Allow Beach Access to Hilo’s Papaiko Mill Beach

Papaikou Mill Beach is one of the few sandy beaches in this area of East Hawaii, and it has been frequented by Hilo locals as well as by visitors from all over the world until recently. In 1995 a Canadian couple purchased the land adjacent to the beach. By 2004 they had erected a fence and gate and had begun controlling access. In May of 2010, after denying access at their discretion and having beach goers evicted from the beach itself, they had 4 surfers arrested for trespassing. Simultaneously, they made every effort to limit parking along the road leading to the beach trail, adding another obstacle to the free use of this public beach. For the past year, every effort has been made to recover public access in a peaceful and cooperative way. The issue has been discussed at two community meetings, which were well attended by the public, including County Councilman Dominic Yagong. Councilman Yagong met with the property owners at the trail and discussed the issue of public access. When asked directly by Councilman Yagong if they would agree to a public easement over the trail, their response was “Absolutely Not.” Surfrider’s new Hilo Chapter is working with groups like Global Hope, Sierra Club, and individual parties to put together a campaign to increase access to this beautiful beach.

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