**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
⚠️ Always monitor weather reports and ocean conditions before your park visit.
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[STATEWIDE] UPDATE 3/12/26 – All State Parks and Recreation Areas on all Islands, as well as State Park Offices, will be closed as of Friday, 3/13 through at least Sunday 3/15, for public safety. A severe storm is expected to bring flooding rain, high winds, and thunderstorms to most of the State from through the weekend. Please check weather reports and check back frequently for storm closure updates.
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[HAWAIʻI] UPDATE 3/5/26 – ʻAKAKA FALLS STATE PARK: Dept. of Water Supply shut off water in the area until further notice affecting the park.
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[O‘AHU] UPDATE 3/4/26 - KA‘ENA POINT STATE PARK, MOKULE‘IA SECTION, VEHICLE ACCESS GATE: Will REOPEN today [UPDATE 3/12 - temporarily closed due to storm]. You need the 2026 Gold decal adhered to the rear of your vehicle to enter the park, the accompanying permit account provides access to the gate combination online. The 2024-2025 Purple decals are no longer valid. Apply for a 2026 Kaʻena Point Vehicle Access Permit here. All applicants must create a NEW account and apply as a new applicant. We are experiencing significant delays in processing, we appreciate your continued patience. Vehicle access dirt road repairs are occurring to stabilize severe erosion, and armor problem areas with aggregate to reduce erosion and puddling, and improve road stability.
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[KAUAʻI, OʻAHU, HAWAIʻI] 2/10/26 – Wailua River State Park (Kauaʻi), Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State Park (Oʻahu), Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park (Hawaiʻi): All commercial kayak operators must apply for a Rental Vessel Special Use Permit – Commercial Application, each kayak vessel requires a registered decal. Visit State Parks Permits page here and download and mail in the Rental Vessel Special Use Permit – Commercial Application.
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[ALL ISLANDS] UPDATE – 12/12/25: Camping - Reservations for February 1, 2026 and beyond available at https://explore.ehawaii.gov, please create an account on Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi to make a camping reservation.
Free, Reef Friendly Sunscreen Now Available at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area
Posted on Nov 22, 2021The first non-chemical sunscreen dispenser in a Hawai‘i State Park was unveiled this morning. It’s a nod to the growing movement and legislation to get ocean users and beach goers to only apply mineral-based sun protection – to protect sensitive coral reef systems around the state.
Dena Sedar, an interpretive specialist with the DLNR Division of State Parks (DSP), coordinated the partnership that funded the sunscreen station at the Waialae section of Hāpuna State Recreation Area on the west coast of Hawai‘i Island.
She and other ocean advocates were on hand this morning to greet beach visitors with information on coral reef protection and the detrimental impacts chemical-based sunscreens have on corals, which are considered the foundation for healthy oceans.
Sedar invited a man to be the first person to use some mineral sunscreen, which contain either zinc or titanium. Another man then slathered his head with the free sunscreen product. When asked. other visitors told Sedar that they either had already applied sunscreen or had some with them.
In recent years Hawai‘i has made strides in attempting to reduce the volume of sunscreen chemicals flowing into the ocean. A statewide ban on the sale of sunscreens containing two specific chemicals went into effect earlier this year. Just today the Maui County Council was considering a ban on the sale of all chemical-based sunscreens.
“Certainly, there has been great progress and increased awareness from both visitors and residents about the damage chemical sunscreens cause,” Sedar noted. “However, I still cringe when I see people applying chemical sunscreens or using aerosols. I want to approach them and explain that this is damaging the very reefs they’re about to snorkel on.”
She hopes the very visible dispenser at Waialea Bay will see heavy use. It was identified as a good place to start due to its extensive coral cover and the fact it was impacted greatly by coral bleaching events in recent years. Chemical sunscreens have been shown to slow or prevent recovery from bleaching events, disease, and other disturbances to coral reefs.
Sedar hopes other beach locations will see dispensers in the future. In addition to DSP other partners in the Waialea project were mineral sunscreen maker Raw Elements and the Coral Reef Alliance.
