News Release
NPS Photo/J.Wei
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Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018
HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park announces updates and events for September 2025.Kīlauea Eruption and Visitor Impacts. With 30 dramatic eruptive episodes and counting, Kīlauea volcano continues to attract thousands of visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. During eruptions, traffic can be stop-and-go several miles before the park entrance. Construction adds to the congestion entering and exiting the park. While some eruptions are visible from areas along Highway 11, the park reminds everyone not to park along the highway shoulders, which are meant for emergency pullovers. Stopping along the highway causes unsafe conditions and more congestion. Expect delays through September. When entering the park, know where you want to go, follow all signage, heed traffic control workers and the speed limit. Be aware that there could be a line for restrooms and portable toilets during periods of heavy visitation.
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.Construction Updates
Roundabout and Realignment Work. The new roundabout traffic circle near the park entrance is complete! 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 lane for park staff and partners at the entrance, and an exit pullout before the highway. The entrance realignment project will make driving in the park much easier and safer and will be finished by the end of September.
Welcome to the Welcome Center! Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation but 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. The renovated visitor center is scheduled to reopen in Summer 2026.
Uēkahuna Update. The deconstruction project to remove buildings and infrastructure damaged by the 2018 summit collapse is complete and the observation deck at Uēkahuna is now open. This area, where Jaggar Museum and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory facilities once were, offers views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera), improved trail access and lots of parking. An outline of the former Jaggar Museum footprint includes stones from the historic building’s original columns. The Uēkahuna comfort station will reopen to visitors in the weeks ahead.
Switchback Work Underway on Kīlauea Iki Trail. The western switchbacks of Kīlauea Iki Trail are temporarily closed for repairs and safety upgrades. The work occurs Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the switchbacks are open to hikers outside of those hours. The rest of the popular 3.3-mile trail is 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. Please note that there could be a line for restrooms and portable toilets during heavy visitation.
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.
Highway 11 Hole Drilling and Power Pole Replacement. HELCO’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.
Plein Air Painters Celebrate the Beauty of Kahuku. The Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has a multitude of inspirational landscapes, and there is a dedicated cadre of plein air (open air) artists who frequent Kahuku to capture these beautiful scenes. The Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will sponsor an exhibition of these paintings and an opening reception to meet the artists on Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition to the reception, the artists will be painting on the lānai of the Visitor Contact Station (VCS). Come experience how different artists approach the same subject as they paint the iconic Puʻu O Lokuana cinder cone,or bring your own equipment and paint with them. The paintings will be on display in the VCS from September 18 through September 28. There are no sales at this event.
When: Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
Fee-Free Day for National Public Lands Day.National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands in the U.S. Help us protect the Hawaiian rainforest and volunteer to remove invasive, non-native plants that prevent native plants from growing in the park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snack and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment or written consent is required. No advance registration is required, but space is limited to the first 25 participants. Contact field@hawaii.edu ahead of time. Park entrance is free.
When: Saturday, September 27, 8:45 a.m. to noon. Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai.
Where: Participating public lands nationwide.
Kahuku Unit Guided Hikes. Weekend ranger-guided hikes are back in Kahuku! Three Saturday hikes in September feature the iconic ʻōhiʻa lehua tree. Learn about the vital role ʻōhiʻa lehua serve in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the ʻōhiʻa tree and the threat of the fungal disease, Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is a one-mile or less one-hour walk.
When: September 6,13, and 27
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: September 6, 20 & 27 (National Public Lands Day). 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 to read the program board.
When: Almost daily
Where: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea summit
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Last updated: August 12, 2025