Overnight Camping Suspended at Kanahā During Clean-Up

Kanahā clean-up.

The Department of Parks & Recreation will be placing all overnight camping permits at Kanahā Park on an indefinite hold next month while the park undergoes a clean-up as part of its Master Planning Process.

Department officials said the clean-up is necessary in order to address the numerous complaints from park users. The issues range from large items such as appliances and vehicles being dumped in the area, weekly police reports involving drunken and disorderly conduct, drug offenses, assaults and other incidents as well as the camping ground area in particular being unsafe and unsanitary for overnight use.

“This is a joint effort by the county and the state to clean-up our park and make the area more secure, not just for park users but for the businesses nearby, including the rental car agencies and Kahului Airport,” said Parks & Recreation Director Kaala Buenconsejo. “This is a well used park and the bottom line is it needs to be clean and safe for everyone.”

Any overnight camping permits scheduled for after Aug. 31, 2016 will be refunded by the department.

The parks department has been working with the community and park users for months now trying to determine a vision for an improved Kanahā Park that included user surveys, stakeholder meetings, a Vision Workshop and multiple agency meetings. The information gathered from the public determined that safety, security and the issue of unauthorized encampments were the greatest concerns.

For more information about the Kanahā Park Master Plan call Parks Project Coordinator Cheryl Akiona at (808) 270-7388.