3 of us traveled to Maui in September, 2022. We did a lot of research on RTH & concluded that a commercial tour was the only way to go. We went with a highly rated tour, not inexpensive, $300.00 per person but the Best $$ we ever spent. There were 10 of us on the tour, our guide/driver was excellent & knowledgeable. We saw a lot of misguided tourists trying to navigate RTH, in their rental cars & several times disasters almost occurred. Hawaii should require that tourists take organized tours. It would save wear & tear on the road, the environment & the beautiful sites/views
I believe that reservations are required, but why do Kānaka Maoli pay as well. I understand why the tourist come to the islands, but why we have to pay.
I am not a Hawaiian resident, but I do think they deserve some locals only time. They pay the taxes, they deserve to enjoy the beauty of their home without so many tourists taking over every day. I used to love to visit, but the tourists have overrun the islands so much, they are losing their beauty. It’s tough to live Aloha when inundated with too many visitors.
What about Hawaii people coming to the mainland? Would they be happy to pay a fee, let’s say to Florida and be told that due to crowding and locals request they can’t visit Disneyland, Universal, Miami Beach, Key West or the Everglades. But they can visit Botanical gardens and also help clean up the beaches.
Already happening. Several National Parks on the mainland already require advance reservations, and limits on the number of visitors. It’s a smart, sustainable path to maintain these natural treasures for the future.
Already happening: I can’t get to Disneyland without making advanced reservations, months in advance; and of course paying a huge fee too (no one can!). I’ll just go somewhere else for vacation; and everyone else has that option: if you don’t like Hawaii’s rules don’t come to Hawaii; no one is forcing you to come to Hawaii.
I’m a visitor that travels to Maui frequently. I completely understand the need to control access to these beautiful natural resources in Maui. Unfortunately, if they don’t,they will be overrun and ruined. Too many people with not enough respect for the land and the culture. Not sure what the best answer is, but I do support the effort.
I’m not a resident of Hawai’i, but locals only days and parking fees for visitors works for me. Out of control tourism is ruining Hawai’i. One potential issue though is that it then becomes part of the “premium-ising” of the Islands, which is contributing to making a vacation in Hawai’i unaffordable for middle class families.
Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe is inundated with visitors, and there is seldom available parking. Perhaps they should start limiting their parking to locals only, too? And let’s not forget Monterey Bay, Yosemite, and the list goes on. In fact, let’s not have any tourists or any new residents in California. But you know what? That will still Not remedy the situation. Why not? It’s called population growth; you know, babies. People still have them. Maybe we should disallow people having children altogether.
This article is not actually correct. As residents, our taxes pay for the HTA (Hawaiian Tourism Authority) against our will. Free parking is not really free for us.
The Hana Highway traffic is out of control and needs to be mitigated. (Our taxes pay for road maintenance too.) This is our only route to town for work, errands, Dr’s appointments, etc… and back home again. The traffic is a daily problem for us. This is not an individual tourist problem, most are respectful…it’s a problem of too many tourists and limits need to be imposed.
I was a visitor from 1978 to 2018 and I stopped going due to too many tourists,homeless people and crime against tourists so I can just imagine how locals feel. That being said if the sale of property to large corporations was curtailed there would be less construction of larger hotels and resorts which would mean less visitors. In fact Hawaii has lost its charm and is no longer a visitors paradise.I am certain with all the additional fees and regulations a lot of visitors will be a one time trip because to spend 10000+ dollars cannot be justified
I couldn’t agree more….I wonder where the people now complaining about tourism were when resorts like the Westin Villas on Maui or the Marriott Resorts added more buildings and became mostly timeshares. So, these peoples already prepaid their vacation by owning a timeshare for a week, so obviously they will be back! Unfortunately, they also contribute to higher prices at the supermarket, since they have a kitchen in their suite and although I am sure they would like to pay less for groceries like everyone else, they are only here for a week, so they will just pay those inflated prices. Once they are gone, the next family arrives …those timeshares sold every week of the year, so how can you expect to have less tourists?
