**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
⚠️ Always monitor weather reports and ocean conditions before your park visit.
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[O’AHU] UPDATE 3/20/26
Due to severe weather conditions, all State Parks on the islands of Oʻahu will be closed effective immediately Friday, March 20, 2026, through at least Sunday March 22, 2026. This closure includes all camping, hiking trails, halls, pavilions, and planned events to ensure the safety of the public. Closures will remain in effect until damage assessments are completed.
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[MAU’I] UPDATE 3/19/26
Waiʻānapanapa State Park : Waiʻānapanapa State Park remains closed to parking, park entry, tent camping, campervan camping, and all cabin reservations. All reservations from Monday, March 23 through Sunday, March 30, 2026, have been cancelled, and closures will be extended as needed based on current conditions with no electricity, and water restrictions.
Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area: Polipoli cabins and camping areas are closed until further notice due to storm impacts on access road.
Iao Valley State Monument: Closed till March 30, tentative date to re-open on March 31st.
Makena Beach State Park: Open for business.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATE 3/18/26 - The Kalalau trail will be open tomorrow morning, 3-19-26.
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[HAWAI’I] UPDATE 3/18/26
East Hawaii – All parks open
West Hawaii:
Kealakekua State Historical Park – Open
Manuka Wayside – Open
Kekaha Kai (Manini Owali & mahai’ula Sections) – Park Open / Water Clear
Kiholo State Park Reserve – Camping Closed due to hazardous trees above campground *Waiting for Contractor to respond / Day Use is open to the public.
Hapuna/Waialea SRA – Park Open / Water clear
Lapakahi State Historical Park – Park Open to look out / Trails closed to debris and water bar damage.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATE 3/16/26 - Polihale State Park closed until further notice due to mud and debris removal. Pāʻulaʻula State Historic Site closed for construction. Kōkeʻe State Park, Waimea Canyon State Park, and Wailua River State Park is open. Hāʻena State Park - Day use and overnight campers allowed to enter for the day. Overnight campers not allowed to go past Hanakapiai Valley, only to Hanakapiai Falls. A sign will be posted on the trail after Hanakapiai beach heading to Kalalau.
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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 [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.
Lunar Cycle and Spring Tides Spawn Coral Spawning
Posted on Jun 1, 2021(Kohala Coast, Hawai‘i Island) – Shortly after dawn, today and yesterday, a trio of aquatic biologists with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) carefully watched coral colonies at Waialea Bay at Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area (SRA).
Once a year, with spring tides and the full moon, corals spawn and send millions of tiny gametes into the water column. However, the annual cycle can be broken.
“A lot of factors come into play,” said DAR Fish and Habitat Monitoring Planner Lindsey Kramer. “Water temperature and salinity are important. Rain events can cause the colonies to wait until the next lunar cycle. The moon cycles are the primary drivers of these spawning events of cauliflower corals.”
She and her colleagues hope the gametes will fertilize with nearby colonies, float to the surface, and within 24-48 hours produce larvae to reseed reef structures with new corals.
Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina) reefs in west Hawai‘i waters were heavily impacted by a 2015 mass coral bleaching event. Kramer explained, “We’re down to about 5% of the population of this species in West Hawai‘i. Cauliflower coral are especially susceptible to bleaching, so with that 95% loss of cover these spawning events are vitally important. We need to do everything possible to help these reefs recover through this natural reproductive cycle.”
Researchers have now recorded active spawning over the past five years. To give the coral recovery even more of an advantage, this year, in cooperation with the DLNR Division of State Parks, the parking lot at the bay was closed and people were asked to avoid going into the water before noon each day.
At the entrance State Parks Outreach Specialist Dena Sedar explained the reason for the closure to would-be snorkelers. “Everyone really understood the reasons not to interrupt the coral spawning. One of the biggest is to keep personal care products out of the water,” she said.
Scientists say sunscreens form a surface on the water that interact with the coral larvae. Reef-safe sunscreen dispensers are scheduled to be installed at the Waialea Bay Section of the SRA later this year.
DAR Aquatic Biologist Chris Teague commented, “It’s good to let them do their thing without people around as hopefully that allows more settling later on.”
Seeing the results of the spawning is tricky. “Some are carried off-shore and it could be a couple of months before they’re back down on the reef. They might settle back at Waialea, but the spawn could go elsewhere within the region or even across the state,” Teague added.
The spawning was light both days during the closure window. Yet, Kramer said, “I think minimizing the disturbance during these really sensitive times for the corals is definitely a good way to help protect the larvae and ensure they’re healthy.”
Teague concluded, “It’s great when we get to work with other DLNR divisions like State Parks, on a common cause.” DAR has also worked closely with the County of Hawai‘i and the Kahulu‘u Bay Education Center (KBEC) on the closure of the parking lot at that popular snorkeling site, which began yesterday and continues until June 5. KBEC Director Cindi Punihaole reported, “We observed coral spawning at 7:04 a.m. yesterday.”
With the resurgence in tourism, coral experts are renewing pleas to ocean-goers to be aware of their personal impacts on marine environments. Do not touch, sit, or walk on corals. Use sun-protective clothing and head wear and use only reef-safe sunscreens.
KBEC is a program of the Kohala Center and Lindsey Kramer is on contract to the State from the Hawai‘i Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI).
