge. Backups however have been reported as far back as before Princeville.
Aloha.
I also don’t understand exactly where the closure is. Could someone please explain exactly? And when is the road expected to reopen? Also, I read The Princeville resort was scheduled to reopen as Hotel 1 in Nov 2022. Is that still happening? Is that hotel before or after the road closure?
Where can I find all the details about what needs a reservation on the north shore and how to figure all this out?
Thank you so much!
Hi Addie.
The one lane starts just after the Princeville center, so it does not impact the entrance to Princeville at all. We don’t know when the hotel will reopen, but it won’t be this year. And lastly, the link you asked for: https://www.gohaena.com/
Aloha.
Our family will be flying DFW to HNL then on to Hilo in June. Any recommendations on getting an 11 year old pre-tested to meet Hawaii requirements. The rest of us are waiting to see if a vaccine passport is approved. Thanks so much for any info anyone can provide.
Hi Connie.
Have you checked the trusted partners to see who can help? https://hawaiicovid19.com/travel-partners/. If nothing pans in in person there are also the mail in testing options.
Aloha.
Thank you. I have done some checking and may end up using the expensive $250 one at the airport. A little nervous about the mail in and not getting results back in time. Appreciate your site and helpful info.
Hi Connie.
Thanks for letting us know. Hope it all works according to plan.
Aloha.
Walgreens 24 hr testing! Friend said the results come back in 3 hours, much sooner than 24 hrs.
Do you still have to wear a mask when you are outside at the beach?
Hoping to hike the Napali Coast the first week of Masy. Will it be open by then?
Great place to get held up. Just enjoy the scenery. You will get to your destination in time.
hi
will there be road access north of Princeville into Ha’ena and Kee beach at/after April 8th?
Many Thanks
Hi Holly.
Yes, this issue was only between Priceville and Hanalei.
Aloha.
Love all the information you provide! We hope to visit Kauai in June and are finding the price of renting a car is very high. Much more expensive than other years when we have visited. Any insight on whether prices will become more reasonable?
I appreciate your help. Thanks!
Hi Wendy.
We continue to hear that from visitors on all the islands. That industry has consolidated with fewer players. It is hard to say what’s ahead with car rentals, unfortunately.
Aloha.
Mahalo for your update. Sure hope there’s access to Hanalei and beyond when I visit Kauai at the end of May.
Has the construction of a backup, emergency route to Hanalei ever been considered? I recall there’s something like this for residents of the Waianae coast on O’ahu.
Hi Peter.
We have never heard of anything like that. Perhaps someone else knows of something.
Aloha.
Your comment about no backups this morning…that would be the early morning route in the dark. The afternoon has not started as yet. However, yesterday’s afternoon (mid day) backup was from the Police station all the way up the hill way past the library and continued.
Hi and thank you for this information. After taking our COVID tests, we are hoping to have my parents meet us in Kauai and wanted to take them to Hanalei around April 17th. Do you think it will be possible to travel the roads that were damaged during the flooding? We have not seem my parents in over 15 months and thought a safe, beautiful place where everyone follows CDC recommended protocols would be perfect. Mahalo.
Hi Christina.
Thanks for your comment. As a result, we updated the post and answered your question there.
Aloha.
Thank you for updating this site, you are very kind and helpful. We will keep an eye on when visitors can pass/drive the road over the next few weeks and remain flexible. Everyone effected by the flooding are in our thoughts and hope you remain safe. Mahalo.
So Ige has just graced Kauai with his presence for some photo ops, published in the GIN. The reporter does not mention whether he was locked in a hotel room for ten days or perhaps stayed at a bubble hotel on the state’s expense report for 34 days and took a $200+ test before the photo ops. Or perhaps he took a test from a “trusted partner” on Oahu at the state’s expense within 72 hours of flying over? Otherwise, I’d like to see his feeble mug shot as a quarantine violator. Or do those rules not apply to him? Would have been nice for this to be explained to the little people locked in their homes for ten days because they cannot afford the alternatives.
According to the coconut wireless (aka one of the bartenders at Kalypso/Bistro), starting this Saturday (Mar 20th), the HIDOT will allow one-lane traffic up/down Hanalei hill from 5-7am, and from 5-10pm. 7am to 5pm remains only emergency/service vehicles.
