Tourist took sacred rocks from Hawaii national park — then sent them back with apology

Maddie Capron
·2 min read

Someone was having second thoughts about taking rocks from a Hawaii national park.

A handwritten note arrived at Haleakalā National Park with three very different rocks inside, the park posted on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

“I dearly apologize for taking these off of native land,” the writer said in the letter. “I wanted to return them to where they belong.”

The anonymous note was signed only with a smiley face.

Taking rocks, sand or coral from Hawaii may be one of the worst things you could do, park rangers said. Pōhaku, or rocks, are sacred in Hawaiian culture.

It’s also illegal and inappropriate to take them from the national park.

“Always follow Leave No Trace principles when exploring national parks - make sure to take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints,” park rangers said.

It’s not the first time people have become regretful of taking items from national parks. In some cases, tourists have even become superstitious.

A visitor mailed rocks back to Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah after worrying about bad luck.

“While no known legends exist for the unfortunate consequences of removing resources from Bryce Canyon, it is punishable by law,” Bryce Canyon rangers said in a 2020 Facebook post. “It is also damaging to this fragile geologic formation.”

Another superstitious person sent Colorado park rangers a rock with a letter explaining that the rock brought her bad luck.

“Someone brought this home to me three years ago. Bad things have been happening ever since,” the person wrote in a 2020 letter.

Rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have also received letters and rocks from regretful tourists.

Other national parks are used to receiving stolen park artifacts in the mail because tales of curses and bad luck have been passed down and become folklore.

Hundreds of people have returned lava rocks to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park because they fear the “curse of Pele.” The legend is that the goddess of fire and volcanoes will bring rock thieves bad luck and misfortune.

A similar myth exists at Petrified Forest National Park that states stealing petrified wood and rocks brings bad luck, McClatchy News reported. Rangers at the Arizona park receive letters and packages from people who hope returning the piece of nature will cure them of misfortune.

Superstitious tourist afraid of curse mails stolen rocks back to Utah national park

Stolen rock is mailed back to Colorado park after recipient has bout of bad luck

Great Smoky Mountains park gets an unusual apology in the mail — with a rock

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