KOKE‘E — The serene quiet, the nip of cold in the morning air, the smell of pines, the stunning beauty and wild diversity are some of the things that make Koke‘e a place like no other. For decades groups of
KOKE‘E — The serene quiet, the nip of cold in the morning air, the smell of pines, the stunning beauty and wild diversity are some of the things that make Koke‘e a place like no other.
For decades groups of children, teens and families have taken the winding drive up to this unique part of Kaua‘i and many of these groups found a welcoming place to stay at Camp Hale Koa, one of only handful of camps on the island that could house more than 60 campers under one roof, a news release states.
With buildings dating from the from the start of World War II, time had not been gentle to the camp facilities and by mid-2010 the struggle to maintain and manage the camp became more than the leaseholders could handle and the camp closed, the release states.
This set a wave a panic through the many groups who work with students as they saw the options for a place to hold camps and retreats diminish while the student population needing those options was increasing, the release states.
The empty camp galvanized an eclectic group of Kaua‘i residents to see if they could perhaps form a non-profit group whose main goal would be to preserve Camp Hale Koa for the use of young campers both now and well into the future.
Made up of several youthworkers, a pastor or two, a construction worker and several businessmen, the newly formed Camp Hale Koa Association got the green light from the DLNR to repair and reopen the camp.
According to Rick Bundschuh, the current board director, this turned into a huge community volunteer effort with truckloads of trash streaming off the mountain while everything from hot water heaters to major appliances were refurbished or replaced.
“The support from various folks all around the island was terrific,” he said. “Youth groups showed up to help clean and paint cabins. Construction workers volunteered their time to shore up sagging cabins or fix leaking plumbing. Money was donated to replace old stained mattresses with fresh ones made especially for camps and to outfit the meeting room with chairs and tables.”
After three months of effort, Camp Hale Koa was ready to welcome the first group back to the grounds.
“Our goal is to make this camping facility clean, safe and affordable for people who want to bring their groups here to camp. Church, school and sports groups are often looking for a place they can use for a getaway and it’s our intention to make sure that they can do so here in the beauty of Koke‘e without busting their budget,” Bundschuh said.
“We still have a lot to do before we will be satisfied that we have met our goal. The main building badly needs a paint job, the caretaker house is a mess inside and out plus we have several cabins that still need some serious refurbishment before we can open them for use, but we’ve got enough spruced up to get the ball rolling,” he added.
The new management crew was clear in pointing out that Camp Hale Koa is for groups, not individual families.
“We have a 30 camper minimum per night,” said Bundschuh, “but we can house more. And if some group only has 25 or so campers they are still welcome to use the camp but the minimum cost will apply.”
Groups interested in the camp can get more info, a video tour, check availability and rates at www.camphalekoa.com.
