Staff return to work at Haleakala, Hawai‘i Volcanoes national parks

With the end of the partial federal government shutdown, National Park Service staff have officially gone back to work today and are preparing to resume regular operations.

However, the “schedule for individual parks may vary, depending on staff and complexity of operations,” said a note posted on the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park website. The note said some parks which have been closed throughout the lapse in appropriations may not reopen immediately.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park had remained accessible during the shutdown. The Kilauea Visitor Center remained open, along with picnic tables and restrooms. Chain of Craters Road, which was closed during the shutdown, Mauna Ulu and most backcountry campsites. have reopened, officials said in a news release this afternoon.

Mauna Loa Road remains closed to motorists due to elevated fire risk, they said, but it is open to pedestrians and bicyclists. The summit of Mauna Loa was closed today due to dangerous high wind conditions, but Red Hill Cabin is open.

The Kahuku Unit will re-open 9 a.m. on Wednesday, and will be open five days a week, as usual, except for Mondays and Tuesdays.

Haleakala National Park resumes regular operations, park officials said, and visitor centers are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The Pools of ‘Oheʻo in the Kipahulu District have also reopened, and are being monitored for possible flash floods.

Sunrise reservations, required from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., as well as request for refunds during the lapse in appropriations, are being accepted online at recreation.gov for Haleakala on Maui. The park summit and trails had remained accessible during the shutdown, but visitors centers were shuttered, and no staff was available to process permits or reservations.

The collection of entrance fees at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala has also resumed.

“We greatly appreciate the generous contributions of park partners, especially Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Volcano House, Volcano Art Center, and Hawaii Pacific Parks Association who have provided tens of thousands of dollars in financial and in-kind donations during the lapse in appropriations,” park official on the HVNP website. “Their efforts have contributed significantly to our ability to provide access and basic services to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park throughout the shutdown.”