Off the News: Hawaii national parks try to recover

Temporary closures due to COVID-19 concerns contributed to dramatic drops in 2020 visitor traffic at Hawaii Volcanoes and Haleakala national parks. The Big Island park, which welcomed 1.3 million visitors in 2019, saw a 57% tumble; and visitation at the Maui park was down by nearly 68% compared to 2019’s count of nearly 675,250.

The good news is that at both parks, nearly all trails that were open prior to the pandemic have reopened. However, the National Park Service notes that masks are required on these federally managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including on narrow or busy trails, at overlooks and in parking lots.