**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 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 The 2024-2025 Purple decals are no longer valid.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.
Thousands of Dollars of Damage Done to Sign at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline: Latest Vandalism Could Lead to Park Entrance Restrictions
Posted on Oct 6, 2020A $20,000 moveable, digital sign located at the Makapu‘u Lighthouse trailhead in the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline park was seriously damaged sometime Sunday night.
Personnel from the DLNR Division of State Parks were notified Monday morning of the vandalism which totals thousands of dollars. Creighton “Ua” Mattoon of the O‘ahu State Parks crew said, “This sign clearly displayed the parking lot closing times for anyone walking up the trail. Apparently, someone had their car locked in and decided to take their anger out on State property.” Both taillights were smashed, both tires were slashed, and the solar panels that powered the sign were severely damaged by a rock or other sharp, heavy object. In addition, the sign’s control panel box was bent as the vandal tried unsuccessfully to open it.
Recently, two different times, $115 locks on the gate leading into the parking lot were destroyed; again, by individuals who did not pay attention to the park’s closing time and had their vehicles locked behind the gate. Notices are placed on windshields informing owners to just come back in the morning to retrieve their vehicles.
State Parks Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter, who locked the gates at Kaiwi on weekends for months early in the pandemic to cut management costs, added “While I was out there, it took me an hour on average to clear the park at night, and all visitors seemed appreciative and thankful to just be able to be experiencing the outdoors. I had to lock people in, but there were no incidents. It seems as COVID drags on, people are becoming more fatigued and angrier. This is totally counterproductive behavior and may ruin this experience for all.”
State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell, Carpenter, and Mattoon believe that residents are the likely culprits, as there are few visitors in Hawai‘i at this time. Cottrell concluded, “People need to realize that they’re only hurting themselves, their friends and their neighbors by these displays of destructive behavior. We simply cannot justify continuing to throw good money at bad behaviors. Where is the aloha and sense of pride? It’s a classic case of a very few people making life even more difficult for everyone else.”
Anyone who witnesses vandalism or destruction in Hawai‘i State Parks is urged to immediately call 9-1-1 or the DLNR Hotline at 643-DLNR or report using the free DLNRTip app.
