Maintenance Projects to Begin at Haleakalā, ‘Ohe‘o and Pīpīwai

Several maintenance projects to improve park facilities and trails are scheduled to begin by late January 2018. These projects are paid for with visitor entrance fees. Some projects will last several days; others will take several months. Because schedules may change due to weather or site conditions, updates will be posted at visitor centers, on the park website, via press releases, and on the park’s Facebook page.

A list of planned maintenance work follows:

Haleakalā Visitor Center, file photo by Wendy Osher.

Summit District

Headquarters Visitor Center, at 7000 feet of elevation, will undergo repairs and improvements
to its HVAC and hot water systems.

Its outdoor lighting system will be replaced and upgraded to
be “dark skies compliant.”

Parks officials say Haleakalā is one of the best places on earth for night sky viewing. In addition, the endangered ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrel) which navigates by the stars, is affected by light pollution.

The visitor center and restrooms will remain open during this project, which is expected to take
approximately four weeks. The contract was awarded to Narito Sheetmetal for $213,983.

The two sets of automatic sliding doors at Haleakalā Visitor Center, at 9741 feet of elevation,
will be replaced. The visitor center will be closed for approximately seven days during the work,
which starts in late January. The restrooms, which are in a separate building, will remain open.

The contract was awarded to Stilten Ltd., Co for $47,271.

Courtesy Image: Chris Archer / Oheo

Kīpahulu District

Scaling work on the Pools of ʻOheʻo will begin in mid-January 2018 and is expected to finish in April 2018.

Scaling involves removal of vegetation, loose debris, and rocks likely to fall. Follow-up maintenance will include on-going monitoring of site conditions and clearing of new vegetation, debris, and rocks as needed.

The scaling contract was awarded to Maris Inc., for $98,634. The pools will remain closed during this scaling project.

Hazard Tree Removal on Pīpīwai Trail

The last 1/2 mile of the Pīpīwai Trail, including the viewpoint for Waimoku Falls, is closed due to downed trees.

From January 26-26, the last mile of the Pīpīwai Trail will be closed for hazard tree removal.

Closures will occur from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday. Visitors can walk the first mile of the two-mile trail, from the trailhead to the footbridge before the Bamboo Forest.

This section includes the Makahiku Falls Overlook, located a half mile from the trailhead.

Visitors will not be able to access the Bamboo Forest or the Waimoku Falls viewpoint at the end of the trail.

Hikers will also be able to access the entire half-mile Kūloa Point Loop Trail, which leads to the Pools of ʻOheʻo. The pools, however, remain closed.

The hazard trees are non-native African Tulip Trees (Spathodea campanulata), with brilliant orange flowers and fruits that produce thousands of seeds.

Brought to the state for landscaping, the trees have spread to Hawaiian forests and pose serious threats to native biodiversity.

Parks officials say removal will improve visitor safety along the Pīpīwai Trail. The work will be done by park staff.