New fees go into effect Friday at State Parks

Starting Friday, out-of-state residents and commercial operators will be charged higher fees for entering select Hawaii State Parks. The higher fees were approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources in August and signed into law by Gov. David Ige.

Park visitors will now pay $10 per vehicle and $5 for walk-ins at eight parks on the four major islands, including Hapuna State Recreation Area and Akaka Falls State Park. Previously fees were $5 per vehicle and $1 for walk-in visitors. Commercial entry for vans and tour buses are also being raised, with fees now ranging from $15 to $90 depending on location and passenger capacity.

Parking and entrance fees to all State Parks for Hawaii residents remain free.

Camping and lodging fees will see modest increases. Residents will now pay $20/night for tent campsites, while the non-resident rate is set at $30/night. New lodging rates will range from $40/night for an A-Frame shelter at Hapuna Beach State Recreation area ($70 for non-residents) to $70/night for cabins in various parks ($100 for nonresidents).

“Though the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic reductions in the number of visitors coming to Hawaii, we hope these additional fees will help to offset some of our severe revenue losses incurred by State Parks as Hawaii gradually reopens. Some of our most heavily visited parks will remain closed due to coronavirus concerns. This further hampers revenue generation as we all struggle with the economic impacts of the pandemic,” said DLNR Division of State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell.

Cottrell previously estimated the increases would generate $8.7 million in new revenue statewide for State Parks, which oversees 54 units across the state, including more than a dozen on the Big Island.