Haleakalā National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Haleakalā National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. Sunrise reservations, sunset crowds, and summit weather all shape a visit here, so check the park's own alerts the day you go.

Current alerts

  • No water at Hosmer Grove Campground. A waterline break has shut off the water in the Summit District campground, and the park has no estimate for the repair. Water is available 24 hours a day at the Headquarters Visitor Center, one mile up the road. (NPS)
  • The park's phones can't take incoming calls. Email HALE_INTERPRETATION@NPS.GOV or call the temporary cell phone at 808-490-9870, though the park says service may be spotty. (NPS)
  • Long waits at the summit entrance before sunset. When the summit reaches capacity, cars may be turned around at the gate, and buying a pass online doesn't guarantee sunset entry. The park says to arrive three hours before sunset. (NPS)
  • Endangered birds on the road. Nēnē (Hawaiian geese) and ʻuaʻu (Hawaiian petrels) are nesting in the park and may land on roads and in parking lots, including the road up to the park. Drive the posted speed limits. In July, one of each was hit and killed by vehicles inside the park. (NPS)
  • No swimming at the Pools of ʻOheʻo. The pools in the Kīpahulu District aren't accessible for swimming. You can view them safely from the Kūloa Point Trail. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park: the Summit and Kīpahulu Districts are open 24 hours a day. Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, good for three days and covering both districts. (NPS)
  • Sunrise reservations: required for every vehicle entering the Summit District between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. They cost $1 per vehicle, on top of the entrance fee. Book on Recreation.gov up to 60 days ahead; none are issued at the entrance station, and cars without one are turned away. (NPS)
  • Headquarters Visitor Center: open daily, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., subject to staffing.
  • Haleakalā Visitor Center (summit): open daily from sunrise to noon, subject to staffing. (NPS)
  • Kīpahulu Visitor Center: open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., subject to staffing.
  • Camping: Hosmer Grove (Summit District, currently without water) and Kīpahulu are open year-round by reservation only. Kīpahulu books on a rolling 30-day window, with check-in at 2 p.m. at the Kīpahulu entrance station. The wilderness cabins at Hōlua, Kapalaoa, and Palikū and the tent sites at Hōlua and Palikū are reservation-only. Sleeping in a vehicle or anywhere outside a designated campground isn't allowed. (NPS)

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Nothing is scheduled between now and the end of November. The park's hours listings show no holiday closures for that stretch.
  • Later closures: for a building improvement project, the Headquarters Visitor Center is listed as closed February 17 to 27, 2027. The summit Haleakalā Visitor Center is listed as closed February 19 to May 20, 2027.

What this means for your trip

The sunrise reservation is still the thing that makes or breaks a summit morning. It's sold only online, up to 60 days out, and the gate won't sell you one at 4 a.m. If you can't get one, sunset is the usual alternative, but the park's warning is blunt: arrive three hours early or risk being turned around. A daytime visit, after 7 a.m. and well before the sunset rush, avoids both problems, and the summit visitor center keeps morning hours.

Campers at Hosmer Grove should bring water or plan to fill up at Headquarters, a mile up the road. On the Kīpahulu side, plan on walking the Kūloa Point Trail to see the pools rather than swimming in them.

The summit sits at 10,023 feet, so dress for much colder air than you'll find at the beach. Watch for nēnē on the road and in parking lots. And with the phones down, use email for questions rather than spending your morning on hold.

Before you go

  • Check the park's alerts and conditions the day before and the day of your visit.
  • Book sunrise entry, Hosmer Grove, or Kīpahulu on Recreation.gov. For reservation questions, call Recreation.gov at 1-877-444-6777.
  • Park questions: HALE_INTERPRETATION@NPS.GOV or 808-490-9870 while the main phones are down.

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Haleakalā National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.