WAIMEA — Along Kawaihae Road, Anna Ranch is a familiar Waimea landmark. Historic guided bike treks are permitted on their land up Kohala Mountain, but public access to the trails is forbidden for good reason.
On Aug. 2, a 17-year-old boy and his friends trespassed onto Anna Ranch land to hike up to Kohakohau Falls. The consequences were severe.
“The boy fell from the top and suffered a broken neck and a collapsed lung, but paramedics and firefighters weren’t called until his friends brought him down the hill,” Tracey Brennan said, a fire medical specialist at Waimea Fire station who was called to the scene.
At least three rescues have been made on private ranch land over the past five years.
“Some people don’t realize that rescues can be done in that area, even using helicopters. This group didn’t know that,” Brennan said. “If someone is hurt, it’s important to call 911 right away.”
What tourists and locals seem to forget is that Anna Ranch and Parker Ranch are private property. Social media doesn’t help to enforce this. Tourists can find information about the trails and waterfalls on websites, Facebook and video-sharing websites like YouTube and Vimeo.
One such video, posted three years ago, shows teenage local girls hiking to the pond, swinging off a rope and swimming in it. It has generated nearly 4,000 followers.
“I believe a major reason for the trespassing now is because of social media,” Steve Bess said, an Anna Ranch trustee. “If you go online, you find all sorts of references to the pond and photos. We’re aware of commercial people who are actually conducting illegal hikes, trespassing up there.”
John Ray, who has lived across the street from Parker Ranch for more than 35 years, sees people trespassing the private land by jumping over a gate regularly.
“Thousands of people are now accessing the waterfalls on Kohakohau Stream,” he said. “Frequently, on a busy day there are as many as 25 or 30 cars of people in the morning and afternoon. A week ago Saturday, I came home and there were 17 cars parked next to the gate. The huge increase is from families visiting from Kona and Hilo. The waterfall is very easy to access once they jump the fence. The majority of people I see are wearing slippers and often bathing suits.”
Bess said he and his fellow Anna Ranch trustees want to find a way to allow people to visit Anna Ranch, but not for recreation activities.
“Jumping off a waterfall is very dangerous,” Bess said, “and liability is a big deal. Our land is not a recreational facility, nor is it for ATVs or zip lines. The closing of White Road recently only increased the pressure on our land and other lands.”
To make controlled access feasible, Bess has applied for several grants that would enable Anna Ranch trustees to research and gather historical stories, building on what they already have, for future educational experiences there.
“Part of the whole vision for the memorial museum is to preserve the legacy of this property,” he said.
Anna Ranch will be notified on Sept. 11 if awarded the first grant.
“We’re taking baby steps right now,” Bess said. “We’ve got to do it right and are in the foundational stages to try to see how we can create an opportunity for people to have a cultural historic experience, and a safe experience that is controlled and managed — not a free-for-all.”
He continued, “We want Anna Ranch to be sustainable and with us 100 years from now. We look at it as a very special piece of land, but it needs to be treated with respect and reverence. There’s a sense of kuleana to the community but we want the community to feel kuleana to us.”