BRIEF: Entrance Fees Reinstated at Akaka Falls

Entrance fees have returned to Akaka Falls State Park after a brief hiatus that allowed the Department of Land and Natural Resources to execute a new five-year contract with its new vendor.

On March 1st, the department had suspended its fee collection, noting the delay in starting the contract with its new vendor, Makai Parking Incorporated. The delay was not expected to last very long, as the vendor was due to start work in the early part of March.

Fees are only collected from commercial tour operators and out of state visitors. Visitors pay five dollars per vehicle to enter the park, while pedestrians pay a dollar to get in. Those operating commercial tour vehicles pay anywhere between ten and forty dollars, depending on the amount of passengers in their vehicle. Hawaii residents do not pay any entrance fees to enjoy the falls.

In a release, DLNR Chairperson William J. Aila Jr. talked about the importance of the fees, saying that they “provide new income and are critical as a sustainable funding source for continued operation of our state parks.”