With Hawaii residents and visitors champing at the bit to enjoy the great outdoors maskless, this Memorial Day weekend could prove to be a record-setting one in terms of numbers.
And the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ divisions are gearing up for large crowds hitting popular parks, heavily used trails, beaches and ocean areas.
“Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement will be out in full force trying to keep people safe and ensuring they are following all rules and laws,” DLNR said in a news release.
The governor lifted the mask mandate Tuesday for outside use, allowing the public to go maskless on this first weekend since the COVID-19 pandemic began. However, people are encouraged to wear masks in large groups.
DLNR Chairwoman Suzanne Case said: “Hawaii is already seeing major increases in the numbers of mainland visitors and Memorial Day weekend is expected to see the greatest number of arrivals since the pandemic started nearly a year and a half ago.
“We’re pleased and excited to show our guests and kamaaina the real jewels of our public lands and just want every one to follow the rules, to behave and most importantly to be safe.”
In Hawaii and across the country, it will be tough to find a spot to camp as this Memorial Day weekend will likely kick off one of the busiest camping seasons ever. Sales of camping gear have shot up: Demand for tents is up 97% compared with the same period in 2020 and up 85% compared with 2019, says Pattern, a global e-commerce company. Monthly demand for camping gear overall is up 86% compared with pre-pandemic 2019.
In anticipation of that, the city Department of Parks and Recreation reopened 23 campsites at 11 campgrounds around the island, in part to make up for the loss of the city-managed campground at Bellows Field Beach Park, closed due to turtle nesting beginning in mid-April.
“When the pandemic began, about half of our campsites were taken offline to allow for greater physical distancing,” DPR Director Laura Thielen said. “With the seasonal closure of the Bellows Campground and COVID restrictions continuing to be loosened, we are bringing back some of these closed sites to meet the public need.”
More campsites will be reopened to the public in a “calculated manner,” she said.
DPR manages 17 campgrounds with 217 campsites. Camping resumed in summer 2020, with just 112 campsites. It went down to 87 campsites with Bellows’ closure in mid-April but is now at 110.
The DPR reminds permitted campers of the rules, which include no dogs, no alcohol, no driving motor vehicles on the beach and no more than 10 people and three tents per campsite.
One area of contention in the past has been at Ahu o Laka, the Kaneohe sandbar. Problems erupted when huge numbers of intoxicated boaters partied on the sandbar during three-day weekends.
Ten years ago DLNR instituted a 120-day emergency ban on alcohol at the sandbar after a 26-year-old man died after a fight at the nearby harbor. Now it is banned during three-day weekends.
During the 2020 Memorial Day weekend, massive events were promoted at Kaena Point State Park (Mokulea side) and Waimea Bay Beach Park, where alcoholic beverages were allegedly sold by an unlicensed vendor.
On the Waianae side of Kaena Point, the DLNR kept gates closed to prevent large gatherings, bonfires, overnight camping, vandalism and illegal behavior during the pandemic because there was no funding to provide lifeguards and a caretaker.
DLNR reopened the entrance gates earlier this month at Keawaula Beach Park, also known as Yokohama Bay, which had been closed for more than a year.
The city is restricting parking in Lanikai the entire weekend to reduce traffic congestion for residents. No parking will be allowed on Mokulua and Aalapapa drives from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking on cross streets will be restricted.
Honolulu police will conduct impaired-driver roadblocks at undisclosed times and locations throughout the weekend.
During the 2019 Memorial Day weekend, drunken drivers killed 172 nationwide. And alcohol, the biggest contributing factor in fatal boating crashes, accounts for nearly a quarter of those deaths.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, MADD Hawaii, urges everyone, including boaters, to designate a nondrinking driver if their holiday plans include alcohol.
MADD National President Alex Otte was severely injured at age 13 by a drunken boater.
“Prior to 1980, people drove with a beer in their cup holder,” she said. “Today you would not watch someone get in a car with alcohol in their hand and drive away. But that happens every single day on our nation’s waterways. This is a culture shift that has yet to happen, but it must if we’re going to save more lives.”
To assist in planning Memorial Day weekend activities, DLNR has outlined some rules and closures:
>> Kaena Point State Park — Keawaula section (Oahu): The park will be open Saturday and close at 7 p.m. Sunday. All vehicles must be removed before closure. It will reopen 6 a.m. June 5. No camping.
>> Polihale State Park (Kauai): No camping until improvements to sensitive dune areas are completed.
>> Makena State Park (Maui): A dangerous south swell is in the forecast for the weekend with dangerous shore break. No lifeguards on duty. The park closes daily at 7 p.m. Little Beach closes at 4 p.m. on weekends. Puu Olai closes at 4 p.m. Groups larger than 25 must have a special use permit.
>> Ahu o Laka (Kaneohe Bay sandbar, Oahu): No alcohol is permitted during the holiday weekend.
>> Na Ala Hele trails: Most trails will remain open. Go to hawaiitrails.hawaii.gov/trails for updates on temporary closures and current conditions.
