Sacred Falls State Park


Sacred Falls State Park, is a closed state park located in Hau'ula on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It has been closed since the rockfall that occurred on Mother's Day in 1999. Although people caught entering the park are subject to hefty fines, hikers continue to trespass into the park 20 years later. The park encompasses Kaluanui gulch and the waterfalls at its end, after which it is named. It is a place in Koolaolao, with much associated Hawaiian lore:
"Kaliuwaa is the most famous of all the valleys in the district of Koolauloa."
According to Hawaiian beliefs, visitors were encouraged to lay leaves and place stones on them, as they entered the valley, gorge, and falls to show respect to the demigod associated with the location.

Definition

Kaliuwaa, also known as Sacred Falls, is the valley, the perpendicular cliffs, streams, and falls, located in Hauula, Oahu. A short distance below the falls is a trough-like gouge up the cliff where the pig demigod, Kamapuaa, is believed to have leaned against the cliff so that members of his family might climb up his body and escape their enemies. The stream and valley are also called Kaluanui.

Mother's Day tragedy

The park was closed indefinitely after a fatal rockfall near the waterfall on May 9, 1999, that killed eight hikers and injured many others. Over twenty incidents where people had been killed or injured had occurred at Sacred Falls. After the rockfall, most of the injured were lifted by stretcher suspended from helicopter, and first responders slowly carried the other victims 2.2 miles out of the park.

Prohibited access

While state officials employ many tactics to discourage visitors from illegally entering the closed park, the visitors enter anyway. Many people disregard the danger and the warnings and say people should be allowed to go there "at their own risk", others acknowledge the risk is not worth it.
Because of the danger to first responders and to the public, the Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement has been strictly enforcing and citing people $2500 for a first violation of entering the closed park, $5000 for a second violation, and $10000 for the third violation. The signs posted at the entrance of the park have a QR code, targeting smart phone users, who can scan the QR code and watch a video detailing information about the location, on their mobile device.