[X] Stay out of closed eruption areas
Kīlauea can erupt inside Halemaʻumaʻu. The eruption area is closed. View from open overlooks on Crater Rim Drive. Do not cross ropes or enter a closed crater rim.
FIELD GUIDE / SUMMER 2026
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
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Conditions change. Follow signs and ranger orders.
Current conditions
Stay out of closed eruption areas inside Halemaʻumaʻu and view from open overlooks on Crater Rim Drive. Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation, but you can use the Welcome Center at Kīlauea Military Camp.
[GAS] Volcanic gas
Sulfur dioxide and other volcanic gases can harm people with heart or breathing problems, infants, children, and pregnant visitors. Check air quality before you go. Leave if you feel sick.
[BUILD] Kīlauea Visitor Center closed
Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation for about two years. Use the Welcome Center at Kīlauea Military Camp for rangers and the park store.
[PARK] Parking fills
Lots can be full by 10 am. Nāhuku and the Kīlauea summit are often crowded from 10 am to 3 pm. If a lot is full, go to another stop. Do not park outside marked spaces.
[CELL] Limited mobile service
Connectivity is limited in the park. Service is weak or missing on Chain of Craters Road. Save your entrance pass and this guide before you leave town.
NPS conditions (large page)
Services by place
Major places list all five services. Seasonal services may be closed.
- Welcome Center / entrance
Food: Unknown Water: Unknown Toilets: Unknown Fuel: No Signal: Limited - Volcano House / Kīlauea Visitor Center
Food: Unknown Water: Yes Toilets: Yes Fuel: No Signal: Limited - Uēkahuna / Kīlauea Overlook
Food: No Water: No Toilets: Yes Fuel: No Signal: Limited - Kīlauea Iki / Nāhuku
Food: No Water: No Toilets: Yes Fuel: No Signal: Limited
Welcome Center / entrance ↑
Do this: Buy fuel and food before you enter. Stop here first for current conditions.
- Food: Park store only. No groceries.
- Water: Carry water. The Kīlauea Visitor Center water station is closed.
- Toilets: Portable toilets behind the center and at the ballfield lot.
- Fuel: No. Buy fuel in Hilo or Kailua-Kona.
- Signal: Limited. Do not depend on data.
The Welcome Center is 1.2 miles past the entrance, on the right, near the flagpole. Hours are 9 am to 4:45 pm daily.
Volcano House / Kīlauea Visitor Center ↑
Do this: Use Volcano House for food if it is open. Do not plan on Kīlauea Visitor Center services.
- Food: Restaurant, snack bar, and gift shop at Volcano House when open.
- Water: Yes at Volcano House. The visitor-center water station is closed.
- Toilets: Yes at Volcano House. Visitor-center restrooms are closed.
Kīlauea Visitor Center closed on 17 February 2025 for renovation. About half of that parking is also closed.
Uēkahuna / Kīlauea Overlook ↑
Do this: Use these open overlooks to view the caldera. Stay behind ropes.
- Water: No dependable drinking water. Carry water.
- Toilets: Yes at Uēkahuna. Vault toilets at Kīlauea Overlook.
These lots often have more space than Nāhuku. Jaggar Museum was removed. Views can be blocked by fog or gas.
Kīlauea Iki / Nāhuku ↑
Do this: If the overlook lots are full, start from Devastation or the closed visitor-center area instead.
- Water: No dependable drinking water. Carry water.
- Toilets: Yes at Nāhuku. Vault toilets at Kīlauea Iki Overlook.
- Signal: Limited or weak.
Parking at Nāhuku and Kīlauea Iki is very limited. The lava tube lights run 8 am to 8 pm.
Other places
- Nāmakanipaio Campground — Reserve a cabin before you arrive. Bring a rainfly and warm layers. Food: No store. Eat before you camp or cook at your site. On Highway 11 at about 4,000 ft. Operated by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Lodge Company. Nights can drop to the 30s F.
- Kulanaokuaiki / Hilina Pali Road — Bring all drinking water. Do not plan a fire. Pets are not allowed on this road. Water: No water. · Toilets: Vault toilet. No running water. · Signal: Unreliable or none. Nine first-come sites about 5 miles down Hilina Pali Road at 2,700 ft. Losing water access here ends a safe overnight stay.
