Hawaii will add parking fees at four more state parks, bringing the total to 14 locations where visitors now pay to access some of the state’s most iconic natural attractions. The expansion includes frequently photographed and most visited Rainbow Falls and Kekaha Kai on the Big Island, Wailua River on Kauai and the Tantalus lookout at Puu Ualakaa State Wayside above Honolulu. All of these locations fit well both on first time visitor and repeat itineraries and are not obscure or lightly visited parks.
Under Hawaii’s standard nonresident fee model, visitors typically pay $10 per vehicle for parking plus $5 per person for entry. For a couple, that means a simple stop at a waterfall, ridge lookout or park will cost $20. Residents continue to park and enter at no cost with a valid Hawaii driver’s license or state ID. The state says the fee expansion will help manage crowds, reduce vehicle break ins, and support long term maintenance, although it is completely unclear how those goals are to be accomplished. The announcement did not include an implementation date, revenue projections, or any data to support the claimed reduction in break ins or fee use specifics.
The new systems will be managed by three private parking operators approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Diamond Parking Services will oversee Wailuku River and Kekaha Kai. Republic Parking Northwest will run the system at Wailua River, and Pro Park will manage Puu Ualakaʻa. These companies already operate other parking programs around the state and will now play a larger role in the state’s visitor management strategies.
Which parks and why visitors care.
The four parks moving into the fee system sit among Hawaii’s most recognizable stops.
Wailuku River State Park on the Big Island is where visitors find Rainbow Falls, the iconic 80-foot plunge just outside Hilo, and the Boiling Pots, a dramatic series of terraced pools formed by the Wailuku River. The lot fills early, making this one of the island’s most photographed scenic stops. A short trail also leads to the lesser-known Pe’epe’e Falls, and the simply-designed walkways make it a great early-morning stop before the island explore begins.
Kekaha Kai State Park, also on the Big Island, provides beach access north of Kailua Kona and is reached by rough lava roads frequented by visitor rental cars and residents. Many visitors know it as the long and bumpy road leading to Mahaiʻula and the hike into Makalawena, one of the island’s most spectacular white sand beaches. The park also includes easier access at Maniniʻowali (Kua Bay) and the short climb up the Pu‘u Ku‘ili cinder cone, making it a popular escape from resort crowds and a more natural Kona area beach experience.
Wailua River State Park on Kauai, includes the overlook for ‘Ōpaekā Falls, the river corridor used for boat tours into Fern Grotto and those kayaking to Secret Falls, and the iconic Wailua Falls waterfall just north of Līhue. The Wailua River is the only navigable river in Hawaii.
Puu Ualakaa State Wayside on Oahu is better known as the Tantalus lookout, which offers a panoramic view of Honolulu, Waikiki, and Diamond Head, as seen in visitor photos on social media. The drive is short, the viewpoint is iconic, and nearly every first trip to Honolulu includes a swing around the Tantalus loop. It also serves as the starting point for several Makiki-Tantalus hiking trails, so the new fee structure will extend to visitors using this area for short walks and longer hikes.
These are not fringe parks. They are among the must see falls, viewpoints and beaches people have long expected to access easily and freely. Turning them into nonresident fee parks will immediately affect a very significant number of Hawaii’s annual visitors.
How Hawaii’s fee expansion grew to 14 parks.
Hawaii had no statewide nonresident parking system until about six years ago. The shift began in June 2019 when Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe on Kauai introduced parking fees for out-of-state visitors. At almost the same time, Hāʻena State Park reopened after the 2018 floods and implemented a paid entry and parking reservation system at its north shore location.
By October 2020, the state had formalized a parking fee structure at eight parks across the islands. In April 2021, the state added a $5 per-person nonresident entry fee at most of those locations. That decision instantly doubled the cost for couples and families who now pay both parking and per person charges.
