**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
Monitor weather reports before your park visit!
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[OʻAHU] – UPDATE 9/11/25: Kaʻena Point State Parks - Mokuleʻia Section – Kaʻena Point Vehicle Access Permits Closed for 2025. Purple 2024 permits valid through 2025. Please create an account on Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi at https://explore.ehawaii.gov/Web/. You will need an Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi account to apply for a 2026 Kaʻena Vehicle Access Permit, please create an account if you haven't already. Continue to check the Kaʻena Point State Park website for 2026 permit application updates.
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[O’AHU] - UPDATE 9/10/25: Mālaekahana State Recreation Area-Kahuku Section - State Parks is issuing a Request for Qualifications/Request for Proposals for parties interested in developing campgrounds. More info: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/malaekahana-2026/
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[MOLOKA’I] - UPDATE 8/29/25: Pala’au State Park Pavilion: Due to continued renovation work, the pavilion and camping is CLOSED until further notice.
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[OʻAHU] - 7/25/25: Sand Island State Recreation Area – Camping will be CLOSED for construction from August 30th, 2025 – December 31, 2025.
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[KAUA’I] - 7/11/25: VISITORS TO WAIMEA CANYON AND KŌKEʻE STATE PARKS CAUTIONED TO EXPECT DELAYS AND LIMITED PARKING.
Beginning July 14, 2025, Waimea Canyon Lookout with be closed for construction of safety improvements through early December, 2025. This closure, in addition to several overlapping roadwork projects by both DOT-Highways and DLNR-State Parks, will cause delays, impact traffic patterns, and restrict overall parking capacity in these two popular parks through the end of the year. DOT work is continuing on Waimea Canyon Drive, while work on portions of Kōkeʻe Road from the Kalalau Lookout to Puʻu o Kila lookout will be starting the same week. Visitors can drive as far as the Kalalau Lookout, where improvements will also be initiated on July 17, with limited parking available. We urge patience and driving with care as these various improvements are ongoing. Local visitors are encouraged to enjoy these parks and lookouts on weekends, when most work will be suspended. Waimea Canyon Lookout will be closed for the duration of the project including weekends.
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[KAUAʻI] - UPDATE 3/21/25: Pā‘ula‘ula State Historic Site - Due to construction improvements, the park closure will begin starting March 24 until further notice.
Reopening of Hā’ena and Nāpali Coast State Parks Set for June – New Reservation System for Park Entry
Posted on Apr 17, 2019(Līhuʻe) – Barring bad weather or unforeseen delays in repairs or new management implementation, Hā’ena State Park and the Kalalau Trail in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park will reopen to visitors in early-to-mid June. The official reopening date will be announced in May.
The parks have been closed since last April’s devastating flooding which wiped out park infrastructure and caused multiple landslides along the Kalalau Trail. Repairs and new improvements are continuing and are anticipated to be completed in early June.
In accordance with a park master plan and an Environmental Impact Statement adopted in 2018, improvements installed to replace damaged ones will support a new management paradigm which includes reduced parking and visitor limits. This is an effort to decrease the impacts to park resources, mitigate the crushing effects of over-tourism on the adjacent rural community, and enhance visitor experiences.
The new advance reservation system will be available prior to the park reopening and will coincide with a new county-supported shuttle system. It will allow visitors, with reservations, to access the park without contributing to the traffic and parking woes that have plagued the region for years. Limited parking reservations will also be available, with a new fee system in place. Hawai‘i residents are not subject to the new fees.
Alan Carpenter, Assistant Administrator for the DLNR Division of State Parks explained, “For permitted overnight campers along the Kalalau Trail, the reservation system will function as it always has, and those with permits to camp will NOT be subject to the visitor limits. However, under the new management scheme, overnight visitors to the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park will not be able to leave their vehicles at Hā’ena State Park. They will need to take the shuttle or arrange for other transportation to the trailhead. The Kalalau camping reservation system will be re-activated once the opening date is finalized.”
State Parks maintenance crews have been working over the past few months to stabilize and clear any locations on the Kalalau Trail damaged or impacted by landslides. Since February a volunteer group, the Friends of the Kalalau Trail have conducted twice monthly work days to clear and repair the trail from its beginning at Kē’ē Beach to Hanakāpīʻai Stream, which is the first two miles of the trail and the only section that is open without having to get an overnight permit.
Once the parks reopen visitors can expect construction delays on Kūhiō Highway as bridges will still be under repair. The highway is the only way into the area. There will also be new no- parking zones established and enforced outside of the park. Visitors should purchase both their park reservations and a seat on the new shuttle to assure the most efficient and stress-free visit.
State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell said, “We appreciate and encourage patience as we establish this new system of park access, transportation, and management to mitigate the impacts of traffic on Kauai’s north shore and to make the park experience more enjoyable for residents and visitors alike.”
HD video – Hā’ena State Park & Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park, repairs and aerials