The road to Hana should be renamed to the road thru hell. Most of the locals tailgate and go way over the posted speed limits. Must think it’s a NASCAR road course. Been to Hana once and never again. Perhaps law enforcement should take more of a proactive role and ticket those who speed, tailgate and should tow those cars that park illegally.
My wife and I are in our ’70s and go walk the beach every morning when we’re there for 2 weeks at our timeshare. We used the car to get to the beach and have never had a parking problem. We like to go early before it’s too hot or the trade winds kick up. We have been coming for 22 years now.
Kim G. I agree. If the locals would get to the beach before 10:00 AM without this new parking law, they wouldn’t have a problem finding parking. This is going to really impact visitors with mobility issues that like to use Kamaole beach park early.
I think I’m confused. Is a non-governmental organization restricting parking on the side of a public roadway, or on public land? That isn’t legal. If that is correct, this sort of vigilantism almost inevitably leads to conflict, and then sometimes violence, as it has in the past. If it is their private parking lot, they can do whatever they want. Whether it is a good idea or not, I couldn’t say, and time will tell. I’ve lived here over a decade, and in that time it has never crossed my mind to stop at Twin Falls because of the parking and hordes of people.
I live on the way to Hana. The Hana Highway traffic is at an all time high. The tourist traffic is ridiculous on several levels and a serious indicator of the over touristing of Maui. Why doesn’t Maui county require reservations for the road to Hana?
The over inundation of tourist have lead to the inevitable need of crowd control for the purpose of preserving resources which are being trampled under the heavy weight of tourism. There is still plenty to be enjoyed if you avoid the fee areas, example the Light house still has a nice view area though you can’t get close to it, Hanalei is still open and the other beaches just not Haena Park. You may not Hike Kalalau trail but there are other nice trails. It is true it is expensive to come to Hawaii so not everyone will get that privilege but there are equally beautiful less expensive places to see, my self I loved the beaches in Spain much more, the water was far clearer and less crowed. Major US attractions have fees for upkeep.
The people who live on the hawaii islands should be able to enjoy free use of their own state, it is unfortunate that the governing bodies have for too long held the state out as a fantastic tourist destination. Now that they are reaping the results of that advertising the question is, now what? It is the same as any other overrun area, parking fees, toll roads, fines, traffic, etc. Real freedom from the mess will come when Hawaii can sustain itself free of the 21% economic impact tourism brings. Which means businesses selling something other then Hawaii trinkets, Luau’s, tours, and everything else that screams “Here is your Hawaii experience.” Societies mind set needs to change not just the tourist. Stop putting out tourist chicken feed.
Toll non-residents on RTH. $75/person or $250/carload. I know they can’t do it because they would lose federal funding. They would make a Lot of money though.
I agree the road to Hana is Very dangerous thought I was going to die on it but Hawaii money comes from tourists maybe it should be open only a couple of hrs a day
Starting to look at Florida instead of hawaii for my family vacations. It costs us a ton of money to go to hawaii this last year, it cost us $10,000 to spend a week in Kihei and 2 weeks in Waikiki, for Hotel rental car, Parking at the hotel, airplane to and from, and food. Florida is looking better all the time
Has anyone on here priced other nice vacations? I am not talking about staying at the Motel 6 or Red Roof and eating every day at the national chain hamburger or chicken sandwich place that is 20 min from your house next to the exit ramp on the interstate.
Everyone needs to realize that the cost of all vacations. Everything have gone up airfares, car rentals, gas, eating out, Resorts/Condo rental (not the no tell motel).
Price a trip to Miami Beach. Disney World or Universal then complain about spending $10,000 for a 3 week family vacation. ‘
Get real people stop complaining and open your eyes.
Lemme guess.. some overweight aunties with tattoos and 2 local braddahs in UFC t-shirts are gonna be policing the trail and threaten cracks on Haole’s.
