Mount Manado Tua Hiking Access Will Be Temporarily Closed, Here Are The Reasons.

The Bunaken National Park Agency (BTN) will temporarily close the hiking trail leading to the summit of Mount Manado Tua. This policy was implemented as a preventive measure, after vegetation across the area dried out during the dry season and became highly fire-prone.

Mount Manado Tua is one of the natural tourist destinations within the Bunaken National Park reserve. Park management chose to prioritise wildfire risk prevention, as such incidents threaten both the protected conservation ecosystem and the safety of visitors.

"This is a precautionary step to avoid forest and land fires similar to the outbreak that occurred at Mount Gede Pangrango National Park in West Java," stated Head of Bunaken National Park Agency I Ketut Catur Marbawa in Manado on Thursday.

Bunaken BTN is currently drafting an official formal notice for the temporary trail closure. Catur confirmed that final verification checks are still ongoing before the closure order is officially enforced.

"I will review the closure notice shortly to confirm it has been finalised," he said.

Alongside suspending hiking activities, Bunaken BTN has also issued a public advisory urging extra caution for anyone conducting activities near forest zones.

"Land clearing by burning is extremely high risk right now. That is why this advisory applies not only to residents around Manado Tua, but all communities living within Bunaken National Park boundaries," he explained.

This concern is not unsubstantiated. Several days prior, Bunaken BTN staff carried out on-site inspections at Mount Manado Tua specifically to assess vegetation conditions during the prolonged dry period.

Monitoring findings confirmed that large sections of vegetation are completely desiccated, which would cause extremely rapid fire spread in the event of any ignition.

"It is very obvious that the vegetation here is parched right now. It will catch fire incredibly easily," he added.

When rolling out the closure policy, Bunaken BTN will also work together with local licensed tour guides. These guides will act as on-ground monitoring partners to prevent unauthorised access to the summit trail during the closure period.

"This notice closing Mount Manado Tua hiking routes is only temporary. Once the rainy season commences, we will conduct a full re-evaluation of the situation," he stated.

This confirms the trail suspension is not a permanent policy. Bunaken BTN will reassess conditions once weather patterns shift and the area is judged safe to resume tourist activities.

This preventive measure comes as the dry season impacts multiple regions across North Sulawesi. At the time of reporting, wildfires have already burned through thousands of hectares of protected forest at Mount Soputan in Southeast Minahasa Regency.

Travellers planning an ascent of Mount Manado Tua are advised to check for the latest official updates regarding this trail closure before arranging travel.

For the time being, protecting visitor safety and preserving the Bunaken National Park ecosystem remain the top priority.