A family of nēnē (NPS Photo)

UPDATE – (November 8, 2022)

The Uēkahuna Overlook inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, including the Uēkahuna parking lot and restrooms, will be temporarily closed on Wednesday, November 9, to protect breeding and nesting nēnē in the area.

From the National Park Service:

The Uēkahuna overlook, restrooms, and parking lot will temporarily close tomorrow to protect breeding and nesting nēnē (Hawaiian geese) in the area.

The closure will begin on the afternoon of November 9, west of the intersection with Kīlauea Overlook. Kīlauea Overlook will remain open and accessible. Visitors can hike about one-third of a mile west of Kīlauea Overlook to a trail sign marking the closure along Crater Rim Trail. Vehicles over 25 feet in length cannot proceed west on Crater Rim Drive beyond the Kilauea Military Camp.

Visitors can do their part to help protect these rare birds by keeping your distance, at least four car lengths away, and never feed nēnē or wildlife. Handouts make nēnē seek out people and cars, putting them in great danger. Drivers should be alert for nēnē along park roads, always observe the speed limit, and slow down for all nēnē crossing signs in the park and throughout the island.

In 1952, only 30 nēnē remained statewide. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park began efforts to recover the imperiled geese in the 1970s. The Nēnē Recovery Program continues today, and close to 200 birds thrive in the park from sea level to around 8,000 feet.