So when will other states start charging fees for visitors in a tit for tat scheme. I think this will backfire. Especially since most states get federal money for roads and bridges. By the way, why are improvements not being made on all the islands with thought to parking and visiting areas. Make the improvements and charge a small fee
Because most states that are controlled by a super majority of one particular political leaning tend to move around the federal funds to support more social programs rather than infrastructure. They don’t know how to properly spend tax payer money (and quite frankly I think they don’t even care), and it’s unfortunate as they add more fees to things just so they can spend more money. CA and HI are perfect examples of this. I do, however, agree that something needs to be done about the traffic to Hana!
The whole place is overrated and overpriced. With new laws in place and which are coming, it is virtually impossible to go anywhere and do anything at any remotely affordable price.
I am not kamaaina because I am not a “legal resident”. I was born in Kaimuki in 1945, my mother was born in Kahuku in 1921 and my grandmother was born on Maui a long time ago. My great grandparents settled in Lahaina in 1881. If that isn’t kamaaina, I don’t know what is. I don’t like the tourists taking over the islands any more than anyone else be them from the mainland, Japan. Australia or wherever. I do resent being treated as if I have the plague by some first generation beach person that only lives to surf and fly our flag upside down. I don’t live in the islands any more because I have been priced out I am not going to live in a 1200 square foot house with 3 other families just to get by.
Twin Falls is only accessible by car,a shuttle service would be good because it’s not always about the number of people;,it’s the cars. I think resident only parking days are good but if there was a shuttle it should be open to everyone. There is a similar proposal for Sharks Cove on North Shore Oahu and the area is accessible by The Bus,so even if there are resident parking days, everyone should be allowed if they take the bus or don’t require parking
My husband and I owned a timeshare on Kauai for 28 years (sold it in 2015). We love the islands and have visited 17 times, dating back to 1987. After a 7-year hiatus, we returned last summer, visiting for two weeks (split between rented condos on Maui and Kauai). While, overall, we enjoyed ourselves, we noticed how much busier The Road to Hana was; couldn’t visit Haena State Park because advance parking reservations needed; some favorite restaurants closed; and paying fees at Kokee State Park and at the Botanical Gardens on The Road to Hana. As you all know, these fees aren’t exactly minor.
We will be returning to Maui this summer, but seems like it may be a very long time before we can consider returning to this place we love so much.
Just need some clarification as i do not know, and it was not clear from the article…. Is “Friends of Twin Falls” an officially sanctioned and regulated organization with the proper legal authority to make such unilateral decrees, or is this more like a self-appointed/self-governing, take things into our own hands, group?
If they have the proper authority, then it doesnt matter what anyone thinks right?
Even with record tourist numbers, they have out of control tourism that’s getting worse, and third-world infrastructure. Do they really think having less tourism revenue is going to help this?
Well that fruit stand at Twin falls is going to take a major hit,
I really doubt if you live in Maui you are hitting up twinfalls like its the local mall.
The state of Hawaii has lost there mind. tourist money is all they have everything they get comes from the mainland…what if the mainland taxes all the goods and materials that come from the mainland..the people of Hawaii will starve..when it becomes to crowded people will stop going to certain tourist attractions the situation or regulate itself sooner or later..
Obviously visitors are unwanted. We have been coming to the islands for many years & own a timeshare there. This makes us rethink traveling to Hawaii in the future. It certainly makes us feel unwelcome & we spend a lot of money just to go there. Our plane tickets are always 1,000 plus every year & then you want to block us out & keep taking our savings. Nothing is economical there & yet we wrap our arms around the State & the culture. It’s hard to understand why you would do this. Perhaps you won’t have locals going to those locations & then you may realize it was not a smart move if the tourists do not pay your fees. We may need to consider this here as we welcome all with aloha.
For Haena beach reservations, what time does the next day start? Midnight? If I’m looking to make a reservation for 30 days out, when does the next day start for availbilty?
