Waiʻānapanapa State Park facility improvements project begins June 6

A facility improvements project at Waiʻānapanapa State Park in Hāna, Maui, will enter the construction phase on Saturday, June 6. The project includes a new comfort station adjacent to the park’s eastern parking area and resurfacing of Honokalani Road. Construction of the comfort station is expected to be completed in the fall, with road improvements scheduled for completion in early 2027.

“The uniqueness of the natural and cultural environment of Waiʻānapanapa State Park makes it a visitor hot spot drawing large crowds throughout the year,” said State Parks Acting Administrator Alan Carpenter. “We saw some success in addressing the high traffic by adding a timed entry reservation system in 2022. This substantially reduced visitation from more than 2,000 visitors per day to 1,200-1,500 visitors per day. Despite these changes, the area continues to be impacted by heavy visitor traffic.

“The new comfort station will include aerobic treatment to diminish environmental impacts,” Carpenter added. “Additionally, the work on Honokalani Road will address several deficiencies, including large potholes and deteriorated conditions, improving the travel for residents, park visitors and park personnel.”

Visitors and area residents are advised that:

• The eastern day-use and tour bus parking area will be closed for the duration of the project. Access to the black sand beach of Pailoa Bay will be routed through the western end of the park.
• Work on the road improvements may necessitate temporary park closures, however, access will be maintained for all Honokalani Road residents throughout the duration of the project.
• The Division of State Parks will temporarily close campervan camping during the project. The campervan lot will be temporarily redesignated for day-use visitors and tent campers.
• The existing day-use parking along the shoulder of the park access road will be redesignated for tour buses.
• Refunds have already been issued to individuals who had reservations for the campervan camping area for the month of June.

“DLNR and the Division of State Parks appreciates the patience and cooperation of all our park users and neighbors. We look forward to providing a better experience for everyone through this project,” said Carpenter.

For questions or concerns, please contact the DLNR Division of State Parks at dlnr@hawaii.gov, or 808-587-0300.