Updates will be posted here …
hidot.hawaii.gov/2021-hanalei-hill-landslide/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Would you recommend holding off on visiting Kaua’i? I have plans for April 9 but between the flood and the travel restrictions, I wonder if businesses that are usually operating will even be open. Do you think we should wait a few more weeks? Thank you for your updates!
Hi Anela.
There are trade-offs. Coming sooner means fewer visitors, and coming later, as you said, may mean that more things are open. Even being here on the ground, this is hard to assess.
Aloha.
Sorry, I realize this is Kauai flood and not the one on Maui!!!!
I don’t know the area, so maybe this is a silly question, but is the Road to Hana still open? Is this near it?
Mahalo!
Hi Annie.
Yes we’re on the same page. This is north shore Kauai and not Maui.
Aloha.
This news is absolutely heartbreaking. Over my 40 plus vacations on Kauai I’ve developed a great love for a very special place. At my “advanced” age don’t know if I’ll return but Kauai is always in my heart. Thks for the news from a true paradise on earth.
Hi Mary.
Thanks. Good to hear from you and we hope you can return again!
Aloha.
So sorry to see this happen to Hanalei. When we visit Kauai, we usually stay in Princeville, and often go to Hanalei to shop or visit restaurants. They’ve had a rough couple of years. Hopefully things will get better from here on out. It’s a great place to visit.
Aloha Beat of Hawaii and Mahalo for the constant updated news. Also want to shout out a big Hooya to DOT for getting right on this slide situation and making sure the north shore residents will not be under stress and anxiety for too much longer. Sometimes it takes Mother Nature to wake up up from the time zone that we find ourselves in. A real wake-up call. Get back to basics with human interaction. Always know you are all in my thoughts and prayers for a safe recovery and blessings for all. Aloha to ally ohana there.
Hi Debra.
Thanks. There is more news today, which we are just updating. Yes, it seems things are progressing at a good clip.
Aloha.
The North Shore just can’t seem to catch a break. Thanks for always keeping us informed, Rob and Jeff.
Hi Pam.
Thanks for always being part of this! True that. We hope to get up there shortly to learn more firsthand.
Aloha
Alas no pain no gain. Much like the residents of Malibu in California who know Floods and Forest Fires will probably destroy their homes. Kaua’i, Hanalei, Haena and the whole North Shore is pretty much as close to Paradise as life gets. Unfortunately the Floods always have been an issue. One can only sympathize with friends on Kaua’i. Luckily Hawaiians are made of strong stuff ke akua and just rebuild to get on with life and don’t complain. The locals do not want a multi lane highway and a new bridge as it would open up Hanalei to tour buses and destroy the North Shore. It might be an idea to roof over Hanalei Hill as the Europeans do in areas prone to Avalanches that way the mud slides over the road and the height restriction would further limit heavy traffic.
Looking on the positive side Kaua’i and the Hawaiian Islands have fared well with regards to Hurricanes since Iniki and the topography of Hanalei Bay has meant that many Tsunamis have resulted in very minor damage compared less favored locations such as Hilo Bay.
Stay safe and Strong Kaua’i.
Most of us knew what we were getting into. Built our house on stilts, so we could see the water flow through our carport. You must be prepared for eventualities, and it helps to have great friends and neighbors.
We get big floods every few years, and small ones in-between, but in the meantime, we get to live in the most unimaginable paradise. I wouldn’t trade out. I live in Wainiha, and Haena (Tunnels and Cannons) has some of the best surfing I’ve encountered.
Yeah, we often get trapped by the Hanalei bridge flooding or by avalanches. Oh gee, I gotta miss work. Boo-hoo.
Limited public access sounds better than “only residents”. Cross your fingers!
This is a great update by the way. I love this site.
Hi Matt.
Thanks. We’re waiting to see what comes next. Yes, fingers crossed, so to speak.
Aloha.
We have a trip planned for April 9, 2020 and are still hoping to travel and spend some time and money on Kaui ? Current Covid protocols to be still in place by then ?
Aloha Mark,
I suggest you see this Beat of Hawaii update here:
beatofhawaii.com/kauai-travel-will-reopen-april-5-details/
… and the latest Kauai COVID-19 news here:
kauai.gov/covid-19
For Beat of Hawaii moderators to respond, they ask for “please” or “thank you” in postings. 🌴😎🌴
Hi Paul.
Thanks. We appreciate your many comments.
Aloha.