Free admission at all Hawaii national parks for nine days, starting tomorrow

Entrance fees at three Hawaii national parks will be waived for a nine-day stretch, starting tomorrow, to celebrate National Park Week.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, both on the Big Island, and Maui’s Haleakala National Park will waive the fees from Sat., April 21 through Sun., April 29.

The theme of this year’s nationwide celebration, during which nearly 400 national parks will offer free admission, is dubbed Picture Yourself in a National Park. The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation are encouraging visitors to celebrate with activities ranging from hikes along the 18,600 miles of trails in national parks and to swims and snorkeling sessions along 43,000 miles of national park shoreline.

At Hawaii Volcanoes, visitors will be encouraged to share photos or videos of themselves, their families and friends exploring and enjoying the park during National Park Week on the Hawaii Volcanoes Park’s Facebook page. Also, the park will offer ranger-led hikes and other programs, including a challenging hike into Kipukaakihi in Kahuku, slated for tomorrow (registration required, call 808-985-6011), and a special “After Dark in the Park” program set for Tues., April 24 about the park’s endemic flowering plants. For more information, click here.

Hawaii boasts a total of eight national park sites, with five on the Big Island and one on Maui, Molokai and Oahu, respectively. Three regularly charge admission: Hawaii Volcanoes (pictured, above and left), Haleakala and Puuhonua o Honaunau. Admission is always free at the other five: Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail (Big Island), Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (Kailua-Kona, Big Island), Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site (Kawaihae, Big Island), Kalaupapa National Historical Park (Molokai), and World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (Pearl Harbor, Oahu).

In all, there are 397 national parks, which include: national historical parks, national historic sites, national historic trails, national monuments, and, yes, national parks. The National Park Service will waive entrance fees again on Sat., June 9 for “Get Outdoors Day,” on Sat., Sept. 29 for Public Lands Day, and on Sat., Nov. 10. through Mon., Nov. 12 in observance of Veterans Day. For more information on special offerings at parks nationwide, click here.