Hawaii expands paid parking to 4 more parks

"More and more of Hawaii's parks are adding parking and entry fees for nonresidents. This month, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced that it's implementing a parking management and fee system for four additional state parks. It's not completely unexpected, as Hawaii already charges parking fees for 10 parks - a list that has been growing every year. The department said the change is meant to improve the visitor and resident experience by managing crowds and traffic."

"The four parks that will be adding fees are Wailuku River State Park and Kekaha Kai State Park on Hawaii Island; Wailua River State Park on Kauai; and Puu Ualakaa State Wayside on Oahu, according to the announcement. Wailuku River State Park has two separate areas: Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots. These have separate parking areas, and are usually quick stops where visitors take a photo and then leave."

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources is implementing a parking management and fee system for four additional state parks. Existing parking fees already apply at 10 parks and the program has expanded each year. The stated goals are to manage crowds and traffic, improve the visitor and resident experience, and reinvest collected funds back into park maintenance and improvements. The four parks affected include two on Hawaii Island (Wailuku River and Kekaha Kai), one on Kauai (Wailua River), and one on Oahu (Puu Ualakaa State Wayside). Start dates for the new fees remain to be announced.

Read at SFGATE