News Release
NPS Photo/J.Ferracane
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Contact: Jessica Ferracane, 808-985-6018
HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park announces updates and events for May 2025:Construction Updates
Several Disaster Recovery construction projects resulting from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse are underway. This includes the Kīlauea Visitor Center renovation, construction of a roundabout, and more. Visitors should expect delays, detours, and traffic control at the park entrance and Crater Rim Drive – especially during Kīlauea volcano’s ongoing episodic eruptions. Find construction updates on the park website.
Kīlauea Visitor Center Renovation. Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) is closed during a meticulous renovation to increase visitor use space while preserving 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 auditiorium 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.
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.
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 now open following significant renovation.
Got Water? Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park need to plan ahead and bring plenty of 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. In the meantime, water is available for purchase at Volcano House.
Roundabout Work. Construction of a roundabout on Crater Rim Drive just west of the park entrance station will impact traffic patterns starting the week of April 14. Expect detours while the remaining roundabout work is completed. The roundabout, which will improve safety and make driving around the park easier, is part of a larger plan to realign Crater Rim Drive and create an additional administrative lane at the entrance station for park staff and partners. The roundabout work will be finished in September 2025.
Uēkahuna Update. The deconstruction project to remove buildings and infrastructure damaged by the 2018 summit collapse at Kīlauea volcano is nearly complete. The observation deck and historic stone walls, once crumbling and riddled with fractures from the 2018 earthquakes, are repaired. An outline of the former Jaggar Museum footprint includes stones from the original columns to commemorate the historic building. This area, where Jaggar Museum and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory facilities once stood, is being restored to a more natural landscape, with uninterrupted views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) and improved trail access. Native shrubs and trees have also been replanted on the landscape. Uēkahuna will reopen to visitors in in the weeks ahead, and the restrooms should be open by Summer 2025.
Highway 11 Tree Trimming and Pole Replacement. Work is nearly complete on tree trimming along Highway 11, part of HELCO’s Line Relocation and Replacement project to safely upgrade and maintain their electrical system and provide reliable service island-wide. HELCO’s contractor is following the park’s invasive pest protocols and sealing cut ʻōhiʻa trees to prevent the spread of Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. The trimmed-back trees will regrow. Hole drilling will begin in May, then new poles will be installed. 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
Hana Hou Kahuku Coffee Talk: Kahuku Pit Crater and its Ancient Forest. By popular demand, park safety officer and former ecologist David Benitez returns to share his experiences in the natural Hawaiian plant sanctuary that is the Kahuku pit crater. During his time as park ecologist, David led the team that rappelled down its 150-foot vertical walls into the crater to inventory and collect plants. Join us and learn about the plant life in the crater, how these collections are used to restore rare plants in the park plus the planning, training, and gear required for these missions.
When: Saturday, May 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Where: Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
Kahuku Kōnane Challenge. Let the paʻani (games) begin! Kōnane is a Hawaiian game from ka wā kahiko (the old days). Fun to play, with or without experience. The Kahuku Kōnane Challenge is a chance to learn the history of the game and how to play it. Players will compete in elimination rounds until there is a winner. The winner will receive a kōnane board from Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association! Reservations required. Email wendy_scott-vance@nps.gov to reserve a place at the kōnane board.
When: Sunday, May 18 at noon
Where: 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: May 24 and 31. 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 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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Last updated: April 15, 2025