No reservations will be required for kamaaina at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, starting Saturday.

Previously, residents or kamaaina, were only allowed entry to the bay without a reservation until 9 a.m. After that, they were required to either get a walk-in ticket or make an online reservation, along with visitors, at pros.hnl.info.

The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation said all Hawaii residents with valid photo identification, such as a Hawaii driver’s license or school ID, in July will be able to enter the nature preserve for free during hours of operation from 6:45 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, without either, thanks to additional staffing.

The 1:30 p.m. entry time is the latest available to enter and watch the required video before closing time. Hanauma Bay closes at 4 p.m., with the beach cleared a half hour prior. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

“We were pleased to see the recent attendance numbers for Hanauma Bay showing an uptick in kamaaina visiting the preserve,” said DPR Director Laura H. Thielen in a news release. “Since the launch of the online reservation system in April 2021 we have tried different methods of attracting locals back to Hanauma Bay, including testing out this no-reservation idea in summer 2021. While the idea was popular, we still needed additional staffing to accommodate the increase in visitors not using the online system. Now that we have these folks hired, we hope this policy can remain permanent.”

Parking at Hanauma Bay, however, remains limited to about 280 public stalls.

Fees and reservations for non-Hawaii residents remain unchanged. Active duty military still get free admission with proper ID, but must make a reservation.

All visitors, regardless of residency status, must watch the education and safety video prior to heading down to the nature preserve.

For more information, visit the official website at bit.ly/HanaumaBAY.