Aloha friends and supporters of Haleakala Trail. In April 2014, a jury determined that Haleakala Trail is and has always been a public trail, and that the trail is owned by the State of Hawai`i. After the jury trial, PATH has worked on settlement of remaining matters involving Haleakala Ranch Company. PATH is happy to report that settlement with Haleakala Ranch Company has been reached! Pursuant to the terms of the settlement (preliminarily approved by the court pending notice to the class members), Haleakala Ranch Company cannot appeal the ruling that Haleakala Trail is a public trail  owned by the State under the Highways Act, and it also cannot reverse public ownership of Haleakala Trail through a land exchange with the State, which was threatened earlier through a highly contested administrative proceeding.

This preliminary settlement is subject to an opportunity for all of the members of the class action to review the settlement terms. The class members are: “All pedestrians who, as members of the public, have been, or continue to be, denied access to Haleakala Trail.” 

Please carefully read the Notice of Class Action Settlement Regarding Haleakala Trail, which explains your rights. This notice also establishes a June 17, 2015 deadline for written submissions to the court, and sets a final hearing to confirm the preliminary settlement. This hearing is scheduled for June 24, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., in Courtroom 3 in the Hawai`i Second Circuit Court, Wailuku, Maui, Hawai`i.  Here is a link to the map, which is attached to this Notice, showing the location of Haleakala Trail (click it to enlarge):

Please note: the current settlement does not include issues relating to returning public access to Haleakala Trail. That issue will be negotiated between PATH and the State of Hawai`i after settlement with Haleakala Ranch Company is confirmed.

Please share this notice with others.

More Information:

Go here to review motions and other court documents relating to the motion for approval of the settlement on behalf of the class members, as well as to review other relevant court documents.

You can also view Power Point slides (exhibits) that the jury considered during the March-April 2014 trial. Here are some quick examples of the exhibits included in the links below:

Exhibits relating to circa 1800 to 1900 (early history of Haleakala Trail and improvements to Haleakala Trail by Kingdom of Hawaii)
Exhibits relating to circa 1900 to 1905 (Territory of Hawaii improvement of Haleakala Trail)
Exhibits relating to circa 1905 to 1970 (continued public use of Haleakala Trail after Territorial improvements)

If you haven’t seen it, check out our video of Haleakala Trail, published prior to the trial. This video explains some of the the trail’s amazing history:

Here is a high definition video that was shown to the jury during the trial. The video shows the trail at around 6,000′ elevation and highlights the amazing scenery that awaits future hikers. You can also see the guide posts and rock cairns installed by the Territory of Hawaii in 1905.

PATH is a 501(c)(3) Hawai`i nonprofit that continues to need funding to carry out matters relating to Haleakala Trail, as well as to be engaged in other public access issues. Please celebrate our significant victory for the people of Hawaii by making a charitable donation to PATH today.