If you want to hike the popular Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, you’ll be glad to learn that two-thirds of it has now opened to the public again. Located on Hawai’i the Big Island, the park protects two active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. On 11 May 2018, Kilauea experienced an unprecedented eruption that forced the closure of most of the park until 22 September, the longest closure in the park’s history.
Walking the Kilauea Iki trail in Hawaii. Image; Greg Elms/Lonely Planet
Once it was declared safe, staff worked to repair the park’s infrastructure, gradually making parts of the area accessible to the public again. Most of Kīlauea Iki Trail recently re-opened, and visitors can park at Kīlauea Iki parking lot to hike Crater Rim Trail, which is a 2.4-mile one-way trek. The trail crew has made significant repairs to the switchbacks that were destroyed when large boulders up near the rim were loosened by earthquakes.
Smoke and lava erupt from a vent in the volcano. Image by Paul Souders/Getty Images
They crashed down through the trail and retaining walls, landing on the crater floor. The section of trail leading to and on Byron’s Ledge near Halema‘uma‘u, Kilauea’s summit crater, is badly damaged and remains closed. According to the National Parks Service, the open areas of the park are as safe to visit as they were before last summer’s closures. Unsafe areas and areas that require further evaluation remain closed to visitors.
A bulldozer pushing lava aside to make a road in Kilauea. Image: NPS Photo/M. Theune
Kīlauea is still an active volcano, and while it’s not currently erupting, volcanic hazards still exist like falling onto hardened, razor-sharp lava, localised heavy concentrations of volcanic gases that can exacerbate respiratory and heart issues, cliff edges, hazardous earth cracks, sinkholes along trails and wind-driven ash and other particulate matter. Visitors are urged to heed all posted signs.
A volcano crater letting off steam in Kilauea in Hawaii. Image: Chris Clor/Getty Images
While you’re on the island, you can check out the new black sand beach that was formed following the eruption. The Hawai’ian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Kilauea for any sign of reactivation, and a full list of area closures in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park can be found on the NPS’s advisory page here.
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