Thanks
And I suppose if it’s a rainy day, I SOL for my payment?
We just were at Haena last month. You could cancel but it’s a 10% penalty. We did the shuttle which was convenient to Ke’e but we were told that we could take our car and drive/park along the other beaches (subject to parking availability) up until the red gates at Ke’e. That needs the admission ticket or parking reservation. Other than that, we just took the shuttle to and from the parking lot, then drove back to other beaches we wanted to see. Even though it says the shuttle makes other stops or is a hop on hop off, people at other spots besides Ke’e had to wait until another empty shuttle came along, sometimes having to make a backtrack of the route because Ke’e would be the main destination.
one more reason to not visit any more. I find it interesting that there is no curbing new construction of condos and resorts and the celebration of new airlines and additional flights. then locals complain about too many visitors and local and state entities start charging ridiculous fees. our last 14 day visit would have added at least $450 in parking fees under the new rules. aloha
Good question, but how would that work if they are in a rental car? Also, who is actually going to control that? Who pays for the people that will check if they are residents or tourists?
The reason that it is mostly visitors rather than residents at Twin Falls, is because the place is overrun by tourists!!!
Local Maui families will certainly enjoy it if they can!
It is definitely obvious to me that some, if not many residents of the islands are doing anything and everything possible to discourage visitors to the islands. Unfortunately most visitors seem to not notice this. It certainly would send an unforgettable message if all of you stopped buying airline tickets, renting cars and other type vehicles, reserving places of lodging, purchasing restaurant meals and other food items, and all other purchases to include gifts and trinkets. I will bet they would get your message extremely fast and never forget.
I totally agree that this is a bad practice at all. If you want to regulate access, fine. But the idea that locals can circumvent the regulation numbers without limit is pretty unfriendly. As has been said, what if a visitor from Europe can’t get into Hanauma Bay because that day locals have overrun the place early? The local can come back next week, but not the visitor!
Haven’t been back since 2019, before that it was 3 weeks every year on Kauai, Maui, or the Big Island for 20+ years. Was planning on retiring on Kauai. Not sure anymore, just seems like as if there is less Aloha post Covid.
For every $1 the state sends the federal government the state receives $1.63 back (as of eoy 2019, newest data avail). Who wouldn’t be happy with that RoR (63% annual return) and want to keep all others out? If HI wants to secede and then have their own rules, even banning mainland visitors, that’s fine. PR would be happy to swap places and be the 50th state.
Hey, I just found out about the stringent dancing restrictions on Maui which makes no sense at all, so yeah, let’s restrict cars on the route to Hana and let’s reserve the parking for residents on certain days, then let’s dance!
Institute a toll gate that will control and limit the
# of cars on the road. You have to purchase a toll pass in advance.
First send back the federal funds that built and maintained the road.
3 of us traveled to Maui in September, 2022. We did a lot of research on RTH & concluded that a commercial tour was the only way to go. We went with a highly rated tour, not inexpensive, $300.00 per person but the Best $$ we ever spent. There were 10 of us on the tour, our guide/driver was excellent & knowledgeable. We saw a lot of misguided tourists trying to navigate RTH, in their rental cars & several times disasters almost occurred. Hawaii should require that tourists take organized tours. It would save wear & tear on the road, the environment & the beautiful sites/views
I believe that reservations are required, but why do Kānaka Maoli pay as well. I understand why the tourist come to the islands, but why we have to pay.
I am not a Hawaiian resident, but I do think they deserve some locals only time. They pay the taxes, they deserve to enjoy the beauty of their home without so many tourists taking over every day. I used to love to visit, but the tourists have overrun the islands so much, they are losing their beauty. It’s tough to live Aloha when inundated with too many visitors.
So how do residents register for free parking?