Today’s ten existing fee parks are Diamond Head, Waianapanapa, Waimea Canyon, Haena, Kokee, Iao Valley, Makena, Hapuna Beach, Akaka Falls, and Nuuanu Pali. With the addition of Rainbow Falls, Kekaha Kai, Wailua River and Puu Ualakaʻa, Hawaii now has 14 fee based parks alongside a number of others that remain free for all.
Financially, the impact has been significant. State Parks generated about $2.9 million annually from park fees as of 2020. After the parking and entry increases, officials projected revenue could reach $15 million by 2021. Individual parks that once produced modest revenue grew sharply. Akaka Falls went from roughly $231,000 annually to projections near $700,000 after the new fee structure took effect. Award winning Hapuna Beach saw a similar shift, rising from about $321,000 to a projected $751,000. More recent revenue numbers have not been provided.
Hawaii’s two tier park system for visitors and residents.
Hawaii has leaned into a clear two tier system meant to keep residents exempt from fees. Under this model, only visitors pay for parking or entry at fee based parks. Residents enter and park free with a valid state ID. Acting State Parks Administrator Alan Carpenter has repeatedly emphasized that the system preserves access for residents while generating revenue from nonresident users who place the highest demand on trails, parking lots and facilities. Carpenter has previously emphasized the goal of keeping these parks free and accessible to residents while improving management for visitors.
Entry fees are typically charged per nonresident person at $5 each, while parking fees are $10 per nonresident vehicle. Commercial vehicles operate on a separate schedule with charges ranging from $25 to $90 depending on passenger capacity, and these costs often appear combined in tour pricing rather than separately at the gate.
For visitors arriving on vacation with rental cars and family groups, this means the cost to pull into a single state park often matches or exceeds the price of a quick lunch. The combined parking and entry cost for a couple is $20. A family of four pays $30 dollars. That is the practical reality of how the two tier system plays out on the ground.
The private operators now running these systems.
The state did not release any details on the revenue split between public funds and the three private operators selected. The permits authorize these companies to implement the systems and manage onsite operations. Past testimony has described these contracts as structured to support parking equipment, maintenance and enforcement while returning the majority of net revenue to the State Parks Special Fund. But lacking current figures, it remains unclear how much of each $10 parking charge goes directly to park upkeep versus operating overhead.
What the state says the visitor fees will accomplish.
DLNR says the expansion will improve visitor experience, reduce crowding, enhance safety, and reduce break-ins, although no supporting data is available to support that revenues collected will be reinvested directly into parks. The department did not provide any information on whether break ins have actually decreased at the ten parks already under visitor fee systems.
The state also did not specify when the new parking systems will begin operating, nor did it release fee schedules for each location. In previous rollouts, fee systems have launched several months after permits are issued, often beginning with soft enforcement periods where visitors are warned before being charged. Nothing similar was outlined thus far for this expansion.
What this means for Hawaii visitors now.
This expansion continues Hawaii’s move toward a visitor funded state park model. While many mainland states charge both residents and nonresidents for state park parking, Hawaii’s exclusive resident exemption is unusual. The parking and entry fees allow the state to structure the cost around access and avoid direct resident charges, something officials have said is necessary to comply with constitutional limitations on residency based pricing.
For visitors, though, it adds one more paid step into what used to be quick pull in stops. Rainbow Falls may now require payment. The Tantalus lookout may require payment. A stop at Wailua Falls may require payment. A beach day at Kekaha Kai may require payment. And as the system grows from 10 parks to 14, the days of spontaneous no-cost stops at some of Hawaii’s best-known viewpoints continue to narrow.
With residents fully exempt, visitors are left to decide whether these costs feel like reasonable contributions to preserve parks or whether they add to the growing list of fees and costs that already include hotel charges, rising rental car taxes and higher airline prices.
How will these new fees change the way you plan Hawaii trips, and do you think this expansion is a fair way to manage some of the islands’ most popular natural attractions?
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Really!?
The local police are monitoring the parking lots to assure the cars aren’t being broken into?
I think not.
Just another fee!
