Phase 5 / Design Drivers

Some parks protect the land. Ours protect a way of life.

Across Kaua‘i, sacred landscapes hold stories older than memory. These are stories passed from kūpuna (elders) to keiki (children), rooted in care for the ‘āina (land) and the spirit of aloha (love, compassion). But over the years, tourism grew while park care withered. What once felt sacred became strained.

Kaua‘i State Parks are more than places to visit. They are living classrooms, food forests, and spiritual homes. And now, we’re restoring them as such. Cultural practitioners are at the helm not just to preserve the past but to guide us into a more balanced future.

Part of the Hawai‘i State Parks system, the parks on Kaua‘i are being reimagined as a model for what is possible statewide. This is our pilot project, one that centers cultural authority, community stewardship, and regenerative tourism.

Led by the proposed Aloha ʻĀina (love of the land) Kaua‘i Parks Foundation and supported by a regenerative business model, we are shifting power back to the people. Guardians of this land—farmers, kūpuna (elders), and cultural stewards—are shaping a new park experience. Visitors become guests, and every hike, story, and shared meal becomes a chance to reconnect with what matters most.

Here, restoration means more than environmental care. It means identity reclaimed. When we let the people of Kaua‘i lead, something deeper is found. A model of tourism rooted in reciprocity, reverence, and regeneration.

We are here to protect Kaua‘i together.