"We remain committed to reopening all DLNR lands and facilities as quickly as possible in line with best safety practices," Dave Day, First Deputy Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said in DLNR's September 19 announcement. That release reopened part of Wailua River State Park.
Six weeks after Hurricane Lowell came through on Labor Day, that partial reopening is still all there is. The river is open, and so are the landing and the trailhead. Everything past them is closed, the destinations most paddlers used to aim for included. Add a permit rule that was in place years before the storm, and the river behaves differently depending on the day. A Saturday paddle this fall means flat water, few other boats, and turning around at the trailhead.
What the September 21 Reopening Actually Covers
DLNR opened select Kauaʻi lands at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, September 21, and said most of its lands on the island stayed closed because of "widespread, unmitigated damage from Hurricane Lowell." Wailua River State Park was on the reopening list, with three levels of access:
- Open: kayakers may use the river, the designated landing zone, and the trailhead.
- Restricted: individual kayakers may not enter Fern Grotto. Smith's Motor Boat Tours can still use the Fern Grotto landing.
- Closed: hiking past the trailhead is prohibited "until further notice," and Uluwehi Falls, also called Secret Falls, is closed in its entirety.
DLNR's park notice, updated October 13, still lists those same limits and adds that Kōkeʻe Road, all camping on Kauaʻi, and every other state park on the island remain closed. Kauaʻi Now's October 16 recovery roundup repeats them without any change.
For years, a trip up the Wailua's north fork meant paddling and then hiking to Secret Falls. Lowell removed the hike, so for now the outing is the paddle alone.
The Weekday Rule That Was Here First
The storm restrictions sit on top of an older rule. The Garden Island reported in December 2021 that commercial kayak tours and rentals lost Saturday access to the Wailua River starting December 4 of that year, with Sundays already off-limits. Guided trips were left with weekdays only.
That rule is still in effect. Condition 7 of DLNR State Parks' current Rental Vessels Special Use Permit, which runs through December 31, 2026, limits commercial rentals entering Wailua River State Park to "Monday through Friday during Park Hours only." The same form says guided tours need a separate permit of their own.
The Saturday change was aimed at leaving space for locals, according to SFGATE's 2022 coverage. The same article said anyone could still paddle on their own over the weekend. DLNR's Alan Carpenter told SFGATE that weekend renters could get kayaks from off-site companies outside the park and bring them in themselves. That reporting is from well before the storm, so the DLNR notices page is the place to confirm weekend access before driving to the river.
Put the two rules together and the weekend river this fall is quieter than usual. Lowell took away the hike that pulled crowds upriver, and the permit rule keeps rental fleets and guided groups off the water on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend traffic is mostly private boats, and those boats can't go farther than the trailhead.
Who Is on the Water Monday Through Friday
On weekdays, the outfitters have adjusted their trips to the closures. Their own sites describe the offerings this way:
| Operator | What's running now | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Kayak Kauai | Wailua River Paddle while the falls trail is closed, plus Wailua kayak rentals | 8:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. departures, Monday through Friday |
| Kayaking in Kauai | Wailua and Hanalei River rentals, paddle only, no hiking | Per its booking calendar |
| Kayak Adventures Kauai | Guided river-only tours, four-person minimum | October 10–30, 2026 |
| Pineapple Kayaks | River exploring while Secret Falls is closed | Pickups 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday; closed weekends |
Pineapple Kayaks says a guided trip that runs four to five hours with the hike now runs two to three hours as a paddle up the river. The shorter trip makes a weekday morning paddle easier to fit in before work.
Pineapple's note that the Wailua River "is closed weekends" describes its own rental schedule, which matches the weekday limit in the state permit. It doesn't mean the river closes to private paddlers.
Kayaking in Kauai's notice, dated October 5, says the Secret Falls hike stays closed "through October 31, 2026." DLNR's own notices give no date and still say "until further notice." Until the state names a date, the outfitter's date is a projection, and DLNR is the authority.
Fern Grotto Is Open Only to the Riverboats
Fern Grotto is the one upriver stop still open, and only riverboat passengers can land there. DLNR says the kayak ban at the grotto "will be strictly enforced to prevent operational conflicts and safety hazards with the larger riverboats." None of the outfitter notices claims an exception for guided or rental kayaks. Smith's Motor Boat Tours is the only operator DLNR names.
Smith's posted a "We're Open!" storm update on September 24 saying its Wailua River tours to Fern Grotto, Tropical Paradise Gardens, and the Garden Luau had reopened and were running as usual. For a Wailua household hosting visitors this fall, the riverboat is the only way to get anyone to the grotto. A paddle stops at the trailhead.
What the Storm Left Downstream
At the mouth of the river, Lowell's effects were cleanup work. The Garden Island reported that storm debris crossed the Wailua River and damaged the shorelines at Morgan's Ponds, and that volunteers and County crews cleared it on Saturday, September 12.
Lydgate Park isn't on the County's list of facilities still closed, updated October 8. That park includes the Kamalani Playground, the ocean pools, the beach, and the bike path. Kauai Shores Hotel's post-storm status page, as of October 6, listed the east side's County beaches, Lydgate among them, as open. It also listed Ke Ala Hele Makālae, the coastal path running from Lydgate to Keālia, as open. That makes a weekend loop possible. Paddle the river in the morning, then walk or ride the coastal path north from Lydgate in the afternoon, all within a short stretch of Wailua shoreline.
Before Loading the Boat on a Saturday
- Check the DLNR notices page that morning. The State Parks important notices page is where any change to the Secret Falls or Fern Grotto rules will show up first. Its most recent Kauaʻi update is dated October 13.
- Bring a Hawaiʻi ID. DLNR's Wailua River State Park page lists entry and noncommercial parking as free for Hawaiʻi residents who show ID. Nonresidents pay $5 to enter and $10 per vehicle.
- Know where you're launching. The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation's launch ramp FAQ says a decal is required to launch a kayak from a state launch ramp, with or without a trailer. The FAQ doesn't list specific ramps, so it's worth asking DLNR whether your usual Wailua put-in counts.
- Plan to turn around at the trailhead. Under the current rules, a kayak can land at the designated zone and stop at the trailhead. Going any farther on foot isn't allowed.
- Skip Fern Grotto in a kayak. DLNR has said it will strictly enforce the kayak ban there while riverboats are running.
This is a status report on park access, not legal advice. Anyone with a question about a permit or launch requirement should confirm it directly with DLNR.
When DLNR reopens the trail past the trailhead, the weekend river will look much more like it did before the storm. Until then, the weekday permit rule and the storm closures together keep Saturdays and Sundays unusually quiet for private paddlers. Mondays bring the guided groups back.
Most of our clients ask about the Wailua River because they're thinking about life on the Coconut Coast. Many buy from the mainland and ask what a regular weekend here looks like. If you'd like to talk about the east side with someone who keeps track of these details, Ilona Coffey is glad to help. Request a private Kauai consultation.