I’m going to Oahu twice a year because my grandson, he’s stationed there. I’ve been to Hawaii at least twice a year for the last 35 years.
The taxes and fees are ridiculous. Has anything improved?!
No. Just more inefficient government.
Keep voting the same type of people into office, keep being broke.
the government in Hawaii ruined Hawaii for us .
Oh, the sweet, sweet sound of a $20 fee for a quick Kokee view! Who wouldnt want to pay park entry fees just to capture that perfect sunset? Its like paying for the privilege of breathing the same air as paradise! Kauai visitors, brace yourselves – your spontaneous stops are about to become as rare as finding a parking spot without paying. I mean, $30 for a family of four to see some rocks? Priceless! I love Hawaii, but honestly, Im starting to consider moving there just to get in for free. Its like a pay-to-play paradise, and were all the players! The state wants to reduce crowding? Maybe charge residents too and see how that works out. Aloha to higher costs, goodbye to cheap thrills!
Just another money grab by the state. They don’t have any plans to improve the visitor experience in any of the parks. All the money collected will be used for state employee pay and benefit raises.
As one who grew up in Hawaii and went to high school and college in Oahu and still consider Honolulu as my home town, I am appalled at having to pay to stop for a few minutes at the Pali Lookout; this is one of the most gorgeous views on Oahu.
Some of you who go back in the dawn of the PC era in the 1980s may remember a simple computer game called “lemonade stand”. In it, the player had to figure out how much he/she could raise the price of a glass of lemonade before the customers started staying away.
Perhaps the people who come up with these ideas need to try playing the game. Might be useful.
You are going to push visitors away from the “hot spots” and into the free “local spots”. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Trust me, there are hundreds of “secret” local spots that will always remain free.
Put Ualakaa’a has restrooms and water, and people are safely away from speeding cars. Charging $20 for 2 people will cause unsafe conditions again at the Moana lookout. There will be traffic jams again blocking homeowners heading up or down Round Top Drive. Unlike the Pali lookout, Roundtop has an alternative viewpoint that is free. People will shift to the free lookout.
My husband and I are planning a trip to the big island at the end of January through the end of February. Not crazy about these additional charges to see some of these sights. A bit disappointed in hearing the news on parking. Some of these sights would be a quick stop and maybe not worth the extra $$$ you are now charging.
So…..let’s wonder why people aren’t coming to Hawaii anymore….hmmm, let’s put some new junk fees on visitors!! Great idea Gov. MeanGreen! And let’s not disclose that the companies used to enforce and collect will get most of the fees collected. I wonder who’s “uncle” got the contract. Just another stupid, asinine idea by Hawaii government. I’m a part time resident and pay thousands in taxes and contribute to the economy but I get charged to park?
We only go to Kauai, but we’ve been going there and to Wailua Falls every year for 30 years, to see how full the falls are, and enjoying the scenery. I doubt that we’ll pay $20 just to see the falls again, and we don’t go to the other places listed in Kauai – we’ve done them all enough. I think this is going to drive visitors away.
As a budget conscious traveler, I have loved Hawaii, however, these nickel and dime policies (“green fee”, parking fees; not to mention a bunch of trail closures by local government and people like Opra) have ruined it for me. I have visited all of the islands and yeah, I will be looking at more budget friendly and less crowded alternatives from here on out. It appears by airfair prices that I am not the only one. I know there is a segment of the population that hasn’t wanted visitors, maybe this will help lighten the congestion, unfortunately that comes with a cost to the economy.
I kayaked on the Hanalei River and the Kahlikiwai River on Kauai. Why is the Wailua mentioned as the only river that boats can go on?
Because a kayak is not a boat.
Gee – can we implement this system at home? Free parking and entry for anyone with a state ID and everyone else pays?
Toll roads too – only visitors pay. We can extend it to any use tax too. Why didn’t we think of this before?
Oh yeah – it’s hostile to visitors and grossly unfair.
Hawaii continues its suicide of a thousand cuts. Please don’t whine when the golden goose of tourism dies. You’re the ones killing it.
