**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
Monitor weather reports before your park visit!
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[OʻAHU] – 10/22/25: Royal Mausoleum State Monument will be closed on October 28 to allow Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) to do repair work.
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[OʻAHU] – UPDATE 10/3/25: Sand Island State Recreation Area – Comfort stations are CLOSED until further notice due to a transformer issue impacting the pump. Portable toilets are available at each comfort station. Camping has continued to be CLOSED for construction from August 30th, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
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[OʻAHU] – UPDATE 9/11/25: Kaʻena Point State Parks - Mokuleʻia Section – Kaʻena Point Vehicle Access Permits Closed for 2025. Purple 2024 permits valid through 2025. Please create an account on Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi at https://explore.ehawaii.gov/Web/. You will need an Explore Outdoor Hawaiʻi account to apply for a 2026 Kaʻena Vehicle Access Permit, please create an account. Continue to check the Kaʻena Point State Park website for 2026 permit application updates.
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[O’AHU] - UPDATE 9/10/25: Mālaekahana State Recreation Area-Kahuku Section - State Parks is issuing a Request for Qualifications/Request for Proposals for parties interested in developing campgrounds. More info: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/announcements/malaekahana-state-recreation-area-rfq-rfp-2026/
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[MOLOKA’I] - UPDATE 8/29/25: Pala’au State Park Pavilion: Due to continued renovation work, the pavilion and camping is CLOSED until further notice.
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[KAUA’I] - 7/11/25: VISITORS TO WAIMEA CANYON AND KŌKEʻE STATE PARKS CAUTIONED TO EXPECT DELAYS AND LIMITED PARKING.
Beginning July 14, 2025, Waimea Canyon Lookout with be closed for construction of safety improvements through early December, 2025. This closure, in addition to several overlapping roadwork projects by both DOT-Highways and DLNR-State Parks, will cause delays, impact traffic patterns, and restrict overall parking capacity in these two popular parks through the end of the year. DOT work is continuing on Waimea Canyon Drive, while work on portions of Kōkeʻe Road from the Kalalau Lookout to Puʻu o Kila lookout will be starting the same week. Visitors can drive as far as the Kalalau Lookout, where improvements will also be initiated on July 17, with limited parking available. We urge patience and driving with care as these various improvements are ongoing. Local visitors are encouraged to enjoy these parks and lookouts on weekends, when most work will be suspended. Waimea Canyon Lookout will be closed for the duration of the project including weekends.
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[KAUAʻI] - UPDATE 3/21/25: Pā‘ula‘ula State Historic Site - Due to construction improvements, the park closure will begin starting March 24 until further notice.
Hawaiʻi’s Royal Palaces
Hawaiʻi’s State Park Division is privileged to administer three of Hawaiʻi’s former Royal Palaces. Painstakingly curated and cared for by dedicated non-profit groups, each restored Palace represents a unique tribute to Hawaiʻi’s monarchy in the 19th Century.
Queen Emma Summer Palace
Hānaiakamalama (The Southern Cross), or Queen Emma Summer Palace, served as a summer retreat for Queen Emma of Hawaiʻi from 1857 to 1885, as well as for her husband King Kamehameha IV, and their son, Prince Albert Edward. It is a now a historic landmark, museum, and tourist site preserved by the Daughters of Hawai‘i. Queen Emma Summer Palace was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Palace is open seven days a week, guided tours are offered for a fee, and the palace hosts events, offers facility rentals, and has a gift shop.
Because the Palace was built in the nineteenth century, access may not be available for visitors who have difficulties climbing stairs. We are happy to make alternative arrangements for visitors who have difficulty climbing stairs. Please call and talk to a Palace staff member.
The Palace is Administered by the Division of State Parks, but is managed by the Daughters of Hawai‘i under a long term lease.
For more information, please refer to the Daughters of Hawaii webpage
Hulihe‘e Palace
The Hulihe‘e Palace is located in historic Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, on Ali‘i Drive. Once a summer vacation home for Hawaiian royalty, today Hulihe‘e Palace is a museum showcasing Victorian artifacts from the era of King Kalākaua and Queen Kapi‘olani.
The palace was originally built by High Chief, John Adams Kuakini, Governor of the island of Hawai‘i during the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, out of lava rock. The Palace features beautiful koa wood furniture, ornaments, portraits, tapa, feather work, Hawaiian quilts and artifacts from Hawaii’s royal past. Hulihe‘e Palace consists of six large graciously appointed rooms, two large inviting oceanfront lanai and lovely grounds. Hulihe‘e Palace was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
One Sunday out of the month, the Hulihe‘e Palace features An Afternoon at Hulihe‘e Palace, a cultural day with hālau hula. Bring your whole family and celebrate Hawaiian culture on the lawn of the Palace.
The Palace is open seven days a week, guided tours are offered for a fee, and the palace hosts events, offers facility rentals, and has a gift shop.
Because the Palace was built in the nineteenth century, access may not be available for visitors who have difficulties climbing stairs. We are happy to make alternative arrangements for visitors who have difficulty climbing stairs. Please call 808-329-1877 and talk to a Palace staff member.
The Palace is Administered by the Division of State Parks, but is managed by the Daughters of Hawai‘i under a long term lease.
For more information, please refer to the Daughters of Hawaii webpage
‘Iolani Palace
‘Iolani Palace, the official residence of Hawaiʻi’s monarchy, is a marvel of opulence, innovation and political intrigue that tells of a time when their Majesties, King Kalakaua and his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, walked its celebrated halls.
Today, you can enjoy one of the most spectacular living restorations in all of Polynesia and immerse yourself in Hawaiʻi’s royal heritage. Officially dedicated in 1882, ‘Iolani Palace served as the setting for the monarchs and their courts on formal occasions.
Guided tours of the palace interior by advance reservations are offered for a fee, and the palace hosts events, offers facility rentals, and has a gift shop. Landscaped grounds popular for informal lawn picnics and Friday noon band concerts. ‘Iolani Palace is a National Historic Landmark.
The Palace is Administered by the Division of State Parks, but is managed by the Friends of ‘Iolani Palace under a long term lease.
For more information, please refer to the Friends of ‘Iolani Palace webpage
