News Release

July 2025 updates & events at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Visitors watch lava fountain from the summit of Kīlauea volcano during episode 25 on June 11, 2025, from the Keanakākoʻi side of the caldera

NPS Photo/J.Wei

News Release Date: June 17, 2025

Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park announces updates and events for July 2025. Photos are available.  

Kīlauea Eruption and Traffic. Kīlauea volcano continues to draw a surge of visitors to the park who are eager to witness the historic eruption, which began December 23, 2024 with 25 spectacular eruptive episodes to date. During fountaining episodes, traffic has been stop-and-go for up to four miles before the park entrance, especially from the Hilo direction. Construction projects and detours near the park entrance add to the congestion entering and exiting the park. While some eruptions are visible from various points along Highway 11, the park reminds everyone not to park along the highway shoulders, which are meant for emergency pullovers. Stopping along the highway creates unsafe conditions and more congestion. Be patient and expect delays through September when the construction will be complete. When entering the park, know where to go, follow all signage, traffic control directions and the 5-mph speed limit through the detours.   
 
Construction Updates  
 
Construction Continues. Disaster Recovery construction projects resulting from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse continue. Visitors should expect delays, detours, and traffic control at the park entrance and Crater Rim Drive – especially during the volcano’s ongoing eruptive episodes.

Roundabout and Realignment Work. Work continues on the new traffic circle, or roundabout, on Crater Rim Drive just west of the park entrance. For the next month or so, vehicles entering the park must use the gravel lane on the right and detour through the Kīlauea Visitor Center parking lot. Vehicles exiting the park are routed through the park administration and housing area. Please slow down, drive safely and stay alert! The roundabout is part of a larger plan to realign Crater Rim Drive that includes an additional administrative lane for park staff and partners at the entrance, and an exit pullout before the highway. The entire realignment project should be finished in September 2025 and will make driving in the park much easier and safer.  
 
Kīlauea Visitor Center Renovation. Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) is closed for a major renovation to increase visitor use space and preserve the historic character of building. The closure includes the building, restrooms, sidewalks, water station and most adjacent parking. The park film and programs held in the KVC auditorium are temporarily suspended. Visitor services and the park store are available 1.2 miles west to the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp, adjacent to the lobby. Volcano House and the Volcano Art Center Gallery remain open with parking available, and Hele-On bus continues to service passengers near KVC. The renovated visitor center is scheduled to reopen in Summer 2026.  
 
Welcome to the Welcome Center! While Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation, park rangers, the NPS Passport stamp station, Junior Ranger books, visitor services and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store have relocated to the temporary Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) on Crater Rim Drive east, about a 1.2-mile drive from the closed visitor center. Park at the adjacent ballfield; parking in front of KMC is for registered guests only. The Welcome Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.  

Uēkahuna Update. The observation deck at Uēkahuna is open! The deconstruction project to remove buildings and infrastructure damaged by the 2018 summit collapse is complete. This area, where Jaggar Museum and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory facilities once stood, offers views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) and improved trail access. An outline of the former Jaggar Museum footprint includes stones from the historic building’s original columns. Native shrubs, grasses and trees have been replanted on the landscape. The Uēkahuna comfort station will reopen to visitors in the weeks ahead. 

Temporary Closure of Uēkahuna West Overlook. The western overlook at Uēkahuna, accessed by a path just past the bus parking, will temporarily close for safety improvements on July 9 for a few weeks. The observation deck and Crater Rim Trail to the east will remain open. 

Switchback Work Scheduled for Kīlauea Iki Trail. The western switchbacks of Kīlauea Iki Trail will temporarily close for repairs and safety upgrades starting July 7. The work will occur Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the switchback will be open to hikers outside of those hours. The rest of the popular 3.3-mile loop trail will remain open. The work will be complete by September 30. 

Where to Go? Portable toilets are available behind the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp, at the nearby ballfield parking lot, near Kīlauea Visitor Center and the Volcano Art Center Gallery, and at Uēkahuna. Vault toilets are available at Kīlauea Overlook, Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Devastation, Maunaulu, Hilina Pali Overlook, Kulanaokuaiki, the end of Chain of Craters Road, Kīpukapuaulu day use area, and Kahuku. The Nāhuku comfort station is open.  
 
Got Water? Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park need to bring their own drinking water for their park adventures. The water station at Kīlauea Visitor Center is unavailable during the renovation closure. A bottle filling station will be reinstalled at Uēkahuna once it reopens in the months ahead. Water is available for purchase at Volcano House.  

Kīlauea Iki TrailHELCO’s Line Relocation and Replacement project continues with hole digging and power pole replacement along Highway 11 in the park. The upgrades will provide more reliable electricity island-wide. Sections of this line were built in the early 1950s. The project went out to the public for comment. More information and the Environmental Assessment can be found online.   

Park Events 
 
All events are free, but park entrance fees apply. Some programs are sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Check the park calendar for more information.

Cultural Festival Postponed. The Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park cultural festival is postponed for 2025. The ongoing Kīlauea eruptions continue to draw many visitors to the park, and disaster recovery construction from the 2018 summit collapse is underway. The park plans to resume the cultural festival in July 2026.

Kahuku Unit Guided Hikes. Ranger-guided hikes are back in Kahuku every Sunday in July! Come learn about the Kaʻū field system during the “Farming the Rock” guided hike. Walk along an old ranch road to the remnants of the Kahuku field system. Learn how Hawaiians farmed this area and fed the large population of Kaʻū, long before western contact.  
When: July 6, 13, 20 & 27 (every Sunday in July)  
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.    

Stewardship at the Summit Rainforest Restoration. Volunteer to help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment with written consent is required. Visit the park website for details.  
When: July 12, 19 & 25. Meet at 8:45 a.m.   
Where: Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center parking lot on the dates above. (The meeting place is open during the visitor center renovation.)  
  
Ranger-Guided Programs at Kīlauea Summit. Did you know that Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park offers free guided programs nearly every day? Experience Life on the Edge at Uēkahuna, Explore the Summit and other ranger programs by checking the park calendar for dates, times and descriptions or drop by the Welcome Center.   
When: Almost daily   
Where: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea summit  
 

-NPS-

 
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