Hawaiʻi's Department of Land and Natural Resources has reopened many state parks, forest reserves and campgrounds in the wake of Hurricane Nolo, though a patchwork of trails, cabins and hunting check stations across Kauaʻi, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island remain off-limits while crews finish damage and safety assessments.
On Kauaʻi, the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources reopened a set of designated areas following the storm, according to The Garden Island, which reported that forestry and wildlife lands and trails across the island otherwise remain closed to the public except in those specific spots. Hunting Unit C check stations at Princeville, Moloaʻa and Kapahi are open, while the Moalepe and Loop Road check stations stay closed. Hunters can also access Hunting Unit F below the junction of Kōkeʻe Road and Waimea Canyon Drive, and the Mānā Plains Forest Reserve is open to the public, as reported by Kauai Now.
Līhuʻe-Kōloa and Waimea Canyon Access Points
Visitors can reach the Līhuʻe-Kōloa Forest Reserve from Keāhua Arboretum to the parking lot, and the Puʻu ka Pele Forest Reserve is open at Waimea Canyon when accessed from the canyon bottom. The same account notes that the department is urging caution, since unidentified and unmitigated hazards may still exist in state parks and forest lands even where access has resumed.
Marigold Zoll, administrator of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, said the compounding impacts of successive storms are affecting the department's ability to safely open certain areas in a timely manner. Zoll added that the department will continue restoring access as soon as possible and appreciates public cooperation with safety advisories and patience as repair and restoration work continues.
Big Island Trails and Cabins Stay Closed
On Hawaiʻi Island, most state parks are open, with notable exceptions including the Waialea Section of Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area and Lapakahi State Historical Park, according to Big Island Now. At ʻAkaka Falls State Park, the right side of the trail is closed because of fallen trees, though the rest of the trail remains partially open. Further inland, the outlet reports that the Muliwai Trail, Waimanu campground, and the Keanakolu and ʻĀinapō cabins are closed until staff can complete damage and safety assessments.
The closures reflect a broader pattern tied to storm-damage repairs and pending safety reviews rather than a single blanket shutdown, as Maui Now reported in its own coverage of the island's forest reserves.
Maui's Polipoli Recreation Area Remains Shut
On Maui, the Makawao, Kula and Waihou Spring forest reserves remain closed pending storm damage repairs, the outlet's report states. Because Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area sits within the closed forest reserve boundary, it also remains off-limits to visitors until those repairs are complete.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, a federally managed site rather than a state park, has reopened most areas along the Kīlauea summit and Kahuku Unit, according to Hawaii News Now. Hilina Pali Road and Mauna Loa Road remain closed beyond specified points, and trails at the Kahuku Unit are expected to open once staff finish their assessments.
Refunds and Where to Check Current Status
Anyone who misses camping nights because of storm-related closures will have those nights credited to their accounts, per the department's notice. DLNR also plans to update its OuterSpatial app with current information on which areas remain open or closed because of severe weather impacts, and the state parks web page will carry additional updates as conditions change. For now, officials are asking visitors statewide to stay alert for hazards that may not yet be visible, even in areas that have reopened.
