News Release

Chain of Craters Road and adjacent sites reopen

Date: November 22, 2023
Contact: Jessica Ferracane, [phone]

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park rangers have reopened Chain of Craters Road and nearby sites as unrest and seismicity return to normal levels in Kīlauea volcano’s upper East Rift Zone (ERZ).

Areas accessed by Chain of Craters Road, including coastal backcountry sites, Kulanaokuaiki Campground, Keanakākoʻi, and the Devastation Trail and parking area, are now open.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and park staff closely monitored a flurry of earthquakes that shook the ERZ near Puhimau Crater in the park on Tuesday, November 21. The activity, which decreased through the night, prompted park closures that were lifted Wednesday morning.

According to USGS, the “brief seismic crisis” in the upper ERZ has subsided, greatly reducing any chance of eruptive activity in that area. There is currently no sign of an imminent eruption in this area, according to USGS.

Seismic activity has returned to the pattern held since mid-October with the unrest focused in an area south/southwest of the caldera to the Koaʻe fault zone. As a precaution, two trails to the south/southwest of the caldera closed since October remain closed. Park visitors should go to the park website for updates and alerts that could impact their visit. 

-NPS-

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