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Unwrap these tips before visiting Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for the holidays
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As the holidays approach and Kīlauea nears its next eruptive episode — forecast by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for sometime between Dec. 22 and 27 — Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park rangers offer these tips to keep everyone safe:
- Expect Crowds at Kīlauea Summit. Visitation soars during the holidays and skyrockets during eruptions. Heavy traffic is the norm. Slow down, drive safely and heed rangers directing traffic.
- Walk the Beaten Path. Stay on trail, out of closed areas and away from cliff edges. Keep children close!
- Head to the Welcome Center. Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation, but rangers, information, parking and the park store are at the Welcome Center, just 1 mile past the park entrance on Crater Rim Drive East. Open 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily (including Christmas and New Year’s Day).
- Plan Ahead. Make the park website your first stop. Find eruption viewing tips, air quality information, safety alerts, things to do, hikes, drives and more.
- Don’t Get Lost. Explore the park like a ranger and download the National Park Service app and interactive map — free on the App Store and Google Play. Download for offline use; some areas have no cellphone reception.
- Have a Plan B. If an area is too crowded, go to a less-visited part of the park and try again later. Watch the 5-minute video below for advice about where to go.
- Protect Nēnē. It is nēnē breeding season. Watch out for the native Hawaiian goose on roadsides and in parking areas. Never feed nēnē and keep your distance.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park rangers want visitors to have a safe and memorable adventure this holiday season. Safety is their top priority, but it is your responsibility.
Massive fountain of lava and tephra from Episode 38 of the ongoing Kilauea eruption feed a towering gas plume rising out of the caldera. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)- A traffic control ranger directs a minivan to park at the ballfield near the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)
- Parking is full in the photo taken at the Devastation area parking lot off Crater Rim Drive West in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)
- A park ranger and volunteer assist visitors at the Welcome Center during the renovation closure of the main visitor center. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)
- Off trail, hazards include earth cracks, steep cliff edges, steaming hot fissures and other dangerous volcanic features. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)
- Stay on Trail and out of closed areas! Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park search and rescue rangers prepare safety ropes to pull a visitor who went into a closed area and fell off cliff. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)
- A mother nēnē and two goslings in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. (Photo Courtesy: National Park Service)
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