**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
⚠️ Always monitor weather reports and ocean conditions before your park visit.
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[O’AHU] UPDATED 4/27/26
Pu’u o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site has REOPENED. Ka’ena Point State Park, Mokule’ia vehicle access road remains CLOSED due to unsafe road conditions, park is open to pedestrian and bicycle access. Ka’ena Point State Park, Mākua-Keawa’ula section remains CLOSED due to eroded highway repairs.
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[MAUI] UPDATE 4/20/26
‘Iao Valley State Monument: Will be CLOSED until June 26, 2026 for safety improvements.
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Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area: Polipoli cabins and camping areas are CLOSED until further notice.
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[KAUA’I] UPDATED 4/14/26
Koke’e State Park camping will be CLOSED for campground improvements. Construction to begin May 2026 and extend through Spring 2027.
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Polihale State Park and camping is CLOSED until further notice due to mud and debris removal.
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Pāʻulaʻula State Historic Site: CLOSED for construction.
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[HAWAI’I] UPDATED 4/10/26
Notice to bidders for Mobile Food Truck Concessions opened today for certain Hawai’i Island parks. More information at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/announcements/mobile-food-truck-concessions-hawaii/
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[HAWAI’I] UPDATE 3/25/26
Akaka Falls State Park: Water and comfort station CLOSED, park open with portable toilets.
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[MOLOKAʻI] 3/23/26
Palaʻau State Wayside and camping areas CLOSED for renovations until May 4.
Hawaiian Monk Seals
Posted on Dec 8, 2014
Monk Seal on beach
The Hawaiian Monk seal (‘ilio holo i ka uaua) is found only in Hawaiʻi, with most of the population frequenting the remote, nearly uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Monk Seals are critically endangered, and are the second rarest seal species on earth (their Mediterranean cousins own that distinction). Only about 100 of these solitary mammals frequent the main Hawaiian Islands, occasionally coming to shore to bask, rest, or give birth.
Lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of one basking on a beach or shoreline anywhere in Hawaiʻi, but the greatest number can be found on Kaua‘i. If you are so fortunate, remember that these animals are protected by law and persons are strongly advised to maintain adequate distance (minimum 50 yards/45 meters) so as not to disturb them. Resting alone out of the water is normal and necessary Monk Seal behavior. They sleep soundly when ashore, and might seem docile, but they can and do bite when disturbed. Approaching too closely can cause them to abandon favored locations, and disrupt resting adults and nursing pups, who are particularly vulnerable. All monk seals are susceptible to canine diseases and attacks – keep pets leashed and well away from seals and areas they are known to frequent.
To report a marine mammal in trouble (injured, stranded, or entangled whale, dolphin or seal) please call the NOAA Marine Mammal Hotline: 1-888-256-9840. Please report immediately and keep your distance, for your safety. Injured, sick or entangled animals can be unpredictable and dangerous.
To report marine mammal disturbance or legal violation, please call the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Hotline: 1-800-853-1974 and then call DLNR, Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) statewide hotline: 643-DLNR (3567).
Please be a responsible watcher of wildlife.
All marine mammals are protected by federal and state law. An overview of this protection is provided below. For more information, check out the following websites:
- NOAA’s Office of Protected Resources
- Hawaii Administrative Rules 13-124: Endangered and threatened wildlife
