Public input sought on congestion solutions within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is asking for input on a plan that will address congestion, safety, resource protection and improve the visitor experience in the busy Kīlauea summit area.

The Kīlauea Summit Area and Corridor Management Plan will identify management strategies and solutions to reduce conflicts among cars, buses, motorcycles, bicyclists (including e-bikes) and pedestrians on park roads and trails that traverse the popular and often-crowded summit of Kīlauea volcano.

“We want to hear from those who hold a deep connection to the park, who participate in cultural protocol, and who recreate or conduct business here. Your voice matters and will help park management develop solutions to the many problems overcrowding has created,” said Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh.

The public comment period begins Feb. 22 and ends March 22. This comment period is the initial phase of the plan and future opportunities to provide input will be announced as the plan develops.

The project will take approximately two and a half years to complete and will be accomplished by an interdisciplinary team consisting of staff from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Pacific West Regional Office, Park Planning and Special Studies, and the Denver Service Center. Public and stakeholder involvement will be key to the success of developing and implementing this plan.

An online newsletter describes the desired conditions of the project, the issues the plan will address, and project goals, and will be available for comment at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/kilaueasummitcmp.

Since 2008, following the first significant summit eruption since 1924, park visitation has soared with most visitors drawn to areas between Uēkahuna and Devastation, including Nāhuku lava tube, Kīlauea Iki, Kīlauea Visitor Center, the entrance station and the overall summit corridor. The high concentration of vehicles and people in a relatively small area often results in full parking lots, lines of traffic at the entrance station, crowded overlooks and frustrated visitors.

Major damage to Crater Rim Drive and the loss of buildings and infrastructure during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse have exacerbated park congestion, especially during the busy winter and summer holiday travel seasons. The park lost Jaggar Museum, a portion of Crater Rim Drive, Halema’uma’u Overlook and ‘Iliahi Trail due to the eruptive events that year.

The need for, and development of, a Kīlauea summit site plan was included in the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park 2016 General Management Plan.