LIHUE, Hawaii — Starting May 3, the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks will issue 20 additional overnight camping permits for Kauai residents in Kalalau in the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. This will increase the people per night count from 60 to 80 between May 15 and Sept. 7, 2022.

What You Need To Know

  • Twenty additional overnight camping permits will be made available to Kauai residents for the period beginning May 15 and ends Sept. 7, 2022

  • Reservations open up May 3 and can be made up to 30 days in advance of the first night of camping

  • The additional permits are available to walk-in applicants only at the Kauai State Parks Office in Lihue’s State Office Building, 8-11 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday, on a first-come, first-served basis

  • Each permit allows for a maximum of six people and is good for one to five nights; applicants must provide all names at the time of purchase, no substitutions

Residents can make reservations up to 30 days in advance. For example, on May 3, camping reservations can be made beginning from May 15 to June 2. Once capacity is met, reservations will close for that day.

In place for decades, this “hold-back” rule provided Kauai residents the opportunity to enjoy the world-renown Kalalau Trail “in the face of extreme global demand,” according to a DLNR release. However, in recent years, the rule had been suspended because of several reasons, such as the flood closures in 2018 and 2019, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Napali Coast State Wilderness Park and its famed Kalalau Trail are one of the planet’s most popular park destinations, and competition for limited backcountry permits is fierce.

Permits are available for purchase to walk-in applicants only at the Kauai State Parks Office in Lihue’s State Office Building. It’s based on space availability and is first-come, first-served, 8-11 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday during the summer.

Each permit allows for a maximum of six people and is good for one to five nights. Applicants must provide all names at the time of purchase, no substitutions. Credit card only accepted.

Hiking or camping beyond Hanakapiai Stream is prohibited. People found in the area without a valid permit can be cited or arrested.

Sarah Yamanaka covers events, tourism and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii.