12/23/2024
A new eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano is drawing thousands of visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park eager to see new erupting lava by day and the lava glow after dark. This new eruption is viewable from almost all open areas around the caldera.
While the park remains open 24 hours a day, some areas may close to protect breeding and nesting nēnē. While an eruption is an exciting experience, keep in mind you are observing a sacred event. The summit of Kīlauea volcano is a wahi kapu (sacred landscape) surrounded with storied places and a delicate ecosystem.
The public is reminded to stay safe and help protect park resources by following these precautions:
🌋 Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks and avoid earth cracks and cliff edges.
🚫 Do not enter closed areas.
💨 Hazardous volcanic gases are billowing out the crater and present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women. Check the park air alert web page before and during your visit.
🚩 Slow down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Uēkahuna (formerly the Jaggar Museum) and Devastation Trail parking area.
🐣 Do your part to help protect nēnē by keeping your distance, at least four car lengths away, and never feed nēnē or wildlife. Handouts make nēnē seek out people and cars, putting them in great danger.
🥶 At 4,000 feet, the summit of Kīlauea can be chilly at any time. Bring a rain jacket, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Bring a flashlight if visiting at night.
So what can visitors expect to see? It depends on when they arrive, and the weather. In the Dark. A magnificent reddish orange glow fills the dark sky. Lava flows have covered much of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
The best eruption viewpoints day or night are along Crater Rim Trail, and include Uēkahuna, Kīlauea Overlook, Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff), Kūpinaʻi Pali (Waldron Ledge), behind Volcano House, Keanakākoʻi and other overlooks.
https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/eruption-viewing-caldera.htm
Image of bright orange lava fountains inside a dark crater at night. NPS photo/Janice Wei