What about Hawaii people coming to the mainland? Would they be happy to pay a fee, let’s say to Florida and be told that due to crowding and locals request they can’t visit Disneyland, Universal, Miami Beach, Key West or the Everglades. But they can visit Botanical gardens and also help clean up the beaches.
Just make a “locals only” day in Las Vegas.
Already happening. Several National Parks on the mainland already require advance reservations, and limits on the number of visitors. It’s a smart, sustainable path to maintain these natural treasures for the future.
But they don’t restrict who can make reservations. Doesn’t have to be locals.
Already happening: I can’t get to Disneyland without making advanced reservations, months in advance; and of course paying a huge fee too (no one can!). I’ll just go somewhere else for vacation; and everyone else has that option: if you don’t like Hawaii’s rules don’t come to Hawaii; no one is forcing you to come to Hawaii.
Yes, but imagine if those fees and reservations @ disney only applied if you are a resident of HI. (That would be closer apples/apples).
I’m a visitor that travels to Maui frequently. I completely understand the need to control access to these beautiful natural resources in Maui. Unfortunately, if they don’t,they will be overrun and ruined. Too many people with not enough respect for the land and the culture. Not sure what the best answer is, but I do support the effort.
I’m not a resident of Hawai’i, but locals only days and parking fees for visitors works for me. Out of control tourism is ruining Hawai’i. One potential issue though is that it then becomes part of the “premium-ising” of the Islands, which is contributing to making a vacation in Hawai’i unaffordable for middle class families.
Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe is inundated with visitors, and there is seldom available parking. Perhaps they should start limiting their parking to locals only, too? And let’s not forget Monterey Bay, Yosemite, and the list goes on. In fact, let’s not have any tourists or any new residents in California. But you know what? That will still Not remedy the situation. Why not? It’s called population growth; you know, babies. People still have them. Maybe we should disallow people having children altogether.
This article is not actually correct. As residents, our taxes pay for the HTA (Hawaiian Tourism Authority) against our will. Free parking is not really free for us.
The Hana Highway traffic is out of control and needs to be mitigated. (Our taxes pay for road maintenance too.) This is our only route to town for work, errands, Dr’s appointments, etc… and back home again. The traffic is a daily problem for us. This is not an individual tourist problem, most are respectful…it’s a problem of too many tourists and limits need to be imposed.
With fewer tourists in Hawaii due to affordability,
I will be able to enjoy my visits a lot more. 🙂
We have been going to Kauai once or twice a year for over 20 years.
This is what happens when greed collides with common sense.
What many do not realize is that today it’s visitors, later it will be locals by some official leaving office; but hey, let’s just be happy.
I was a visitor from 1978 to 2018 and I stopped going due to too many tourists,homeless people and crime against tourists so I can just imagine how locals feel. That being said if the sale of property to large corporations was curtailed there would be less construction of larger hotels and resorts which would mean less visitors. In fact Hawaii has lost its charm and is no longer a visitors paradise.I am certain with all the additional fees and regulations a lot of visitors will be a one time trip because to spend 10000+ dollars cannot be justified
I couldn’t agree more….I wonder where the people now complaining about tourism were when resorts like the Westin Villas on Maui or the Marriott Resorts added more buildings and became mostly timeshares. So, these peoples already prepaid their vacation by owning a timeshare for a week, so obviously they will be back! Unfortunately, they also contribute to higher prices at the supermarket, since they have a kitchen in their suite and although I am sure they would like to pay less for groceries like everyone else, they are only here for a week, so they will just pay those inflated prices. Once they are gone, the next family arrives …those timeshares sold every week of the year, so how can you expect to have less tourists?
Florida? The new Confederacy?
Take my chances in Cuba first
The road to Hana should be renamed to the road thru hell. Most of the locals tailgate and go way over the posted speed limits. Must think it’s a NASCAR road course. Been to Hana once and never again. Perhaps law enforcement should take more of a proactive role and ticket those who speed, tailgate and should tow those cars that park illegally.
