Improvement work to trigger intermittent closures of Manoa Falls Trail

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hiking Manoa Falls anytime soon? Plan ahead.

From July 15 to late September, the state will close the trail every other week for improvement work. The trail will be open on the weekends.

The work is the final phase of a 13-year trail improvement project funded by tourism dollars.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is also providing $530,000 to improve and install signage at other popular trails in Hawaii.

The renovations include fixing the staircase that leads to the waterfall viewing area, improving the viewing area and widening the last two-tenths of a mile of the trail, which first responders have identified as a key point of injury for visitors.

The Manoa Falls Trail has grown in popularity in the last several decades, and now sees more than 200,000 visitors annually.

The increase in activity has caused major erosion to the trail and uneven footing.

Aaron Lowe, Oahu Na Ala Hele Trail and Access specialist, said the widening near the end of the trail is “critical" for safe two-way foot traffic.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will also be working to harden the trail and manage the run-off to reduce soil erosion and improve the slippery conditions.

“Manoa Valley is consistently saturated with rain making the trail slippery and unsafe, and potentially providing a negative hiking experience because of muddy, unpleasant and often times challenging conditions,” said Mike Millay, Na Ala Hele Trail and Access program manager.

Here are the closure and opening dates for Manoa Falls Trail during the project:

Manoa Falls Trail closed:

• July 15-19
• July 29 - August 2
• August 12-16
• August 26-30
• September 9-13

Manoa Falls Trail open:

• July 22-26
• August 5-9
• August 19-23
• September 2-6
• September 16-20

For more information regarding trail closures, click here.

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