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KALAUPAPA PALI TRAIL REOPENS TO GUIDED TOURS

November 17, 2010
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Kalaupapa National Historical Park is pleased to announce that the Kalaupapa Pali Trail is now open after major trail and bridge repairs were recently completed.  The trail was officially closed on April 13, 2010 due to heavy rains that caused a catastrophic landslide and washed away part of the trail and bridge that carries mules and pedestrians.  To visit Kalaupapa, visitors must contact Kalaupapa Guided Mule Tour by calling (800) 567-7550 or 567-6088, or email info@muleride.com or contact Damien Tours by calling (808) 567-6171.  The general public is reminded that anyone accessing the Kalaupapa Trail requires a permit from the State Department of Health.

New Kalaupapa Pali Trail Bridge

Repair of the Kalaupapa Pali Trail was the top priority of the National Park Service In the Pacific West Region of the United States because it is the only over land connection for visitors and residents to travel to Kalaupapa.  The cost of the repair work was nearly $400,000 and involved trail crews from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Haleakala National park, and employess of Kalaupapa Guided Mule Tour.  The bridge repair work required sophisticated engineering and geo-technical studies prior to installation.  Historically, this portion of the trail has been the most hazardous and prone to wash-outs.  Previous bridges installed over the past 25 years were temporary solutions and a more stable solution was needed to ensure the safety of visitors and mule trains along the trail.  The new bridge, made of strong, light-weight aluminum, is supported by two solid footings that are literally bolted into the sheer cliff at each end.

The National Park Service is indebted to Gloria Marks of Damien Tours and Buzzy Sproat and Roy Horner of the Kalaupapa Guided Mule Tour (previously known as Molokai Mule Ride) for their patience and understanding and recognizes that this trail closure has been a difficult time for both businesses.

Kalaupapa Pali Trail Bridge

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One Comment leave one →
  1. Sheila Beal permalink
    November 17, 2010 11:28 am

    Great news! I wanna test out the trail right now. :)

    Reply

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