After norovirus tore through the remote Kalalau campsite, campers and locals say it needs better management. Some of the campers who endured the recent norovirus outbreak at the end of Kauai’s famed Kalalau Trail hope the unusual incident, which sickened dozens of people, will lead to better state upkeep of one of the most scenic destinations in Hawaii. Specifically, they hope the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources will use more of the permit fees collected by hikers and campers at Kalalau to help crack down on the frequent illegal visits and squatting that occur there, piling extra strain on the remote site’s limited resources and fragile environment.
They also hope state officials will increase the number of compostable toilets there from just three, do a better job keeping those toilets sanitary, post better educational signage across the campsite, and instruct hikers and campers how to alert public health officials if they come down with norovirus-like symptoms. “We go there every year, and a lot of people love this place because it’s so beautiful. We would really like to see some of the funding be allocated to keeping up with stuff like this,” said Jeff Gaughan, a Big Island resident who visited the site with friends over Labor Day weekend and watched the outbreak unfold.
“We don’t think it’s a big ask,” he said. The state charges Hawaii residents $25 and non-residents $35 per night to camp at Kalalau , and the site has an 80-person capa.