Sacred Falls used to be one of Oahu’s most popular hiking spots.
But it’s been closed since 1999, after eight people were killed in a landslide.
And despite the closure signs, people still illegally hike there.
Marisa Yamane spoke with the State about their efforts to stop people from trespassing, and what’s the chance of it ever being re-opened.
Sacred Falls is no doubt one of the most beautiful sights to see.
No wonder it once attracted about 70-thousand people a year.
It still continues to attract people, even though it’s as clear as night and day, that the state park is closed.
"We need to caution those people that it’s off limits for a very very good reason. Eight people perished there and we do not want anymore people to perish there," said William Aila, State Department of Land and Natural Resources Director.
The eight were killed on Mother’s Day back in 1999.
"Looked up real quickly and an avalanche obviously just came over us started pelting the ground. Everybody started screaming running doing what they could to get out of there," said survivor Ned Nichols, on May 9, 1999.
After that tragic incident, the State closed Sacred Falls State Park, and it has remained closed ever since.
"To date it’s still too dangerous to allow people back in Sacred Falls. The geology of the area, the narrow confinement, the fact there’s no place to hide if there’s a rock fall. It just does not make sense to allow people to go into a dangerous condition," said Aila.
And because of that, he does not feel the area from the trail head to the waterfall will ever be re-opened to the public.
But, he says there is a possibility that the lower part of Sacred Falls State Park could get re-opened.
"We’ve had cultural groups access those lower portions with permit of course, so we could look at future access to the lower portions that are safe but certainly not the back of the valley where it’s not safe," said Aila.
The DLNR doesn’t have a security guard patrolling the area, but…
"…we periodically send our enforcement officers out there and of course that’s how we find people are trespassing. In the last year and a half there were 99 citations written," said Aila.
"It’s a petty misdemeanor so it’s $100 first offense, $200 2nd offense, and $500 3rd offense," said Aila.
Two people even had to be rescued from Sacred Falls over the past year.
"We’re looking at what action can the Board take on individuals to provide more of a deterrent. We’re just looking for people to be safe," said Aila.
And that’s the bottom line. Safety over beauty.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