My wife and I are in our ’70s and go walk the beach every morning when we’re there for 2 weeks at our timeshare. We used the car to get to the beach and have never had a parking problem. We like to go early before it’s too hot or the trade winds kick up. We have been coming for 22 years now.
Kim G. I agree. If the locals would get to the beach before 10:00 AM without this new parking law, they wouldn’t have a problem finding parking. This is going to really impact visitors with mobility issues that like to use Kamaole beach park early.
I think I’m confused. Is a non-governmental organization restricting parking on the side of a public roadway, or on public land? That isn’t legal. If that is correct, this sort of vigilantism almost inevitably leads to conflict, and then sometimes violence, as it has in the past. If it is their private parking lot, they can do whatever they want. Whether it is a good idea or not, I couldn’t say, and time will tell. I’ve lived here over a decade, and in that time it has never crossed my mind to stop at Twin Falls because of the parking and hordes of people.
I thought Twin falls was privately owned? If so they would not limit parking to locals, The lot would be empty.
I live on the way to Hana. The Hana Highway traffic is at an all time high. The tourist traffic is ridiculous on several levels and a serious indicator of the over touristing of Maui. Why doesn’t Maui county require reservations for the road to Hana?
What’s the point in going to Hawaii? If you have all these restrictions?
The over inundation of tourist have lead to the inevitable need of crowd control for the purpose of preserving resources which are being trampled under the heavy weight of tourism. There is still plenty to be enjoyed if you avoid the fee areas, example the Light house still has a nice view area though you can’t get close to it, Hanalei is still open and the other beaches just not Haena Park. You may not Hike Kalalau trail but there are other nice trails. It is true it is expensive to come to Hawaii so not everyone will get that privilege but there are equally beautiful less expensive places to see, my self I loved the beaches in Spain much more, the water was far clearer and less crowed. Major US attractions have fees for upkeep.
The people who live on the hawaii islands should be able to enjoy free use of their own state, it is unfortunate that the governing bodies have for too long held the state out as a fantastic tourist destination. Now that they are reaping the results of that advertising the question is, now what? It is the same as any other overrun area, parking fees, toll roads, fines, traffic, etc. Real freedom from the mess will come when Hawaii can sustain itself free of the 21% economic impact tourism brings. Which means businesses selling something other then Hawaii trinkets, Luau’s, tours, and everything else that screams “Here is your Hawaii experience.” Societies mind set needs to change not just the tourist. Stop putting out tourist chicken feed.
I live in CA and I can’t visit any park for free, I can buy a yearly pass for almost $200, State parks get funding from the state, Everyone should pay
I live in California and I can’t enjoy the California beaches and parks free of charge?
I live in California, and I have to pay to visit our State and National Parks. Why shouldn’t Hawaii residents do the same?
Toll non-residents on RTH. $75/person or $250/carload. I know they can’t do it because they would lose federal funding. They would make a Lot of money though.
I agree the road to Hana is Very dangerous thought I was going to die on it but Hawaii money comes from tourists maybe it should be open only a couple of hrs a day
Maybe they should make it a Toll Road
Yes. Like the Golden Gate bridge
.. Hawai’i . for the Richy Rich by those in charge . Killing tourism day by day ..
I am Happy I had the opportunity to visit Maui for 10 days
and the Big Island for 5 weeks .
I love being there, but with all the current and proposed
fees, I shall look for a lesser known destination . sadly
Starting to look at Florida instead of hawaii for my family vacations. It costs us a ton of money to go to hawaii this last year, it cost us $10,000 to spend a week in Kihei and 2 weeks in Waikiki, for Hotel rental car, Parking at the hotel, airplane to and from, and food. Florida is looking better all the time
I totally agree being local.You need to take care of the locals first. Control the tourists from taking over they don’t respect the local ways.
Florida – Never!
Has anyone on here priced other nice vacations? I am not talking about staying at the Motel 6 or Red Roof and eating every day at the national chain hamburger or chicken sandwich place that is 20 min from your house next to the exit ramp on the interstate.
