October 2025 events & updates at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, Hawaiʻi - Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park announces updates and events for October 2025. Photos are available.

Kīlauea Volcano's Ongoing Eruption. Kīlauea continues to draw many visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and the volcano has erupted 32 times since December 2024. During eruptions, park visitation surges, traffic increases and parking is limited in popular areas along the caldera rim. Plan ahead and check the park website for the best eruption viewing locations, parking tips, and more. Want the inside scoop when Kīlauea is erupting? Sign up for free Volcano Notification Service emails through the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Construction Updates
Construction Continues. Phase One of theDisaster Recovery construction projects resulting from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse is almost complete! The Uēkahuna observation deck opened in May and its comfort station should open before the end of September. The new roundabout traffic circle near the park entrance is done, and the additional entrance lane for park staff and partners, and the exit pullout before the highway, should also be done by the end of September. The park thanks everyone for their patience and support during Phase One of the Disaster Recovery Project.

Welcome to the Welcome Center! Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation but 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 West, about a 1.2-mile drive from the closed visitor center. Park at the adjacent ballfield; parking in front of KMC is for registered guests only. The Welcome Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The renovated visitor center is scheduled to reopen in late summer 2026.

Switchback Work Underway for 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 should be complete by September 30.

Where to Go? Portable toilets are available behind the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp, at the nearby ballfield parking lot, near Kīlauea Visitor Center and the Volcano Art Center Gallery, and at Uēkahuna. Vault toilets are available at Kīlauea Overlook, Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Devastation, Maunaulu, Hilina Pali Overlook, Kulanaokuaiki, the end of Chain of Craters Road, Kīpukapuaulu day use area, and Kahuku. The Nāhuku comfort station is open. Please note that there could be a line for restrooms and portable toilets during heavy visitation.

Got Water? Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park should bring their own drinking water for park adventures. The water station at Kīlauea Visitor Center is unavailable during the renovation closure. A bottle filling station will be reinstalled at Uēkahuna comfort station soon. Water is available for purchase at Volcano House.

Highway 11 Power Pole Replacement. HELCO's Line Relocation and Replacement project continues. Hole digging is complete, and power pole replacement is now happening along Highway 11 in the park. The upgrades will provide more reliable electricity island-wide. Sections of this line were built in the early 1950s. The project went out to the public for comment. More information and the Environmental Assessment can be found online.

Park Events
All events are free, but park entrance fees apply. Some programs are sponsored by the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Programs are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Check the park calendar for more information.

Kahuku Unit Guided Hikes. Weekend ranger-guided hikes are back in Kahuku! Two short Saturday hikes are featured in October, Realms and Divisions of Kahuku and Puʻuolokuana cinder cone.
When: October 4 and 11 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.

A Walk into the Past with Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar. Kaʻū resident, actor and playwright Dick Herschberger will give a final performance of his living history program, "A Walk into the Past," as Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Hershberger will appears in period costume and delivers his stories in first person at the Kahuku Unit. With support from the Kīlauea Drama and Entertainment Network, he has presented the historical performances for a dozen years.
When: Saturday, October 18 at 10 a.m.
Where: Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station.Turn into Kahuku near the 70.5-mile marker on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū.

Fifth Annual Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Calling all keiki! Bring your ʻohana to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park or Kahuku for the annual Halloween Bingo Scavenger Hunt. Find the items on your bingo card and return to the Welcome Center or Visitor Contact Station for a treat bag provided by Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Costumes are encouraged!
When: Saturday, October 25. Kahuku, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Kilauea summit, noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Kahuku Visitor Contact Station and the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp.

Stewardship at the Summit Rainforest Restoration. Volunteer to help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment with written consent is required. Visit the park website for details.
When: Saturday, October 4. 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

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