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Kalaupapa

Kalaupap Peninsula and Kalawao County news, articles, and stories.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park to Offer Public Tours 

Thursday, June 25th, 2026

National Parks Service News Release

For the first time, Kalaupapa National Historical Park will offer public tours starting July 9, 2026. The tours will be provided twice a week, and reservations can be made beginning June 26.

The all-day hiking tours will be ranger-led and provide information about Kalaupapa history. The tours will be offered on Thursdays and Saturdays. These tours are currently the only way visitors can access the park. The number of visitors to the park remains capped at 100 per day. 

“We are excited to offer visitors an opportunity to learn about and be inspired by Kalaupapa, said Superintendent Nancy Holman.…

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National Parks Service Launches Kalaupapa Hiking Tour

Thursday, June 25th, 2026

National Parks Service Launches Kalaupapa Hiking Tour

By Dayanti Karunaratne | Editor

 

This Friday marks an important date in the history of Kalaupapa: it’s the opening day for tour bookings operated by the National Parks Service. Online bookings for a guided hiking tour open at recreation.gov on June 26, with the first tour heading out, weather permitting, from the Kala’e trailhead around 7 a.m. on Thursday, July 9. 

Kalaupapapa National Historic Park Superintendent Nancy Holman said she wants to keep Molokai at the center of changes at the former leper colony. She says that’s why they are also bringing back a volunteer program. 

“When I listen at public meetings … people here on Molokai feel very strongly that they have been separated for too long from Kalaupapa,” Holman said.…

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Library Honors Kalaupapa’s Religious Leaders

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026

Library Honors Kalaupapa’s Religious Leaders

By Léo Azambuja

A few community members attended the E Ho‘omana‘o program at Molokai Public Library last week to celebrate, honor and learn more about three illustrious Kalaupapa residents who were pivotal in improving the lives of Hansen’s disease patients banned to the peninsula in the late 19th century.

“We are so fortunate to have people sharing with us about our ali‘i. Today we have some of our historical figures from Kalaupapa,” branch manager Mia Langer Ritte said during the opening of the program April 28.

April’s edition of E Ho‘omana‘o — the program is held every third Tuesday of the month — highlighted Saint Damien De Veuster, Brother Joseph Dutton and Saint Marianne Cope.…

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Proposed Kalaupapa Memorial Still Faces Hurdles

Thursday, February 19th, 2026

Proposed Kalaupapa Memorial Still Faces Hurdles

By Léo Azambuja

A memorial honoring thousands of late Hansen’s disease patients sent on a one-way ticket to Kalaupapa has yet to be built more than two decades after its initial idea and nearly 17 years after President Barack Obama signed a federal bill paving the way for the monument.

“There’s this big hairball of bureaucracy that just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Ka ʻOhana O Kalaupapa executive director Valerie Monson said at a Maui Council’s Aloha ‘Āina Committee meeting at Mitchell Pauole Center Jan. 29. “We just hope we can get through it.”

Committee chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez scheduled the meeting to discuss the proposed Kalaupapa Memorial Monument, which has been in the works for at least 23 years.…

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Tour Offers Unique View of Kalaupapa

Thursday, October 9th, 2025

Tour Offers Unique View of Kalaupapa

By Léo Azambuja

It is nearly impossible for the general population to understand the suffering, the joys, the daily lives of those diagnosed with Hansen’s disease — also known as leprosy — and sent on a one-way ticket to Kalaupapa, one of the most geographically isolated communities in Hawaii.

But now, people can at least have a glimpse of the last 150 years there. The Kalaupapa Saints Tour opened in September, offering an intimate experience for eight guests at a time, led by a tour guide vetted by one of the last living patients in Kalaupapa. 

“People, when they come down, respect and listen what the tour guide gonna say, explain to them what is all about here in Kalaupapa,” 90-year-old Meli Watanuki said.…

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Bill Plans for Future of Kalaupapa and Kalawao County 

Thursday, February 13th, 2025

Bill Plans for Future of Kalaupapa and Kalawao County 

By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor 

A new bill being heard in the Hawaii Senate looks at the impending future of Kalaupapa along with that of Kalawao County. With seven patient residents all between the ages of 83 and 100 remaining, four of whom call Kalaupapa their full-time home, state and federal agencies with responsibilities in Kalaupapa are preparing for the day when the settlement is without patients. 

Currently, the Department of Health (DOH) is charged with most elements of patient care, with the National Park Service (NPS) running utilities, waste management and the maintenance of certain areas like the trail, cemeteries and other archeological sites.…

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Proposed Legislation for Kalaupapa

Thursday, January 2nd, 2025

Hawaii Dept. of Health News Release

In preparation for the future transfer of responsibilities at Kalaupapa following the eventual conclusion of patient care, the Department of Health (DOH) is proposing draft legislation to amend Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 326, which addresses Hansen’s Disease and DOH’s role at Kalaupapa. This draft legislation will be introduced during the upcoming legislative session for review and feedback from legislators and the general public.

This initial draft of the bill reflects the DOH’s preliminary recommendations, developed through years of research, collaboration with the Kalaupapa community, consultation with involved governmental agencies, and engagement with members of the public interested in Kalaupapa’s future.…

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Kalaupapa’s Complexities and Future

Thursday, October 10th, 2024

Kalaupapa’s Complexities and Future

Although it may be the smallest county in the U.S., there is no lack of activity in Kalaupapa and Kalawao County. While only four patient residents still call Kalaupapa their full-time home, a team of permanent staff along with multiple state and federal agencies direct care, stewardship and more for the community.

The directors of several major organizations including the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), and the Dept. of Health (DOH) met up on Molokai on Oct. 5 to discuss their current responsibilities in Kalaupapa. While the purpose of the joint meeting was just to explain current roles for these various agencies in Kalaupapa, the impending question of what the future of the community without patients will look like was on the minds of many Molokai residents.…

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Kalaupapa Informational Briefing

Thursday, September 26th, 2024

Dept. of Health News Release

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Park Service (NPS), is hosting a Kalaupapa Informational Briefing on Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. at Kaunakakai Elementary School on Molokai. Members of the public with an interest in Kalaupapa are encouraged to attend.

The agencies recognize that there are questions about the complex history and jurisdiction of Kalaupapa and what management tasks are overseen by each agency. At this meeting, representatives from DOH, DHHL, DLNR, DOT and NPS will share their current roles and responsibilities in Kalaupapa and Kalawao County and how they are working together to support the patients and steward this special place.…

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Kalaupapa Tree Preservation Project

Thursday, September 19th, 2024

Kalaupapa Tree Preservation Project

Over the summer, arborists from Windward Community College made the trip to Kalaupapa in the hopes of preserving elements of the unique community on Molokai’s northern coast. Funded by a grant from the National Park Service, The Arboriculture Workforce Training and Development Program is a five-year program looking to ensure that the trees and cultural landscape of the peninsula continue to thrive. It’s focused on training park workers in tree care techniques, natural mulching, proper staking and planting methods, grafting, air layering and more. If you need help maintaining your landscaping trees, you may consider seeking Lynchburg tree services. For properties with leftover stumps after tree removal, professional stump removal in Burtonsville can restore the appearance of your landscape while helping prevent pest infestations and making the area safer to use.…

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