**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
Monitor weather reports before your park visit.
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[STATE PARKS] — UPDATE 11/19/25: Upcoming Parking Fees at Select State Parks -Starting soon, Hawai'i State Parks will begin implementing parking fees for visitors at four high-use parks: [KAUA'I] Wailua River State Park, [O'AHU] Pu'u 'U'ala Ka'a State Wayside, [HAWAI'I] Kekaha Kai State Park, and Wailuku River State Park. These changes will support ongoing maintenance, cultural and natural resource protection, and improved visitor services. Additional details, including official start dates and rates, will be shared in the coming weeks.
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[KAUA'I] - 11/14/25: THE KALALAU TRAIL has REOPENED.
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[OʻAHU] – UPDATE 11/12/25: Kaʻena Point State Parks - Mokuleʻia Section – Kaʻena Point Vehicle Access Permits: We anticipate Ka’ena applications to open at the end of December 2025.
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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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[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.
2021 SCORP Update
2021 SCORP Update: Summary and Final (released 2022)
The 2021 update of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) offers a timely opportunity to re-evaluate Hawaiʻi’s recreational needs and trends of statewide importance. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased participation in outdoor recreation, and local climate impacts, many of our outdoor recreation places and resources are undergoing significant changes. The SCORP seeks to align Hawaiʻi’s recreational priorities with actions to preserve and provide high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities in Hawaiʻi.
Below are the PDF’s to the final results of the draft 2021 SCORP:
What is the SCORP?
Preparation of the SCORP every five years maintains Hawaiʻi’s eligibility to receive funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF is a federal grant program administered by the National Park Service that assists states and local governments with the acquisition of recreational lands and the development and renovation of recreation facilities. The program is intended to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of high-quality recreation areas and facilities and to stimulate non-federal investments in the protection and maintenance of recreation resources across the country.
2021 Draft SCORP Report Review
The Division of State Parks invited the public to review the draft of the 2021 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP).
The comprehensive recreation plan is updated every 5 years to assess Hawaiʻi’s outdoor recreation trends, needs, and priorities. The plan also provides direction for the State’s recreational future and allows Hawaiʻi to remain eligible to receive funds for outdoor recreation projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal grants program administered by the National Park Service.
The 5-year strategic plan for outdoor recreation as presented in the draft 2021 SCORP is based on comments received from recreation agencies and the public through online surveys and public meetings held between April and June 2021. More than 2,600 people participated in the process.
Both the public and recreation providers identified the protection of natural and wildlife resources and wilderness areas as a top priority for investment in outdoor recreation for the next five years. The operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure and facilities and protection of cultural and/or historic resources were found to be other top priorities for investment by recreation agencies and public participants. Concerns regarding inadequate and poor conditions of facilities were also shared.
Continuing a theme from the 2015 SCORP, that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public and recreation providers both recognize an increasing demand for outdoor recreation spaces and associated facilities. Enforcement was rated as the most serious challenge in managing and providing outdoor recreation facilities by recreation providers. Recreation providers also expressed a need for sufficient funding to adequately manage these spaces.
Recognizing the demands, priorities, and challenges shared by the public, agencies, and recreation providers, a strategic plan has been developed which outlines goals and objectives for public outdoor recreation in Hawai‘i over the next 5 years. This plan will assist in selecting projects for LWCF funding assistance in the future to address these demands and priorities.
Recent LWCF grants were awarded to renovate tennis and basketball courts at Kalawai Park on Kauaʻi and install new playgrounds at Kaimukī Community Park, Ala Pu‘umalu Community Park, and Kahalu‘u Community Park on O‘ahu. Other recent LWCF grant awards funded construction of the Hilo Bayfront Trail on Hawaii Island, coastal trail improvements at Waiʻānapanapa State Park, Hāna, Maui, and repaving of the Makapuʻu Trail with new lookouts and viewing scopes at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline on Oʻahu.
