Tourist apologizes after entering closed Waianapanapa State Park

News admin October 5, 2026 0 Comments

Tourist apologizes after entering closed Waianapanapa State Park

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A viral video of a tourist entering Waianapanapa State Park while it was closed during Hurricane Nolo is drawing concern in Hana over safety and respect for the area.

Nuri Abdullah, a tourist from the continental U.S., visited Maui for the first time in September. On Sept. 26, she posted a video showing herself entering the park despite signs warning visitors to stay out.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said the park was closed because of dangerous storm conditions, including heavy winds, rain, possible flash flooding, falling debris and dangerous surf.

DLNR said Abdullah went past a locked gate and multiple signs marking the park as closed.

In the video, Abdullah acknowledges the closure before entering the area anyway.

The incident has also raised concerns among Hana residents about the cultural significance of Waiʻānapanapa.

“There’s a certain level of respect that anybody should have when visiting that space,” said Hana resident Giselle Davidson. “And unfortunately, in this case, it was pretty clear that she was trying to get attention and she was breaking the law.”

DLNR said the park contains significant cultural resources, including a heiau, historic sites and cemeteries.

Davidson said residents welcome visitors, but expect them to respect the places they visit.

“We love for people to visit Hana in a respectful way. We want to share this beauty with people. We want people to love it as much as we do. But respect is key to that. And that goes for anywhere you travel,” Davidson said.

Under Hawaii administrative rules, entering a closed state park can result in a fine of $500 to $2,000 and up to 30 days in jail.

DLNR said the closure was also about protecting the people who may have to respond if someone gets hurt.

“When we look at the video here, clearly she’s trespassing,” said DLNR spokesperson Andrew Laurence. “The park was closed. That means the gate at the road was locked and then she went past the two signs that said that the area was closed.”

Laurence said the surf shown in the video demonstrated how dangerous conditions remained.

“She could have died before anybody could get to her,” he said.

Two days after the video gained attention online, Abdullah posted an apology. She said she regrets breaking the rules and did not intend to disrespect Hawaiian land or the people of Hana.

“When I seen the sign and acknowledged it, I wasn’t meaning any disrespect by crossing the lines. I didn’t know I was disrespecting the land or its people. I just simply wanted to go,” Abdullah said.

She said she had saved about $10,000 for her first trip to Hawaii and saw the visit as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I knew that the beach was closed fully. And I do take responsibility for going behind that sign even though the beach was closed,” Abdullah said.

In a later video, Abdullah encouraged other tourists to research the places they visit and follow posted warnings.

“You never know what lands are sacred,” Abdullah said. “So I would say to all the tourists, do not go on the beach if there’s a closed sign. Respect the signs.”

Davidson said she appreciates Abdullah taking responsibility, but believes the incident also highlights the potential consequences for a small, isolated community.

She said a rescue at the closed park could put local first responders in dangerous conditions and take limited emergency resources away from other residents.

DLNR said it understands that storm closures can disrupt carefully planned vacations, but officials work to reopen state parks as soon as conditions are safe.

Abdullah said she hopes other visitors learn from what happened.

“It was a mistake that I did not intend for it to blow up this big,” she said.

It is unclear whether DLNR will pursue additional action in this case.