Little Beach reopens today after two-month closure
Pu‘u Ola‘i at Makena State Park will reopen today after being closed for two months after drum circles and other crowded events that sparked concerns under COVID-19 restrictions.
Also known as Little Beach, the area will be open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The shorter weekend hours are aimed at halting large gatherings, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.
Oneloa Beach, also known as Big Beach, and Oneuli Beach, also known as Black Sand Beach, will be open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Parking lot gates open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. daily.
Little Beach closed Jan. 5 following drum circles and other large gatherings that drew as many as 200 to 400 people and included reports of illegal substances. Weeks later, vandals cut through fencing that was put up at the entrance to the beach to prevent access.
“It is unfortunate that certain people feel it is OK to violate the rules and engage in weekly ‘rave’-like parties,” DLNR Division of State Parks Administrator Curt Cotrell said in a news release Friday. “These gatherings are promoted by social media and in one case, by a company that advertises and provides transportation for outof-state visitors to and from what they bill as ‘Maui’s biggest jam.’ ”
Officials from the DLNR Division of State Parks and Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement spent the closure developing a plan for the popular beach, DLNR said.
New regulatory signs in the park prohibit drug and alcohol use, nudity and fires.
During the closure, state crews worked on park maintenance, including cutting back kiawe and brush from behind the beach. Additional signs will be installed to remind park users to respect archaeological sites. A recent cultural impact assessment for Makena State Park recognized Pu‘u Ola‘i, its surrounding slopes and beach as significant cultural resources, DLNR said.
Future plans include making the informal access trail connecting Oneloa and Pu’u Ola’i safer for beach users and first responders.
State parks officials will be working with area lawmakers, the visitor industry, lineal descendants of Makena and interested Maui citizens on plans for Pu‘u Ola‘i.
“We are cautiously optimistic that all park users will honor the rules and be respectful of DLNR staff who are tasked with enforcing them, and the resources that we should all be protecting,” Maui District State Parks Superintendent Larry Pacheco said. “The Division of State Parks does not want to have to shut down access again due to the perception that reopening will enable these weekly gatherings to be reestablished.”