Two hikers recently got a lesson in respecting trail closures when they had to be airlifted from a Hawaii beauty spot that's been closed to the public for 26 years.
The Honolulu Fire Department says it received a 911 call at 1:13 p.m. on February 9 about the injured hikers off of the Sacred Falls Trail in Punaluu. The pair were reportedly a husband and wife visiting from California, both in their 60s. They are said to have hiked for only about 15 minutes on the trail before sustaining multiple injuries that left them unable to continue on their own.
Rescuers reached them them within an hour and administered basic life support before evacuating them by helicopter and transporting them to hospital for further treatment.
Sacred Falls is a 1,000-ft waterfall on the island of Oahu. The last 80ft drop of the falls was once reached by a trail that led to a pool at the base of the falls, but a deadly rockslide that killed eight hikers and injured dozens in 1999 led to the trail being closed indefinitely.
Today, the trail is overgrown and marked with a gate informing hikers that it is inaccessible. Trespassing on the trail is a criminal offense that carries a $1,000 civil penalty, but last year Hawaii News Now reported that illegal hiking here remains common.
If you want to see the falls, several tour operators in the area provide helicopter rides for an aerial view.
Respecting trail closures
If you’ve been planning a hike for a while, you’ll have put time into your preparations, so it can be pretty soul-crushing when you arrive to discover the trail is closed, but this case exemplifies exactly why it's so crucial to observe trail closures.
Hiking trails can close for a variety of reasons – trail maintenance, wildlife patterns and safety concerns among the top reasons. Failing to adhere to restrictions could endanger your life as well as the lives of rescuers, and can result in a hefty penalty. In October 2024, we reported on eight hikers who violated a trail closure in Jasper National Park, required rescue, and subsequently faced a $25,000 fine.
To avoid disappointment, or worse, we recommend doing a little research in advance. If you’re planning on hiking on Forest Service land or in a National Park, you should be able to find out about trail closures online ahead of time, and AllTrails has a new feature called the Public Lands Program which lets land managers update you on trail conditions. If you see that a trail you want to hike is closed, take a different route. Learn more in our article on trail closures.
