Thurston Lava Tube to Close Temporarily on June 1

Thurston Lava Röhre, Nahuku, Hawaii Volanoes National Park, Big Island, USA. NPS photo/Michael Szoenyi.

Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku) will close from 6 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 1, 2017, for semi-annual maintenance of the comfort station.

The date and time are subject to change. The public will be notified about any changes or delays.

The park regrets any impact to visitors and residents.

Thurston Lava Tube (Nāhuku) and its verdant rainforest trail are popular features in the park located near the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The lava tube is a tunnel formed by a robust river of molten rock that erupted from Kīlauea volcano about 550 years ago.

The native rainforest surrounding Nāhuku is managed as a Special Ecological Area, and is home to numerous endemic plant, bird and insect species.

Visitation is heaviest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Flooding on the floor of the lava tube is common during times of heavy rain; park management will shut off its electrical source for safety reasons.

Visitors are advised to bring their own light source (cell phone lights are adequate) as a backup.