Record

About Kalaupapa

Kalaupapa (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kəlɐwˈpɐpə]) is a small unincorporated community and Hawaiian home land on the island of Molokaʻi, within Kalawao County in the U.S. state of Hawaii. In 1866, during the reign of Kamehameha V, the Hawaii legislature passed a law that resulted in the designation of Molokaʻi as the site for a leper colony, where patients who were seriously affected by leprosy (also known as Hansen's disease) could be quarantined, to prevent them from infecting others.
From Wikipedia, "Kalaupapa, Hawaii", CC BY-SA 4.0.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Kalaupapa, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Kalaupapa is

USGS topographic map around Kalaupapa — USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

7 historic USGS maps cover Kalaupapa

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

1952 Kaunakakai sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
1954 Maui sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1966 Maui sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1967 Kaunakakai sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
1974 Maui sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1983 Molokai East sheet, 1:25,000 · GeoTIFF download
1993 Kaunakakai sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Kalaupapa

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Hawaii index.

Kalawao2.3 mi E · Kalawao

Sources

ghosttowns.com, "Kalaupapa": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
Wikipedia, "Kalaupapa, Hawaii": coordinates and summary.
Wikidata Q2544383.
USGS GNIS 360096.
USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).