Sulphur Banks Trail reopens to once again awe Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park visitors
Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park can once again enjoy the colorful displays created by volcanic gas deposits scattered along one of the park’s most unique — and popular — trails, as it winds through a dramatic thermal landscape enshrouded by warm vapors and steam billowing from the Earth.
Keep your eyes peeled, too. Ha‘akulamanu, the area’s Hawaiian name, means “gathering place for birds,” and as its name suggests, it offers incredible access to wildlife.
The 1.2-mile Sulphur Banks Trail reopened Friday following the replacement of the trail’s aging wooden boardwalk and completion of safety upgrades.
The project was finished well ahead of schedule, by about 3 weeks.
“How is the new boardwalk at Haʻakulamanu coming along?” the park asked in a Nov. 19 post on Facebook. “Great! Our team is doing a remarkable job and is almost done with the task of replacing the old weather-worn wood on the [600-foot-plus] boardwalk.”
Sulphur Banks Trail was closed Oct. 21 as the boardwalk replacement and safety improvements project began. Park officials originally anticipated it would be closed through Dec. 12.
All the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park trail crew and two carpenters from Yellowstone National Park working on the project had left to do Tuesday was install the boardwalk’s new benches, sand out the rough spots and clean up.
Park staff will reinstall interpretive signs along the boardwalk after new mounting hardware is received.
The former wooden boardwalk, it’s foundation, benches and railings — originally built in 2000 — were degrading at best, with some spots rotting away. Exposure to volcanic gases, heat, sun and rain were contributing factors.
The new boardwalk, benches and railings were constructed with durable, weather-resistant yellow cedar, and the foundation is now reinforced with sturdy concrete blocks.
The project also improves visitor safety and accessibility at Haʻakulamanu.
“Beautiful work. Thank you,” commented top fan Zelina Sophia Sail on the park’s Nov. 19 Facebook post.
“That’s amazing!!!” added Julie Pappenfort in another elated comment on the same post.
A woman uses an electric saw to trim a board for the new wooden boardwalk on Sulphur Banks Trail in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. (National Park Service photo/From Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Facebook page)- Freshly placed wooden planks form a boardwalk through the sparsely vegetated landscape of Ha‘akulamanu, also called Sulphur Banks, at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. (National Park Service photo/From Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Facebook page)
- The new boardwalk along Sulphur Banks Trail in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. (National Park Service photo)
The new boardwalk is expected to last 15 to 20 years.
That’s at least about 2 more decades of comfort walking the photogenic trail known for its stunning bright yellow sulfur crystals that cling to lava rocks as they sit on a steaming Kīlauea volcano.
“Big mahalo to the team for finishing the upgrades ahead of schedule!” said the park in a Facebook post Friday morning.
To keep up with all the construction happening at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, check for updates online.
News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.
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