Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park protects some of the most unique geological, biological, and cherished cultural landscapes in the world. Extending from sea level to 13,680 feet, the park encompasses the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes - Kīlauea and Mauna Loa - and is a designated International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Alerts
- ClosureHalemaʻumaʻu Trail and Part of Byron Ledge Trail Closed Due to Safety Risks
Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of Byron Ledge Trail are temporarily closed due to continued inflation and increased seismicity at the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The closure is a total of 1.3 miles. The increased seismicity could trigger additional rock falls and presents a serious safety risk.
- ClosureKeanakākoʻi Side of Kīlauea Volcano Closed Due to Volcanic Unrest
Due to increased earthquakes below the summit of Kīlauea and volcanic unrest, the Keanakākoʻi area is temporarily closed for safety. This includes old Crater Rim Drive, the overlooks near Keanakākoʻi crater and Crater Rim Trail to Keanakākoʻi crater. Devastation parking lot remains open.
- CautionKīpukapuaulu Trail Closed Due to Hazardous Trees and Hanging Limbs
Kīpukapuaulu Trail remains closed due to numerous hazardous trees and hanging limbs resulting from several recent storms. Managers are developing a plan and will reopen the trail when it is safe.
- CautionProtect Yourself from Volcanic Tephra
Volcanic ash, rock and glassy strands (tephra) is present at Kīlauea summit and can irritate your skin, eyes and respiratory system. For your safety, do not handle it. Eye protection, long sleeves, long pants, a hat, closed-toe shoes and a dust mask are recommended.
- InformationMauna Loa Road Closed Past Second Cattle Guard for Tree Removal
Mauna Loa Road will be closed to all use from the second cattle guard (about two miles past Kīpukapuaulu) to Mauna Loa Lookout for tree removal starting September 23 through October 29, 2026. The tree work will prepare the area for the Mauna Loa Road Rehabilitation Project. Vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians will not be allowed during the closure.
- InformationHilina Pali Road Shoulder Work Scheduled 9/14/26 to 11/19/26
Hilina Pali Road beyond the Maunaiki Trailhead will be closed to motorized vehicles on September 14, 2026 from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for shoulder work. Hikers, bicyclists and backcountry permit holders will be given access but should expect delays while heavy machinery works on the road.
- InformationSulphur Banks Bridge Closed; Boardwalk is Open
The Sulphur Banks Bridge is damaged and closed until further notice. The Haʻakulamanu area, boardwalk and Sulphur Banks Trail are open and accessible from the west side near Steam Vents.
- InformationNPS ↗Kīlauea eruption
Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous. Stay out of closed areas and monitor air quality. Eruptions can last a few hours and are often separated by pauses lasting several weeks.
- InformationUpper Kahuku Road Closed Beyond Boot Decontamination Station
Upper Kahuku Road remains closed beyond the boot decontamination station due to storm damage. The Visitor Contact Station and most trails in the Kahuku Unit are now open following Hurricane Lala. Kahuku Road above the Lower Palm Trailhead is deeply rutted by the recent heavy rains. A 4WD is recommended to access areas above the Lower Palm Trailhead.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehiclePrivate Vehicle Pass - The private vehicle pass admits the passholder and up to 14 passengers of a single, private (non-commercial) vehicle. | $30 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $25 | |
| Per PersonPedestrian/Cyclist Pass - Admits one individual bicyclist, hiker, or pedestrian visiting without a private vehicle. An individual pass is not required for visitors aged 15 and under. | $15 | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| Mini-busThe commercial entrance fee for a Road Based Guided Tour is based on vehicle seating capacity. For a 16-25 passenger vehicle the user fee is $100. | $100 | |
| Motor CoachThe commercial entrance fee for a Road Based Guided Tour is based on vehicle seating capacity. For a 26+ passenger vehicle the user fee is $200. Large vehicles, defined as more than 26 feet in length and/or more than eight feet wide, are only allowed to operate on Crater Rim Drive to Kilauea Visitor Center, Kūkamāhuākea (Steam Vents), and Uēkahuna. Mauna Loa Road to the Kīpukapuaulu turnabout. | $200 | |
| Per Person$15 per person for Commercial Non-Road Based Guided Tours. This includes hiking more than one mile on one trail, bird watching on foot for more than one hour at one location, and/or bicycling tours. | $15 | |
All visitors at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park are required to pay an entrance fee. If you already have a valid, America the Beautiful—National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass or Hawaiʻi Annual Tri-Park Pass, you are not required to purchase a digital pass through Recreation.gov.