Everyone needs to realize that the cost of all vacations. Everything have gone up airfares, car rentals, gas, eating out, Resorts/Condo rental (not the no tell motel).
Price a trip to Miami Beach. Disney World or Universal then complain about spending $10,000 for a 3 week family vacation. ‘
Get real people stop complaining and open your eyes.
The restrictions on parking are a great idea.We ultimately need to limit the amount of visitors to all the islands.
Lemme guess.. some overweight aunties with tattoos and 2 local braddahs in UFC t-shirts are gonna be policing the trail and threaten cracks on Haole’s.
Stupidity of this State never ceases to amaze me.
Sounds like you’re mad about the locals being able to finally access the beaches we grew up with.It’s about time!
Aloha,
So when will other states start charging fees for visitors in a tit for tat scheme. I think this will backfire. Especially since most states get federal money for roads and bridges. By the way, why are improvements not being made on all the islands with thought to parking and visiting areas. Make the improvements and charge a small fee
Because most states that are controlled by a super majority of one particular political leaning tend to move around the federal funds to support more social programs rather than infrastructure. They don’t know how to properly spend tax payer money (and quite frankly I think they don’t even care), and it’s unfortunate as they add more fees to things just so they can spend more money. CA and HI are perfect examples of this. I do, however, agree that something needs to be done about the traffic to Hana!
The whole place is overrated and overpriced. With new laws in place and which are coming, it is virtually impossible to go anywhere and do anything at any remotely affordable price.
I am not kamaaina because I am not a “legal resident”. I was born in Kaimuki in 1945, my mother was born in Kahuku in 1921 and my grandmother was born on Maui a long time ago. My great grandparents settled in Lahaina in 1881. If that isn’t kamaaina, I don’t know what is. I don’t like the tourists taking over the islands any more than anyone else be them from the mainland, Japan. Australia or wherever. I do resent being treated as if I have the plague by some first generation beach person that only lives to surf and fly our flag upside down. I don’t live in the islands any more because I have been priced out I am not going to live in a 1200 square foot house with 3 other families just to get by.
Twin Falls is only accessible by car,a shuttle service would be good because it’s not always about the number of people;,it’s the cars. I think resident only parking days are good but if there was a shuttle it should be open to everyone. There is a similar proposal for Sharks Cove on North Shore Oahu and the area is accessible by The Bus,so even if there are resident parking days, everyone should be allowed if they take the bus or don’t require parking
My husband and I owned a timeshare on Kauai for 28 years (sold it in 2015). We love the islands and have visited 17 times, dating back to 1987. After a 7-year hiatus, we returned last summer, visiting for two weeks (split between rented condos on Maui and Kauai). While, overall, we enjoyed ourselves, we noticed how much busier The Road to Hana was; couldn’t visit Haena State Park because advance parking reservations needed; some favorite restaurants closed; and paying fees at Kokee State Park and at the Botanical Gardens on The Road to Hana. As you all know, these fees aren’t exactly minor.
We will be returning to Maui this summer, but seems like it may be a very long time before we can consider returning to this place we love so much.
Just need some clarification as i do not know, and it was not clear from the article…. Is “Friends of Twin Falls” an officially sanctioned and regulated organization with the proper legal authority to make such unilateral decrees, or is this more like a self-appointed/self-governing, take things into our own hands, group?
If they have the proper authority, then it doesnt matter what anyone thinks right?
Twin Falls is private property, so really the owner of the property has final say. I think it’s fair to assume they are supporting these new rules.
Even with record tourist numbers, they have out of control tourism that’s getting worse, and third-world infrastructure. Do they really think having less tourism revenue is going to help this?
Well that fruit stand at Twin falls is going to take a major hit,
I really doubt if you live in Maui you are hitting up twinfalls like its the local mall.
