Kalaupapa: the lookout and the paused tours

Kalaupapa is the remote peninsula below Molokaʻi's sea cliffs where thousands of people with Hansen's disease (leprosy) were forcibly isolated from 1866 to 1969. You can see it from the Kalaupapa Lookout in Pālāʻau State Park (free, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Public tours to the settlement were paused after a single National Park Service tour on July 9, 2026, with no restart date.

• Kalaupapa Lookout, Pālāʻau State Park: free; open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the settlement is about 1,600 feet below.
• Public tours: the National Park Service ran one guided hiking tour on July 9, 2026, then paused tours after community protests; no timeline to resume.
• The Pali Trail down the cliff crosses private land and isn't open to general visitors.
• History: from 1866 to 1969, people with Hansen's disease were sent here; Saint Damien and Saint Marianne Cope served the community.
• Kalaupapa National Historical Park remains home to a small number of former patients; please respect their privacy.

Sources: Hawaii News Now: Kalaupapa tour pause (July 2026) · Wanderlustyle: Molokaʻi travel guide (Aug. 2026)

Last checked Oct. 29, 2026. Hours, fees and rules can change, so confirm with the official source before you go.