- Chain of Craters Road / coast — Fill water and fuel at the summit. The coast is hot, dry, and windy. There is no return supply on this road. Toilets: Vault toilets at Maunaulu and at the end of the road. · Signal: Limited or none. An emergency phone is at the Puʻuloa trailhead. The road is 18.8 miles to the end near Hōlei Sea Arch. No food, water, or fuel along the road.
- Kahuku Unit — Bring all drinking water. Confirm the unit is open before you leave the summit. Water: No potable water. · Toilets: Vault toilets. · Signal: Limited or unknown. Do not depend on it. On Highway 11 near mile 70.5. Open Thursday through Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm. About one hour from the Kīlauea summit.
Drive times
Summer estimates without long stops. Traffic, wildlife, weather, and road work can cause delays.
Hilo to the summit
Hilo → 45 min / 30 mi on Highway 11 → park entrance → 1.2 mi → Welcome Center
This is the shorter drive. There is no shuttle inside the park.
Kailua-Kona to the summit
Kailua-Kona → 2–2.5 hr / 95 mi on Highway 11 → park entrance
The Waimea and Hilo route is 125 mi and can take 2.5–3 hr. Buy fuel before you enter.
Crater Rim Drive West
Welcome Center → Volcano House / closed Kīlauea Visitor Center → Kīlauea Overlook → Uēkahuna
Use this side for eruption viewing when overlooks are open. Weather at 4,000 ft can be cool, wet, and windy.
Crater Rim Drive East to Chain of Craters
Kīlauea Iki → Nāhuku → Devastation → Chain of Craters Road → 18.8 mi → coast
No food, water, or fuel on Chain of Craters Road. Vault toilets are at Maunaulu and at the end of the road.
Summit to Kahuku
Kīlauea summit → about 1 hr on Highway 11 → Kahuku Unit at mile 70.5
Kahuku is open Thursday through Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm. It has no potable water.
Help
Emergency: call 911. Tell the dispatcher your location, direction of travel, vehicle, and problem.
Park information: 808-985-6011
This independent guide is not the National Park Service and is not an emergency service.
Permits
Entrance pass
Every visitor needs an entrance pass. The park does not take cash. Save a printed pass or a screenshot. Signal is often too weak to load a pass later.
Camping
Nāmakanipaio has water and restrooms. Kulanaokuaiki has no water and no fires. Park entrance fees are extra. Cabin reservations go through Volcano House.
Backcountry
Overnight backcountry travel needs a permit. Reserve on Recreation.gov, then check in at the Backcountry Office between 8 am and 4 pm. Carry 3 to 4 liters of water per person per day. Treat any catchment water.
Closed areas
Stay on open trails and overlooks. Closed eruption zones have gas, cracks, rockfall, and falling tephra. Crossing a closure can cause serious injury or death.
Drones
Do not launch, land, or fly an unmanned aircraft in the park unless the superintendent has given written approval.
Short hikes
Distances are one way unless marked as a loop. Check trail closures.
- Kīlauea Iki / Nāhuku / Kīlauea Iki loop: 3.3 mi loop. Steep 400 ft descent to a hardened lava lake. Start elsewhere if the overlook lot is full.
- Kīlauea Iki / Nāhuku / Nāhuku lava tube: 1.5 mi round trip from Kīlauea Iki Overlook. Low ceilings and rockfall. Lights are on 8 am to 8 pm. Do not touch the walls.
- Welcome Center / entrance / Haʻakulamanu (Sulphur Banks): 1.2 mi round trip. Easy walk from the steam-vent lot. Avoid it if you have a heart or breathing problem.
- Kīlauea Iki / Nāhuku / Devastation Trail: 1 mi round trip. Paved path through 1959 cinder. Stay on the pavement. Do not climb Puʻupuaʻi.
- Chain of Craters Road / coast / Puʻuloa petroglyphs: 1.4 mi round trip. Hot lava field. Stay on the boardwalk. Emergency phone is at this trailhead.