**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 The 2024-2025 Purple decals are no longer valid.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.
LAVA TREE STATE MONUMENT REOPENS AFTER SEVEN-MONTH-LONG CLOSURE
Posted on Dec 6, 2018On Thursday, December 6, Lava Tree State Monument in the Puna District on Hawai‘i Island will open for the first time in more than seven months. The state park, within eyesight of the East Rift Zone’s Fissure 8, was closed shortly after Kīlauea began erupting in May.
The park, 2.7 miles southeast of Pahoa off Highway 132, features an excellent example of a forest of lava trees along a 0.7-mile loop trail. This unusual volcanic feature is the result of a previous lava flow that swept through the forest and left behind lava molds of the tree trunks. This year’s lava flows did get close to the park but never actually reached it. However, earthquakes associated with the eruption damaged park facilities. That damage and Lava Tree’s proximity to active flows prompted the closure.
The following repairs were made prior to today’s reopening:
- Repair to a damaged area of the walkway trail
- Repair of comfort station caused by eruption
- Repainting of the comfort station
- Repair of the storage building doors
MacKenzie State Recreation Area on the coast had also been closed during and after the eruption, but reopened on Sept. 8th. The state’s Pohoiki Boat Ramp adjacent to Issac Hale County Park remains closed as a new black sand beach has blocked entrance to the ramp. The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is still in the process of determining whether the sand can be dredged or whether to relocate the ramp to a new location in lower Puna.
Anyone visiting state parks in the area is encouraged to use common-sense, to stay on trails and not walk onto new lava flows as they can be unstable and break away.