Hours
| Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park | Daily · All Day |
| Kahuku Unit | Varies by day ▾
|
When to go
December draws the most visits here and April the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Nāmakanipaio ↗ | 16 sites | |
| $15 a night · Nāmakanipaio Campground is located 31.5 miles south of Hilo on Highway-11 at 4,000' elevation. · 16 reservable, 16 first-come | ||
| Kulanaokuaiki ↗ | 9 sites | |
| $10 a night · Kulanaokuaiki is located off Hilina Pali Road at 3,200 feet (975 m), there are nine walk-in campsites with picnic tables. · 9 first-come | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Welcome Center ↗Passport stamp
The Welcome Center is a great first stop when entering the park. Rangers and volunteers are on duty daily to provide visitors with the latest information on the current conditions, hiking information, things to do and the daily schedule of ranger-led activities.
- Kahuku Visitor Contact StationPassport stamp
Located at the Kahuku Unit of the park in the district of Ka'ū, the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station provides park information, assistance, and books and gifts available through Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association.
Explore
Things to do
- Park Bookstore
Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association operates the official park bookstores at the Welcome Center and the Kahuku Unit.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hōlei Sea Arch20-30 Minutes
Walk a short distance to a view of dramatic sea cliffs and a 90-foot high arch sculpted by the sea.
Opens on the Park Service site - Haʻakulamanu via Sulphur Banks Trail30-45 Minutes
See where volcanic gases have deposited colorful crystals.
Opens on the Park Service site - Kūpinaʻi Pali (Waldron Ledge)45-60 Minutes
Walk along an old road damaged by an earthquake in 1983 and get panoramic views of Kaluapele
Opens on the Park Service site - Devastation Trail30-60 Minutes
Stroll on a paved path through a recovering landscape that was buried by falling cinder from the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption.
Opens on the Park Service site - Keanakākoʻi1-2 Hours
Walk along an old portion of Crater Rim Drive to Keanakāko'i Crater and views toward the massive Halemaʻumaʻu.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Footprints Area1-2 Hours
Traverse the rugged Kaʻū Desert and see footprints left by Native Hawaiians long ago.
Opens on the Park Service site - Puʻuloa Petroglyphs Trail60-90 Minutes
Hike across a lava field to the largest group of petroglyphs in Hawaiʻi.
Opens on the Park Service site - Maunaulu via Nāpau Trail1-2 Hours
Explore the 1969-1974 lava flows of Maunaulu and hike to the top of Puʻuhuluhulu cinder cone.
Opens on the Park Service site - Nāhuku Lava Tube Trail30-90 Minutes
Walk through lush rainforest and see a cave where a river of lava flowed 500 years ago.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Kahuku: Forested Pit Crater3-6 Hours
Take a strenuous hike to a pit crater filled with an array of native Hawaiian species.
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Kahuku: Kona Trail3-5 Hours
Hike through scenic pasturelands with native trees, and transverse the 1887 lava flow.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Puʻuʻōʻō Southeast Coast
Current Conditions of Kīlauea Summit Eruption
Live view of the upper Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea
Live Image of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) from Uēkahuna bluff
View of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea, view is to the west![Current view: Kīlauea Summit from Mauna Loa Strip Road- [KPcam]](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/cams/KPcam/images/M.jpg)
Kīlauea Summit from Mauna Loa Strip Road- [KPcam]![Current view: Mauna Loa's Summit and Northeast Rift Zone from Mauna Kea [MKcam]](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/cams/MKcam/images/M.jpg)
Mauna Loa's Summit and Northeast Rift Zone from Mauna Kea [MKcam]![Current view: Maunaulu Cam [MUcam]](https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/cams/MUcam/images/M.jpg)
Maunaulu Cam [MUcam]Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Events
- Explore the Summit10/1410:30 AM · runs through Jan 1 · free
- Life on the Edge10/1410:00 AM · runs through Jan 1 · freeMeet the ranger at Uēkahuna parking area. Programs may be canceled due to hazardous weather or volcanic conditions.
- 09:30 AM · freeKahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
- Precious Garlands Performances.10/1711:00 AM · freeKahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
- Stewardship at the Summit Rainforest Restoration10/1708:45 AM · free
- Koʻi: Hawaiian Adze Demonstration and Talk Story10/2409:30 AM · freeKahuku Visitor Contact Station
Show all 10Hide
- Fee-free Day for Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday10/2712:00 AM · freeAll fee-charging national parks in the US.
