Lanai Council Considers Resident-Only Beach Park Access

Crowds at the popular beach park fronting Lanai’s crescent-shaped Hulopoe Bay have sparked tensions between local residents and tourists.

By /

Lanai residents want their prized south shore beach park back.

Manele Bay Beach, Lanai.
Hulopoe Bay offers excellent conditions for snorkeling and swimming in summer, as well as tide pools. A pod of spinner dolphins can often be seen jumping in the bay. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Crowds of tourists at Lanai’s only beach park have led the Hulopoe Beach Park Council to seek solutions, such as charging a park entry fee to non-residents, establishing an online reservation system for non-residents or limiting access to residents only.

A draft proposal by the Hulopoe Beach Park Council lists other methods of reducing non-resident access to the beach park, which includes picnic tables, barbecue grills, restrooms and showers.

Solutions under consideration include requiring non-residents who gain access to the park to wear wristbands and directing non-residents without a reservation to access Hulopoe Bay from a different public access point.

The issue is set to be discussed at a public hearing on Oct. 21.

Guests of the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, which fronts the crescent-shaped Hulopoe Bay, would not be affected, the proposal says, since they access the beach from the resort and not the beach park.

The beach park is owned by Pulama Lanai, Larry Ellison’s management company.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.

Help power essential news and information

As a local newsroom, Civil Beat has a unique public service role in times of need. Your support ensures that we can pivot when emergencies arise and get vital information out to everyone, from all communities.

Support timely and accurate breaking news stories as well as impactful coverage across the state. Donate today.

Give now

About the Author