Waiʻānapanapa State Park

Photo Credit: Sean Newsome

**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**

Monitor weather reports before you park

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[MOLOKA\'I] - UPDATE 3/24/25: Pala'au State Wayside Park Pavilion: Due to demolition and renovation work, the pavilion will be closed from March 25 to May 31.

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[OʻAHU] - UPDATE 3/24/25: The Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside is closed indefinitely due to police activity in the area. Please avoid the area until further notice.

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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.

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[OʻAHU] - UPDATE 3/18/25: Mauna ʻAla, Royal Mausoleum State Monument will be undergoing improvements that may temporarily prevent vehicular access. Please check the Royal Mausoleum State Monument website for updates.

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[OʻAHU] UPDATED 3/18/25 – Diamond Head State Monument (DHSM): Full Park Closures will occur Tuesdays through Fridays beginning April 1 to April 11 and also Monday through Thursday April 14 to April 17. Partial Park Closures Hours with operating hours from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM will occur on Monday April 7 during this time, and will resume from April 21 onwards Monday through Friday, (except weekends and holidays). Normal Park Hours from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM will resume during Spring Break March 17 to March 28, Good Friday Holiday on April 18, and Weekends. During Partial Park Closures Hours from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the last reservation time slot for Parking and Entry and Entry Only will be 12:00 p.m. If you reserved at 12:00 p.m., you must enter the Park no later than 12:30 p.m. or you will be denied entry. The project began January 6, 2025, and will run to July 25, 2025, or upon completion of the rock fall mitigation construction project at the Kahala Tunnel. Please check back for updates.

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[MAUI] UPDATE 3/4/25 - Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area: Beginning April 1, 2025 through April 30, 2025 the park, cabin campgrounds and access road to Polipoli Forest Reserve will be closed due to tree mitigation work.

Waiʻānapanapa State Park

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Parking and Entry Reservations	Click Here RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Hours	Daily 7:00am – 6:00pm
Entrance Fee	Hawaii Residents = Free w/ Drivers Lic. or ID Non-Residents = $5.00 Per Person Children 3 and Under = Free
Parking Fees	Non-Commercial Vehicles Residents = Free w/Hawaii ID or Drivers Lic. Non-Residents = $10 per vehicle Commercial PUC Vehicles 1-7 passenger vehicles: $25 8-25 passenger vehicles: $50 26+ passenger vehicles:$90
State Parks Reservation System	Diamond Head, Waianapanapa, Haʻena State Park Reservations
Trail Name	Ke Ala Loa O Maui/Piilani Trail
Camping	By Permit Only Residents = $20 Per Night, Per Campsite Non-Residents = $30 Per Night, Per Campsite CABINS Resident = $70 Per Night, Per Cabin Non-Residents = $100 Per Night, Per Cabin NOTE: Online CABIN reservations must be made at least 7-days prior to check-in date.
FAQs	Click Here
Reserve Now CAMPING RESERVATION REQUIRED ADVISORY: Pest control services are conducted on the first Tuesday of every month at all cabins and at the public restroom.

Description

Remote, wild, volcanic coastline offering solitude and respite from urban life. Lodging, camping, picnicking, shore fishing and hardy family hiking along an ancient Hawaiian coastal trail which leads to Hana. Excellent opportunity to view a seabird colony and natural stone arch. Other features include native hala forest, heiau (religious temple), sea stacks, blow holes and small black sand beach.

Reservation System

All 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 Pailoa, 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 Hāna, 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.

“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
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
All PUC Parking Tickets must have Entry Tickets purchased for each passenger starting Aug. 1, 2021.

Reservations available at:

https://gostateparks.hawaii.gov/waianapanapa

Camper Vehicles

Camper vehicles also referred to as Campervans are allowed at Waianapanapa State Park with a valid Campervan Permit. Vehicles that have been modified and equipped for camping/sleeping are approved for use in the Camper Vehicle Sections. Vehicles that have not been modified for camping/sleeping are prohibited within the Camper Vehicle areas.

Permits titled “Undesignated Campground” do not allow you to camp in your vehicle, you must purchase a Campervan Permit. Undesignated Campground permits are intended for use by on-the-ground tent campers.

Please see the link below for more information and examples.

Examples of Approved Camper Vehicles