When does the Makawao Forest Reserve reopen? Two months after Hurricane Lala, the state hasn't named a date. The cleanup has to happen in a set order, and every storm since August has added to the work.
That changes how to plan the next six weeks. If you're waiting for Kahakapao to plan your Saturdays, you'll likely be waiting all fall. The rest of Makawao, from Baldwin Avenue up to Kaluanui, has a full calendar between now and Thanksgiving.
What the State Has Actually Said
The Department of Land and Natural Resources closed all Maui forestry and wildlife lands at 5 p.m. on August 14 as Lala approached. That notice said lands would reopen once weather warnings ended, but it allowed longer closures where inspections found damage. Makawao turned out to be one of those places.
By the time DLNR posted its September 30 update after Hurricane Nolo, nearly everything else on Maui and Molokaʻi had reopened. Three upcountry reserves were still on the closed list.
| Area | Status as of DLNR's Sept. 30 notice | Reason given |
|---|---|---|
| Makawao State Forest Reserve | Closed | Pending storm damage repairs |
| Waihou Spring Forest Reserve | Closed | Pending storm damage repairs |
| Kula Forest Reserve | Closed | Pending storm damage repairs |
| Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area | Closed | Surrounding forest reserve closure |
| All other Maui forestry and wildlife lands | Open | None |
Maui Now repeated that list on October 1 with no reopening date. The State Parks division's October 8 notice, which now covers recovery from Hurricanes Nolo and Lowell, still shows Polipoli closed because of downed trees. That's the most recent official word we found. For day-to-day status, DLNR points people to its OuterSpatial map.
Why This Closure Is Lasting Longer Than the Others
Maui Now's Brian Perry walked the area two days after Lala and reported a 60- to 80-foot eucalyptus uprooted at St. Joseph Church, leaning into the second floor of the parish's former convent. He also found hundreds of feet of downed utility lines on Piʻiholo Road and tree stumps lining Ehu Road in Olinda. The county reopened Ehu Road on the afternoon of August 18. Hawaiian Electric said on August 20 that power was essentially restored for Maui customers affected by Lala.
The forest has been slower. Aaron Reichert of Krank Cycles helped establish the reserve's trails about 20 years ago. He told Hawaiʻi Public Radio he'd never seen damage like it, with "four- to five-foot diameter eucalyptus trees down with huge, I would say, 12-foot circumference root balls, just every 100 yards easily." In the same story he called it "probably the most heavily used trail system on the island." That covers hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, hunters, and families who picnic near the bottom.
DLNR communications director Andrew Laurence told HPR the order the work has to follow:
"The initial priority is clearing roads and other access needed for wildfire response and other emergency and resource-management operations. From there, crews will continue addressing hazardous trees, roads, trails, and other damaged infrastructure so areas can be reopened safely."
So the trails you ride or walk come after fire access and after hazard trees. Laurence added that the department expected "some closures to continue for an extended period." Then Nolo arrived at the end of September. DOFAW Administrator Marigold Zoll said "the compounding impacts of successive storms are affecting our ability to safely open certain areas in a timely manner."
The Volunteers Are Ready. The Forest Isn't.
Upcountry hasn't lacked people offering to help. HPR reported that Reichert organized a community meeting in late August and that Sierra Club Maui urged its members to join. Before the closure, he led monthly volunteer trail days alongside state contractors. Sierra Club Maui's volunteer page describes a long-running Kahakapao trail maintenance partnership with Nā Ala Hele and the Maui Mountain Bike Coalition.
That crew can't go in yet. Laurence said DLNR was getting many offers and working on ways to use volunteers where they'd help. For now, though, "many locations contain hazards that require specialized training, equipment, supervision and careful coordination." We haven't found any volunteer workday scheduled for October or November 2026. If you see older Sierra Club listings for October 19 and November 16 floating around, those dates were for 2024.
The closure reaches past the trailhead, too. Reichert told HPR that Krank Cycles grew out of the mountain biking community that built those trails, and that the shop still depends on riders who use them. His staff have been fielding a steady stream of calls asking when it'll reopen and how to help.
In town, St. Joseph Church is still cleaning up after its own eucalyptus. The Maui News reported in August that the parish was seeking bids of more than $60,000 for tree removal, water removal and a hazard assessment. We haven't seen a later report on repairs.
The Forest Show at the Top of Baldwin Avenue
With the trees off-limits, the best place in Makawao to spend time with the island's forests this month is a gallery. Mālama Wao Akua 2026 is in the main gallery at Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center, 2841 Baldwin Avenue, through Friday, November 6. The name means "Caring for the Realm of the Gods." It's a juried show presented with the East Maui Watershed Partnership, celebrating native species from across Maui Nui, which includes Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi and Kahoʻolawe. A jury with expertise in both art and conservation chose the work, and any medium was welcome. The Hui has posted a PDF of the selected works if you'd like to preview them.
The best day to go is Thursday, November 5. From 4 to 5 p.m., Koa Plauche of The Nature Conservancy leads a Talk Story Thursday through the show, covering native species, restoration and aloha ʻāina. The People's Choice winner is announced at the end. It's the night before the show closes, so the walk-through doubles as a last look.
The Hui is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to walk the Kaluanui grounds during those hours, so you can still get an unhurried stroll under big trees while the reserve is closed.
A Six-Week Calendar That Doesn't Wait on DLNR
Here's what's confirmed between now and the start of the holiday season, in date order:
- Every Saturday, 7 to 11 a.m.: The Upcountry Farmers Market at Kulamalu Town Center, with more than 100 local vendors.
- Friday, October 16, 6 to 8 p.m.: Makawao Public Library, 1159 Makawao Avenue, screens Goodbye Paradise from 1991.
- Thursday, November 5, 4 to 5 p.m.: Talk Story Thursday with Koa Plauche and the Mālama Wao Akua People's Choice announcement at Hui Noʻeau.
- Friday, November 6: Last day of Mālama Wao Akua 2026.
- Friday, November 20: Hui Holidays opens. The gift shop expands into the larger gallery as a marketplace of Maui-made ceramics, textiles, jewelry, ornaments and keiki gifts. It runs Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through December 24.
If you'd rather be outdoors under a canopy, Kula Botanical Garden is open daily for self-guided visits from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Haleakalā National Park's own condition pages haven't been updated since before Lala, so check with the park directly before you plan a Hosmer Grove walk around them.
DOFAW crews are still working through hazard trees in the order the state laid out. Watch the OuterSpatial map for any change in the reserve's status.
If you live upcountry and the closure has you thinking about how storm recovery plays out on your own street, I'd be glad to talk it through. Jason Gilbert keeps up with Makawao news like this all year, from Baldwin Avenue to Olinda Road. Let's find your Maui home.
