Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Kilauea Is Erupting Again, and the Timing Matters

Kilauea began a new episodic eruption cycle at the Halemaumau crater on December 23, 2024 – one of the longest-running eruption sequences on record, with 48 documented eruption episodes by June 2026, more than any previous episodic fountaining eruption in recorded Hawaiian volcanic history. Individual episodes have produced lava fountains reaching 200 metres, covering significant portions of the crater floor with fresh lava flows. Between episodes, the volcano quiets; another episode typically follows within 1 to 3 weeks.

This matters for visit planning because the experience of seeing an active eruption – the orange-red glow of the lava at night, the fountains visible from the caldera overlooks – is fundamentally different from visiting when the crater is quiet. Before visiting, check the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at volcanoes.usgs.gov for current eruption status. The difference between an eruption episode and a quiet period is the difference between one of the most extraordinary experiences in the national park system and a very impressive geological landscape.

Entry is USD 35 per vehicle, valid for seven days. The park is open 24 hours; the visitor centre keeps regular daytime hours.

Crater Rim Drive and the Caldera

Crater Rim Drive circles the Kilauea caldera. Much of the west and southwest section has been closed since the 2018 eruption that caused significant subsidence and destroyed portions of the road. The accessible sections give views into Halemaumau and across the caldera floor, which measures about three kilometres across. The Steam Bluffs and Sulphur Banks are accessible on short walks under a kilometre from the visitor centre – the sulphur deposits colour the ground yellow and the atmospheric shimmer above the vents is visible without any equipment.

Chain of Craters Road

This 32-kilometre road descends 1,100 metres from the summit caldera to the coast, passing pit craters, lava flows from different decades that show the landscape in different stages of geological youth, and the Pu’u Loa Petroglyph Field near the coast. Around 23,000 carved images made by Native Hawaiians over several centuries are protected by boardwalks along the 1.6-kilometre access trail. The road ends where a 1990 lava flow buried the town of Kalapana; the hardened flow field is walkable.

Kilauea Iki Trail

The best hike in the park for most visitors: a 6.5-kilometre loop that descends into the Kilauea Iki crater, which last erupted in 1959 when a lava fountain reached 580 metres – still the highest ever recorded in Hawaii. The crater floor is cooled but still warm underfoot in places. The trail crosses 120 metres of elevation change over hardened lava, then climbs back through ohia lehua forest. Allow three hours.

The Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku)

A 165-metre paved section of lava tube accessible without a torch. The tube formed when the outer skin of a lava flow hardened while molten rock continued flowing inside, eventually draining and leaving a tunnel. The formation is real and worth the 10-minute walk.

Staying and Logistics

Volcano Village, 3 kilometres from the park entrance, has several small hotels and B&Bs. Kilauea Lodge runs USD 180-220 per night with a reliable restaurant. Volcano House inside the park on the caldera rim has rooms from USD 250 – the position is excellent for watching any eruption activity at night. Camping at Namakanipaio campground is USD 30 per night.

The park is 45 kilometres from Hilo and 145 kilometres from Kona (about 2 hours by Highway 11). The only fuel near the park is in Volcano Village. The caldera rim sits at 1,200 metres elevation – cooler and wetter than the coast; bring a layer regardless of the forecast. Vog (volcanic smog from sulphur dioxide emissions) affects visibility and can cause respiratory irritation on active eruption days.