The state of Hawaii has lost there mind. tourist money is all they have everything they get comes from the mainland…what if the mainland taxes all the goods and materials that come from the mainland..the people of Hawaii will starve..when it becomes to crowded people will stop going to certain tourist attractions the situation or regulate itself sooner or later..
Obviously visitors are unwanted. We have been coming to the islands for many years & own a timeshare there. This makes us rethink traveling to Hawaii in the future. It certainly makes us feel unwelcome & we spend a lot of money just to go there. Our plane tickets are always 1,000 plus every year & then you want to block us out & keep taking our savings. Nothing is economical there & yet we wrap our arms around the State & the culture. It’s hard to understand why you would do this. Perhaps you won’t have locals going to those locations & then you may realize it was not a smart move if the tourists do not pay your fees. We may need to consider this here as we welcome all with aloha.
For Haena beach reservations, what time does the next day start? Midnight? If I’m looking to make a reservation for 30 days out, when does the next day start for availbilty?
Thanks
And I suppose if it’s a rainy day, I SOL for my payment?
We just were at Haena last month. You could cancel but it’s a 10% penalty. We did the shuttle which was convenient to Ke’e but we were told that we could take our car and drive/park along the other beaches (subject to parking availability) up until the red gates at Ke’e. That needs the admission ticket or parking reservation. Other than that, we just took the shuttle to and from the parking lot, then drove back to other beaches we wanted to see. Even though it says the shuttle makes other stops or is a hop on hop off, people at other spots besides Ke’e had to wait until another empty shuttle came along, sometimes having to make a backtrack of the route because Ke’e would be the main destination.
So the only spot that needed reservations was “end of the road beach”? Other wise you can park anywhere for free?
one more reason to not visit any more. I find it interesting that there is no curbing new construction of condos and resorts and the celebration of new airlines and additional flights. then locals complain about too many visitors and local and state entities start charging ridiculous fees. our last 14 day visit would have added at least $450 in parking fees under the new rules. aloha
byeeeeee!
Are residents of other islands in Hawaii considered residents as this parking fee structures apply?
Good question, but how would that work if they are in a rental car? Also, who is actually going to control that? Who pays for the people that will check if they are residents or tourists?
The reason that it is mostly visitors rather than residents at Twin Falls, is because the place is overrun by tourists!!!
Local Maui families will certainly enjoy it if they can!
It is definitely obvious to me that some, if not many residents of the islands are doing anything and everything possible to discourage visitors to the islands. Unfortunately most visitors seem to not notice this. It certainly would send an unforgettable message if all of you stopped buying airline tickets, renting cars and other type vehicles, reserving places of lodging, purchasing restaurant meals and other food items, and all other purchases to include gifts and trinkets. I will bet they would get your message extremely fast and never forget.
I totally agree that this is a bad practice at all. If you want to regulate access, fine. But the idea that locals can circumvent the regulation numbers without limit is pretty unfriendly. As has been said, what if a visitor from Europe can’t get into Hanauma Bay because that day locals have overrun the place early? The local can come back next week, but not the visitor!
Haven’t been back since 2019, before that it was 3 weeks every year on Kauai, Maui, or the Big Island for 20+ years. Was planning on retiring on Kauai. Not sure anymore, just seems like as if there is less Aloha post Covid.
I disagree, looking in from the outside, it seemed to me as though the islands were very, very happy during the COVID shutdowns…..
For every $1 the state sends the federal government the state receives $1.63 back (as of eoy 2019, newest data avail). Who wouldn’t be happy with that RoR (63% annual return) and want to keep all others out? If HI wants to secede and then have their own rules, even banning mainland visitors, that’s fine. PR would be happy to swap places and be the 50th state.
I think it’s a great idea. If I lived there I’d be all for it. It seems logical and only fair to me.
Hey, I just found out about the stringent dancing restrictions on Maui which makes no sense at all, so yeah, let’s restrict cars on the route to Hana and let’s reserve the parking for residents on certain days, then let’s dance!