Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park released the following updates and events for September 2025.
Construction Continues. Disaster Recovery construction projects resulting from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse continue. Visitors should expect delays, detours, and traffic control at the park entrance and Crater Rim Drive – especially during the volcano’s ongoing eruptive episodes.
Roundabout and Realignment Work. The new roundabout traffic circle near the park entrance is complete! Please slow down, drive safely and stay alert. The roundabout is part of a larger plan to realign Crater Rim Drive that includes an additional lane for park staff and partners at the entrance, and an exit pullout before the highway. The entrance realignment project will make driving in the park much easier and safer and will be finished by the end of September.
Although Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation park rangers, the NPS Passport stamp station, Junior Ranger books, visitor services and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store have relocated to the temporary Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) on Crater Rim Drive east, about a 1.2-mile drive from the closed visitor center.
Uēkahuna Update – The deconstruction project to remove buildings and infrastructure damaged by the 2018 summit collapse is complete and the observation deck at Uēkahuna is now open. This area, where Jaggar Museum and the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory facilities once were, offers views of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera), improved trail access and lots of parking. An outline of the former Jaggar Museum footprint includes stones from the historic building’s original columns. The Uēkahuna comfort station will reopen to visitors in the weeks ahead.
Switchback Work Underway on Kīlauea Iki Trail – The western switchbacks of Kīlauea Iki Trail are temporarily closed for repairs and safety upgrades. The work occurs Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the switchbacks are open to hikers outside of those hours. The rest of the popular 3.3-mile trail is open. The work will be complete by September 30.
Highway 11 Hole Drilling and Power Pole Replacement. HELCO’s Line Relocation and Replacement project continues with hole digging and power pole replacement along Highway 11 in the park. The upgrades will provide more reliable electricity island-wide.
Park Events :
The following events are free, however park entrance fees apply. Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Plein Air Painters Celebrate the Beauty of Kahuku. The Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has a multitude of inspirational landscapes, and there is a dedicated cadre of plein air (open air) artists who frequent Kahuku to capture these beautiful scenes. The Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will sponsor an exhibition of these paintings and an opening reception to meet the artists on Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. In addition to the reception, the artists will be painting on the lānai of the Visitor Contact Station (VCS). Come experience how different artists approach the same subject as they paint the iconic Puʻu O Lokuana cinder cone,or bring your own equipment and paint with them. The paintings will be on display in the VCS from September 18 through September 28. There are no sales at this event.
When: Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
When: Saturday, September 27, 8:45 a.m. to noon. Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai.
Where: Participating public lands nationwide.
Kahuku Unit Guided Hikes. Weekend ranger-guided hikes are back in Kahuku! Three Saturday hikes in September feature the iconic ʻōhiʻa lehua tree. Learn about the vital role ʻōhiʻa lehua serve in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the ʻōhiʻa tree and the threat of the fungal disease, Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is a one-mile or less one-hour walk.
When: September 6,13, and 27
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.
When: September 6, 20 & 27 (National Public Lands Day). Meet at 8:45 a.m.
Where: Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center parking lot on the dates above. (The meeting place is open during the visitor center renovation.)
Ranger-Guided Programs at Kīlauea Summit. Did you know that Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park offers free guided programs nearly every day? Experience Life on the Edge at Uēkahuna, Explore the Summit and other ranger programs by checking the park calendar for dates, times and descriptions or drop by the Welcome Center to read the program board.
When: Almost daily
Where: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea summit
Photo credit: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
