6 Months After Rock Slide, Pools of ‘Ohe‘o Remain Closed

After six months, the Pools of ʻOheʻo in the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park remain closed following a rock slide reported on Jan. 3, 2017.

Pools of ʻOheʻo. PC: Haleakalā NPS.

Park officials say the unanticipated rockslide was likely caused by oversaturated soils and unusually heavy rainfall in the Kīpahulu and Hāna areas.  One park visitor sustained minor injuries in the incident.

To protect visitor safety, the park has closed the ʻOheʻo Pools to visitors and they will remain closed until the risk assessment and mitigation to prevent further rockslides has been completed.

“We are keeping the pools closed out of an abundance of caution. The safety of park visitors and our employees is our primary concern,” said park Superintendent Natalie Gates. She added: “with current historic rainfall, we want to emphasize that any cliffside area in the park could be dangerous. Visitors should remain on designated trails at all times.”