City closing Kailua Beach Park at night in pilot program

City officials are closing Kailua Beach Park from midnight to 4 a.m., starting Friday, as part of a three-month pilot program that will help determine if the closure hours should become permanent.

The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation said signs with the new closure hours have been installed, and that the trial period through December is “intended to explore the impact of nightly closures for this popular beach park.”

DPR said during this trial period, it will work with the community, Kailua Neighborhood Board, and other city agencies to determine the effectiveness of these nightly closures, and whether they should be implemented permanently.

“This pilot program follows robust community discussion regarding whether nightly closure hours should be established for this park, including during Kailua Neighborhood Board’s December 2023 meeting,” said DPR in a news release. “Most City park locations have nightly closure hours, which vary depending on community input, public use, and the specific park conditions.”

DPR said typical nightly closure hours for city parks — including beach parks — is from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The public may traverse a closed city park at any time to access the ocean or other natural or culturally significant areas, officials said. It is illegal, however, to remain in a park during closed hours unless otherwise permitted by DPR.

To view park closure hours for all Honolulu parks, visit bit.ly/ParkClosureHours.