Nearly every time Larry Pacheco of the DLNR Division of State Parks arrives at one of the locked gates leading into ‘Iao Valley, he ends up informing people who are walking up the road…ignoring multiple signs that indicate both ‘Iao Valley State Monument and Maui County’s Kepaniwai Park are closed.
State Parks
A project to make portions of the Lava Tree State Monument trail accessible for wheelchair users will begin on Monday, February 6. The park will remain open but portions of the trail will be intermittently closed while work is being performed in sections. The aim is to reduce the slope to be within acceptable limits, create rest stops and install signs to indicate the ADA approved route and pathway.
(Wailuku, Maui) – Interested people are invited to an informational meeting on the initial phases of the Iao Valley State Monument flood repair project by the DLNR Division of State Parks.
The Kalalau trail will be closed to day-hikers on Thursday, January 19, for a rockfall mitigation project (weather permitting). The project site is located between Hāʻena and Hanakāpīʻai stream. Overnight hiker/campers with a valid camping permit will be allowed access on the trail with intermittent pedestrian controls at the work site. They may experience short delays. Day-hikers will not be permitted on the trail during this period. The closure notice is also posted on the State Parks website at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/
(Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline, O‘ahu) – Beginning nearly two hours before the first sunrise of the New Year, hundreds of hikers of all ages, made the one-mile ascent to the Makapu‘u Lookout in the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline, a unit of the DLNR Division of State Parks.
(Wailuku, Maui) - When a slow moving thunderstorm dropped an enormous amount of rain on Maui Sept. 13-14, the Wailuku River and several of its tributaries escaped their banks and not only significantly widened the river bed, but caused hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage in ‘Iao Valley State Monument. The popular and iconic Monument, part of the DLNR Division of State Parks system, has been closed since what is considered a 100-year flood event.
WAILUKU, MAUI -- 'Iao Valley State Monument, Maui, will remain closed indefinitely due to extensive damage from heavy rain and flooding the night of September 13 and early morning on September 14, 2016. Notice of the park closure is posted at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/
HONOLULU -- Due to anticipated storm-generated wave heights of up to 15 feet (Hawaiian) which equals a 30 foot wave face on the east-facing shores of O‘ahu, the Division of State Parks is temporarily closing the unimproved foot path that leads down to the popular Makapu‘u tide pools at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline.
(Honolulu) – Maintaining and caring for (to malama) a remote wilderness park is a daunting, expensive, and labor-intensive task. When the leadership of the Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) elected this year to put renewed emphasis on the spectacular Napali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kaua’i, they knew that many years of unpermitted activity, an often-times unforgiving environment and unprepared or unwary visitors would continue to create a special set of challenges and opportunities.
HONOLULU – The major walkway along the coastline of Wai‘anapanapa State Park will be replaced beginning on September 6. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks will be phasing the project over the next 6 months to avoid a complete closure of the walkway. However, the construction of the new 4-foot wide concrete walkway will disrupt access along portions of the path over several months. The current walkway provides access to the scenic lookouts along the coastline and to Pailoa Bay, the popular black sand beach. Pailoa Beach will be closed for approximately 2 weeks, probably in October, for the construction of a new concrete pathway with steps. The campgrounds, picnic tables, and restrooms will remain accessible but may require alternate routes during construction. Roadways and parking areas may be temporarily impacted by the construction activities.