From the Nu'uanu Pali on O'ahu to the Na Pali Coast on Kaua'i, Hawai'i's state parks are a major attraction for visitors looking to soak up the natural beauty of the Islands.

A new survey commissioned by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority found that every two out of three people of the 10.1 million who go to Hawai'i's state parks in a year are visitors from out of state.

Robbie Kane, tourism product development manager for the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, said the information helps explain why people go to the state parks, what they like or don't like when they get there and what they would like to see done differently.

For the most part, those surveyed last year were pretty satisfied with the parks, with park satisfaction up 4 percent statewide from the previous survey in 2003. On a scale of 1 to 10, the average ranking statewide for parks was 8.8.

Maui was the only county where satisfaction went down, dipping by 2 percent.

The main reasons visitors go to parks are nature and scenery — 71 percent — and relaxation — 67 percent. More Kaua'i visitors went for nature, activities and socializing while Maui visitors mentioned the sand and surf.

PALI LOOKOUT NO. 1

The most-visited state park was the Nu'uanu Pali lookout, where most people go by the car- and busload. Kane'ohe resident Scott Cadmus picked up his parents from the airport, dropped off their bags at a hotel and headed straight for the Pali. His folks, Charlie Cadmus and Fritzie Kensler, of Westport, Wash., were pleased to be there even on a chilly, overcast afternoon. "The view is nice," Cadmus said.

Gordon Schulz and Frances Mettetal of Chicago were retracing some of Schulz's path from decades before. He was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base from 1953 to 1958 and hadn't been to Hawai'i since.

The trip to the lookout was a nostalgic one for him. He shook his head over all the development visible now. "There was nothing here but cattle," he said.

While he wasn't too keen on that much change, the visit brought back happy memories, he said. "The Pali was special because we used to go surfing over there," he said, pointing at Pyramid Rock on the Marine base.

Almost three-fifths of visitors to state parks are repeat visitors. They're getting out into the community more and have been to Hawai'i — on average — at least four times before, according to the survey. And 1 of 10 had been to Hawai'i 10 or more times.

WHAT VISITORS WANT

The survey was conducted from July 7 to Oct. 31 of last year and based largely on detailed responses from 7,700 people who turned in their questionnaires. Surveyors hand-counted park users and distributed and collected an 18-question survey.

Kane said the survey helps identify the bigger concerns such as where is the greatest need and who are the users.

They found that people want more parking, directional signs, restrooms and interpretive signs.

The survey indicated that the number of people visiting parks statewide increased by about 10 percent, although resident usage was up 17 percent while visitor usage increased only 7 percent.

Kane said this updates a 2003 survey that provided some similar information. Natural resources are among the nine critical areas targeted in the state's tourism strategic plan, she said.

Although it's clear that state parks are vital to residents. "It's still so important to tourists and the future of the visitor industry as a whole," she said.

Kane noted that four of the top 10 visited parks are on Kaua'i. "It just points to how important the natural resources are. "

And that's especially interesting when you see that 3.2 million people visited the Garden Island parks compared with 3.5 million on much more densely populated O'ahu.

The survey also found: