Plan Your Visit and Avoid Ongoing Construction Projects
Written by Stephanie Namahoe Launiu
If you’re planning to visit the Big Island’s crown jewel, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, here’s the latest info you’ll need to make the most of your time there. Due to construction projects in various areas of the Park, visitors and tour operators can expect delays at the entrance station, temporary area closures, and limited parking. During an eruption and periods of high visitor counts that are normally December, January, and June through August, delays and a shortage of parking will be more severe. Stay tuned for the latest volcanoes National Park Updates.
If this is your first visit to the Park, you won’t know what has changed. If you’ve visited the Park before, you may be shocked by the ongoing construction because the layout of the buildings at HVNP hasn’t changed in decades.
And therein lies the problem. Planned renovations have been stalled for years. The catastrophic 2018 eruption destroyed 700 homes and large swaths of the Puna district, 35 miles away from the Volcanoes National Park, but it also changed the face of Kaluapele, the traditional Hawaiian name for Kilauea Caldera. The caldera floor suffered a partial collapse and fell 1,600 ft. Jaggar Museum and the Volcano Observatory, which were located near the Caldera’s edge, were irreparably damaged.
Frequent earthquakes, sporadic start-and-stop eruptions, and the continued toll of human traffic on this fragile environment have resulted in buildings and infrastructure that finally need to be renewed and rebuilt.
ONGOING 2024 CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Here are the latest HVNP Updates:
- The Nāpau Crater and Campground are closed to all use until further notice. They were inundated by lava during a brief but powerful eruption that lasted from Sept 15-20, 2024.
- The earthquake-damaged Jaggar Museum and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, built in the 1920s, were dismantled beginning in April 2024. The Jaggar Museum won’t be rebuilt, but services available there will be included in the newly designed Kilauea Visitors Center when it is completed. The Volcano Observatory will be rebuilt on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, away from Volcanoes National Park, but there will be a new Field Station constructed west of the Kilauea Military Camp.
- Uēkahuna is a crater-rim area where visitors have a spectacular view of the summit of Kilauea, and where Native Hawaiians may perform cultural practices. During the two-year construction period in Volcanoes National Park, restrooms in this area may be closed, but portable restrooms will be open. Partial closure of the parking area will happen when necessary.
- Expect intermittent lane closures at the Entrance Station during the construction of a new roundabout west of the entrance to improve traffic flow and safety.
- At the Kilauea Visitor Center, the east side of the parking lot will be closed temporarily for staging and trenching. At times, almost half of the parking spaces will be inaccessible.
- Tree Molds Road is closed to vehicles from 7 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday. Pedestrians and bicyclists can access the road at all times, but should be careful when large construction trucks are in the area.
CURRENT TRAIL CLOSURES
- Sulphur Banks Boardwalk and Trail will close during the last quarter of 2024 for repairs and replacement. This was a bummer because this is a popular, easy walk that is wheelchair accessible. THIS TRAIL IS NOW OPEN!
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS PLANNED FOR 2025
- The restrooms at Nāhuku Lava Tube will close for renovations.
- The entire Kilauea Visitor Center, restrooms, lānai, water station, sidewalks, and most of the parking lot will be closed for up to two years once construction and expansion of the Center begin. Temporary visitor services will be available near the historic ball field adjacent to Kilauea Military Camp, just a mile away.
WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO SEE LAVA DURING AN ERUPTION?
Hopefully! Eruptions are unpredictable about where or when they happen. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will remain open 24 hours a day during the construction, but access to overlooks and parking lots at the summit of Kilauea may be temporarily delayed during periods of heavy visitor count, especially if an eruption occurs.
Before making any visit to HVNP, check for the latest updates on the Home Page of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS! PLAN TO VISIT OTHER AREAS OF THE PARK
Construction inside the Park is affecting the area around the Summit of Kilauea, which is just a small area compared to the grandiosity of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Here’s what you can still do (and it would take you weeks to do them all!).
- Drive Chain of Craters Road. A gorgeous 18-mile drive (one-way) on a paved road from the summit level down to near-ocean level. Take your time and stop to see craters, do a day hike, breathe in the beauty at the Kealakomo Overlook, hike to the Pu‘uloa Petroglyphs, and be amazed at the Hōlei Sea Arch. There is no food, water, or fuel available along the Chain of Craters Road. Vault-type toilets are available at the Maunaulu Crater parking area along the way and at the end of the road. Once you reach the road’s end, you turn around and go back the way you drove.
- Visit the Kahuku Unit in another area of the Park, located near mile marker 70.5 on Highway 11. This is a wondrous 116,000-acre pastoral landscape on the slopes of Mauna Loa. The Kahuku Unit features many day hikes and trails, along with programs offered by park rangers. A 15-minute orientation to the Kahuku Unit is available from rangers upon request.
- This is just one example of a memorable day hike inside the Park. Maunaulu/Pu‘uhuluhulu. You’ll pass lava tree molds and climb to the top of a 210-foot forested cinder cone. On a clear day, you can see Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and the Pacific Ocean.
- With the Park open 24 hours a day, you can experience awesome stargazing on a clear night from wherever you happen to be.
LAST-MINUTE TIPS FOR SURVIVING CONSTRUCTION AT HVNP
- Check the HVNP website or social media for the latest construction updates and trail or road closures.
- Keep your plans flexible. Expect potential delays and congested traffic. If they don’t happen, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
- Plan to visit outside peak hours. Visit early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid crowds at the entrance and popular viewpoints.
- Follow posted signage and instructions regarding closed areas to avoid construction hazards.
- Come prepared. Keep your phone charged. Have working flashlights even if you plan to leave the Park before sunset. You never know what might delay you.
- Have a cooler with ice, water, and snacks so that if you’re having a great time somewhere in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you don’t have to leave because you’re hungry or thirsty.
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