Hawaiʻi Volcanoes: Keanakākoʻi Area Closed After a Surge in Kīlauea Activity

If you're planning a trip to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, note this change before you lock in your plans. Kīlauea's summit is going through a surge of earthquakes and volcanic unrest beneath the caldera right now. As a precaution, park officials have closed the entire Keanakākoʻi area.

Here's what that means on the ground. The Keanakākoʻi area is closed for safety, and that covers several spots travelers love to reach. Old Crater Rim Drive is cut off, along with the overlooks near Keanakākoʻi crater. The stretch of Crater Rim Trail that leads to that same crater isn't open either. If this route was on your list, you'll have to set it aside until things settle down.

There's some good news in all this. The Devastation parking lot stays open. That still gives you a jumping-off point to explore the surrounding area and enjoy the park another way, without getting close to the zone under watch.

This closure isn't arbitrary. An active volcano like Kīlauea can change fast, and tremors beneath the summit are exactly the kind of signal that pushes crews to move people away from the most exposed spots. Follow every barrier and sign on site to the letter. They shift with the activity, sometimes from one day to the next.

Since no reopening date has been announced, treat the restriction as in effect until further notice. Before you head out, check the access conditions that same day, since the rest of the park can stay open while one specific area closes. To place this area within the park's trails, viewpoints, and on-the-ground layout, keep the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes park guide handy. And if you're building a bigger trip through the islands, this park fits nicely into our road trip itinerary that runs through it.