HVNP Set to Close to Park Visitors

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park file courtesy photo.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes Park will close to all park visitors starting Sunday until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision to shut down came in response to the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and actions outlined by the Governor, to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Starting March 22, The park will offer no services, except those that support visitor or resource protection.

The Kahuku Unit will also close its gates. All public areas, including trails, roads, campgrounds, the backcountry and public restrooms are closed to visitors. All commercial tours and special use permits are suspended.

“The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is our number one priority,” HVNP officials say.

The National Park Service (NPS) is working with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor COVID-19. NPS will notify the public when the park will resume full operations and provide updates online.

NPS encourages people to take advantage of the digital tools already available to explore Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, including our social media channels and U.S. Geological Survey webcams: https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm.

In addition, the HVNP education team has created curriculum resources for families at home with children in kindergarten through high school that highlight the geology, biology and Hawaiian culture that define the park: https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/education/curriculummaterials.htm.

Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.