Well, I’m doubtfull the tourism will die, perhaps it will just get more selective. Part of the problem is that HI is too close, they speak English and drive on the right side of the road, things that folks are comfortable with. Having been going to HI for 50 years, I’ve seen most of these pay sites, so I don’t need to go there again. So, I go to a little beach I know that is out of the way, relax and save money at the same time. Yes, the ‘fee’ thing is a pain, but maybe others will take an approach similar to mine and not feel they have to keep going back to the ever increasing list of ‘pay’ sites, and just chill. Isn’t that part of what HI is all about???
If they want to reduce break-ins, they’ll need to be charging residents to park there too…
Yup! One guy in a car, his buddies in the trunk, they come it and do their dirty work, back in the trunk and they are down the road! Of course, you realize that it’s not the visitors who are doing the break-ins, sawing off catalytic converters, stealing tags, etc..
Either charge a per vehicle fee or a per person fee. That’s reasonable. Two different fees per stop is not.
I am a resident. If I have visitors and we plan to visit a park. If they are in my car, will they be required to pay an entry fee since they are accompanying me?
$15+ (depending on how many people are in the car) for a 5 to 10 minute stop with a couple of pictures? You’ve got to be kidding.
I really feel nickel and dimed by this piecemeal approach to parking and beach access fees. I’ve been to beaches where the system doesn’t work at all due to connection problems for electronic pay devices, and to locations where there’s no obvious place to pay. For example, if you park at Hapuna Beach’s upper lot and walk straight down, there is nowhere to pay! Why not just let me buy a pass, like the Red Rocks Pass in Arizona, that covers the time of my visit? I’m not asking for something for free–just don’t make it a total pain.
Charge for parking at Opeaka’a Falls? 2/3 of the view at the falls is obstructed and has been since covid. No one seems to be willing to do anything about it. The State spends millions of dollars to get people to visit then don’t take care of the views seen in travel advertisements. What is going on?
As per Hawaii tradition, the state will receive $.05 of every dollar collected. $.70 will go to the contractor, and $.25 was prepaid whoever in government awarded the contract.
What a money grab by the State. I don’t know about the other spots but Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots are not day long destinations. Maybe 1/2 visit tops. This will lead to people parking outside and walking in which may create a safety hazard.
I kept my old Pualani luggage tag from a trip years ago. It has a crack in it but I can’t throw it out. Even my now grown daughter collected what she could. We had no idea they’d ever become little collectibles.
I still have my Hawaiian wings from the 1980s in a little box at home. Never thought they’d feel meaningful again, but now they do.
Uh, yeah, Mr Comissioner? Could I please get you in a picture with the Falls in the background? Oops, you’re a bit to close. Could you take a few steps back? Nope, just a few more… Ahhhh… splash (or thud). Next?
Really folks? Wailua River parking lot and road have already been PAID for by the excessive daily rental car surcharge I and every other tourist have been paying for years. I’m not camping, using the trails (or abandoning my junk car in the lot like the locals do). I want to park for 10 minutes, walk to the fence, take some pictures, and be on my way. ($15 minimum for 1 person). But locals can park and stroll about for free? Might I suggest simply pointing a gun at me when I arrive at the airport and take all my money there, so I can take the return flight and avoid a month of daily robbery? Good luck with those tourist related support jobs in the future!
This is exactly why many of us have decided to vacation elsewhere. Free access for locals and super expensive for visitors. Not to mention how much planning is required months in advance to secure reservations.
Another extortion by the state of Hawaii visitors with revenues, going to private companies to pass through to the government for unclear improvements. I’m wondering, who’s uncle or cousin or auntie works at these private companies and is getting a kickback? That’s the way Hawaii works and it’s completely an utterly corrupt without any clear resolution or investigation. The Attorney General is useless on this matter and there is no governance or management.
So, the tourists are breaking into other tourists’ vehicles?
I thought that was kinda funny too. It should be the locals who need to pay to prevent break ins.