About Our Parks
Photo Credit: Tim DelaVega
hawaii wave

**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**

Monitor weather reports before your park visit!

[OʻAHU] – UPDATE 10/3/25: Sand Island State Recreation Area – Comfort stations are CLOSED until further notice due to a transformer issue impacting the pump. Portable toilets are available at each comfort station. Camping has continued to be CLOSED for construction from August 30th, 2025 to December 31, 2025. 

[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. Continue to check the Kaʻena Point State Park website for 2026 permit application updates.

[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/announcements/malaekahana-state-recreation-area-rfq-rfp-2026/

[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. 

[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.

[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.

About Our Parks

Aloha and Welcome to Hawai‘i’s State Parks

download park brochure Hawai‘i’s State Park System is composed of 51 state parks encompassing approximately 30,000 acres on the 5 major islands. These parks offer varied outdoor recreation and heritage opportunities. The park environments range from landscaped grounds with developed facilities to wildland areas with trails and primitive facilities.

The outdoor recreation program offers a diversity of coastal and wildland recreational experiences, including picnicking, camping, lodging, ocean swimming, snorkeling, surfing, sunbathing, beach play, fishing, sightseeing, hiking, pleasure walking, and backpacking.

The heritage program protects, preserves, and interprets excellent examples of Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural heritage. The exceptional scenic areas are managed for their aesthetic values while vantage points are developed for their superb views of our Hawaiian landscape.

We invite you to experience Hawai‘i’s special environment, learn more about its unique history, and participate in the outdoor recreational opportunities by visiting our parks. But these uniquely Hawaiian resources are fragile and irreplaceable. So as you visit, please help us protect these resources for future generations.

Caution: Safety can never be guaranteed in our ocean and wildlands. Storms, strong currents, high surf and turbulent waters periodically and sometimes unexpectedly affect our parks, particularly during winter months. Vandalism can also make an area unsafe. As a safety precaution, familiarize yourself and your party with the safety tips on this web page.

Visiting The Parks

Our state parks are open year-round. Fees are charged for various accommodations, camping, guided tours of Iolani Palace, riverboat cruises to Fern Grotto in Wailua River State Park, entry to Diamond Head State Monument and ‘Akaka Falls State Park, parking at Nu’uanu Pali State Wayside, ‘Iao Valley State Monument, Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, and other special uses.

Permits are required for camping/lodging and for special uses such as weddings and large gatherings.

Hawai‘i’s environment is unique, diverse, and fragile. Our resources are some of the most endangered in the world. This means we must all do our part to help sustain Hawai‘i’s valuable resources.

Please be a good visitor

  • Pick up your litter
  • Pack out what you pack in
  • Do not damage the plants, animals, historic sites, and reefs

These resources are important elements of Hawai‘i’s past and our future.

Mahalo.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources receives financial support under the Federal Aid Programs. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the laws of the State of Hawaii, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the State of Hawaii prohibit discrimination on the basis or race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, of if you desire further information regarding Title IV, please write:

Office of Equal Opportunity
U.S. Department of Interior
Washington, D.C. 20240