- Annual Halloween Bingo Scavenger Hunt at Kahuku.10/3109:00 AM · freeKahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
- Spooky Scavenger Hunt at Kīlauea Summit10/3112:00 PM · freeKilauea Military Camp at the flagpole in front of the Welcome Center
- 12:00 AM · freeAll fee charging national parks in the U.S.
News
- Uncertainty at Kīlauea Summit Prompts Safety Closures in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park ↗2026-10-07
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will temporarily close Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of Byron Ledge Trail by 5 p.m. today, Wednesday, October 7, due to continued inflation and increased seismicity at the summit of Kīlauea…
- Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park ↗2026-10-01
The iconic Hōlei Sea Arch in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, marking the latest transformation of the park’s remote and rugged coastline.
- Most of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Reopens Following Hurricane Nolo ↗2026-09-27
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has reopened most areas along Kīlauea summit, and Kahuku Unit following Hurricane Nolo.
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to Close Ahead of Tropical Storm Nolo ↗2026-09-24
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will temporarily close most park areas ahead of Tropical Storm Nolo, which is forecast to bring heavy rain, flooding and strong, damaging winds to Hawaiʻi Island.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Wilkes CampsiteSite · Hilo · 11.7 mi
- Mauna Loa RoadHistoric district · Hilo · 13.6 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Hawaii guidebooks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthErckel's Spurfowl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 62 birds, 14 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBarn Owl · Peregrine Falcon
Waterfowl & wadersWestern Cattle Egret
Shorebirds & seabirdsBonaparte's Gull · Pacific Golden Plover · Sanderling
Gamebirds & dovesCalifornia Quail · Green Pheasant · Japanese Quail · Kalij Pheasant · Ring-necked Pheasant · Rock Dove · Spotted Dove · Wild Turkey · Zebra Dove
Also on the checklistAfrican Silverbill · Black Noddy · Chukar Partridge · Common Myna · Common Waxbill · Erckel's Spurfowl · Eurasian Skylark · Hawaiʻi ʻAmakihi · Hawai‘i Creeper · Hawai‘i Elepaio · Hawai‘i ‘Akepa · Helmeted Guineafowl · House Finch · House Sparrow · Hwamei · Indian Peafowl · Japanese Bush-warbler · Java Sparrow · Kioea · Koa‘e ‘ula · Lavender Waxbill · Manu-o-ku · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Nutmeg Mannikin · Nēnē · Pueo · Red-billed Leiothrix · Saffron Finch · Warbling White-eye · White-tailed Tropicbird · Yellow-billed Cardinal · Yellow-fronted Canary · ʻAkekeke · ʻAkiapolaʻau · ʻApapane · ʻAukuʻu · ʻAʻo · ʻEwaʻewa · ʻIo · ʻIwa · ʻIʻiwi · ʻUaʻu · ʻUaʻu Kani · ʻĀkeʻāke · ʻŌmaʻo · ʻŪlili
Small mammalsHouse mouse · Norway rat · Polynesian rat · black rat
Marine mammalsHawaiian monk seal
Hoofed mammalsFeral Sheep · Mouflon Sheep
BatsHawaiian Hoary Bat
Also on the checklistDomestic Cat · domestic cattle (feral) · domestic dog · feral pig · goat (feral) · small Indian mongoose
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 15 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
The weather the summit of Kīlauea (~4000' elevation) varies daily and may be rainy and chilly any time of the year. Temperature varies by elevation. At the summit of the volcano, temperatures may be 12 to 15 degrees cooler than at sea level. The coastal plain at the end of Chain of Craters Road is often hot, dry, and windy with the possibility of passing showers.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Hawaiʻi Volcanoes?
Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Private Vehicle Pass - The private vehicle pass admits the passholder and up to 14 passengers of a single, private (non-commercial) vehicle.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Hawaiʻi Volcanoes?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes?
Yes. The Park Service lists 2 campgrounds in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes: Nāmakanipaio and Kulanaokuaiki. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Source: Campgrounds
Do any Hawaiʻi Volcanoes campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 2 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Nāmakanipaio is $15 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes right now?
9 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and Part of Byron Ledge Trail Closed Due to Safety Risks; Keanakākoʻi Side of Kīlauea Volcano Closed Due to Volcanic Unrest; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes?
1,877,854 recreation visits in 2025, number 48 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
What is the weather like at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes?
The weather the summit of Kīlauea (~4000' elevation) varies daily and may be rainy and chilly any time of the year. Temperature varies by elevation.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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