Date: May 26, 2017
Contact: Jessica Ferracane/Public Affairs Specialist, 808-985-6018
Hawaii National Park, HI – Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku) will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thurs., June 1 for semi-annual maintenance of the comfort station.
Workers will pump the septic system starting at 6 a.m., and should be complete by 10 a.m. or sooner. The public will be notified of any delays. The park regrets any impact to visitors and residents. Date and time are subject to change.
Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku), and its verdant rainforest trail, are popular features in the park located near the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The lava tube is a tunnel formed by a robust river of molten rock that erupted from Kīlauea about 550 years ago. The native rainforest surrounding Nāhuku is managed as a Special Ecological Area, and is home to numerous endemic plant, bird and insect species. Visitation is heaviest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Flooding on the floor of the lava tube is common during times of heavy rain, and park management will shut off its electrical source for safety reasons. Visitors are advised to bring their own light source (cell phone lights are adequate) as a backup.
-NPS-
