Trails within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park reopen 2 weeks after brief eruption

The Kaʻū Desert and Maunaiki Trails within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park that closed during a short-lived Kīlauea eruption earlier this month are now open.

The volcano erupted on June 3 in the remote upper Southwest Rift Zone. Kīlauea spewed lava for 8.5 hours before stopping again. The last eruption occurred in September 2023.

The recent lava flows and fissures are not accessible and are in an area south of Kīlauea caldera that has been closed since 2008 due to volcanic unrest and damage from the 2018 eruption and summit collapse.

Hikers are required to stay on trail due to hazards that include volcanic gas emissions from the new fissures and flow areas, ground fractures, and subsidence features that may continue to widen and have unstable overhanging edges. In addition, hikers on Maunaiki Trail should watch out for new earth cracks that have bisected the trail in several places.

Kīlauea is not erupting but seismicity beneath the summit, upper East Rift Zone, and upper Southwest Rift Zone have returned to slightly elevated levels. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory states that “changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for an eruption, but there are no signs of imminent eruption at this time.”

Visitors should plan ahead and check the park website for updates.