**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
Monitor local surf and weather reports prior to your park visit.
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[OʻAHU] UPDATED 11/4/24 – Kaʻena Point State Park, Mokuleʻia Section: The 2024 Kaʻena Point permit and decal is being extended through 2025. You do not need to apply for a new permit now, you will be notified when applications open next year. Take good care of your decal, we cannot replace decals. Please remember to take rubbish bags home, do not leave it a the trash bins.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATED 11/4/24 – Waimea Canyon State Park/Kōkeʻe State Park: Paving will take place on Waimea Canyon Road leading into Puʻu Hinahina Lookout on Wednesday, November 6 limiting vehicle access into and out of the lookout parking lot from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Pedestrian access will remain open, and vehicles can access the lookout before and after the closure.
Waianapanapa State Park Online Reservations System Beginning – Reservations Required Beginning March 1, 2021
Posted on Feb 14, 2021All visitors and commercial operators will need to make reservations to enter the popular Waiʻānapana State Park on Maui, beginning on March 1. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the popular park, located near the end of the famous Hana Highway in East Maui, had seen increased crowding and a glut of commercial tours. This impacted the adjacent rural community and overall visitor experiences. New fees for entry and parking will also be in effect when the reservation system is launched. Entry and parking for Hawaiʻi residents will still be free.
Wai’ānapanapa, which means glistening waters, with Pa‘iola, its famous black sand beach and stunning coastal views, will be the second state park in Hawaiʻi to require reservations. It is the first to integrate commercial tours into its reservation system. This follows the successful implementation of the Hāʻena State Park reservation system, which was implemented after the 2018 flood. It is largely credited with bringing serenity back to one of the most impacted regions of the state by implementing a reservation and shuttle system and establishing limits on the number of daily visitors. At Wai’ānapanapa, like at Hāʻena on Kaua‘i, parking spaces will be held back to accommodate Hawai‘i residents.
“This balances State Park’s critical need for revenue with the commercial tours paying a fair rate for their use of the park. It enables us to adjust patronage numbers to reduce crowding and impacts on the sensitive resources of the park,” said DLNR Division of State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell. Also, and just as important, we can reduce the impact on our neighbors. As a former resident of Hana, living right next to Wai’ānapanapa, it feels good to support a process that will help my former neighbors. Quality over quantity is our new target in management,” Cottrell added.
Initially, reservations will be taken 2 weeks in advance due to continuing uncertainties about COVID-19 rules and restrictions. This window will be extended over time. Reservations must be made in advance and no same-day reservations there will be available.
“This new reservation system for Waiʻānapanapa State Park is critical to a larger effort to better manage traffic flow coming into East Maui,” said Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English, whose district encompasses the area around Waiʻānapanapa . “This is a new way to better manage the impacts of tourism on our local communities and I look forward to working with DLNR to implement these types of systems in other areas of my district.”
Waiʻānapanapa State Park fees effective March 1, 2021:
Out-of-State visitors
· Parking: $10.00
· Walk-in, bike-in or drop-off entry: $5.00 per person
· Visitors making parking reservations will be required to select a time slot, to spread out visitation across the day.
Commercial (PUC) vehicle parking slots:
· 1-7 Passenger Vehicle: $25
· 8-25 Passenger vehicle: $50
Beginning Monday, Feb. 15 reservations available at:
More information on DLNR Division of State Parks:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/maui/waianapanapa-state-park/
Maui information portal: www.mauiwayfinding.com
