HAWAII ON EDGE

Lava-Spewing Volcano Forces Trails to Close in Tourist Hot Spot

Hawaii officials reported a surge in tourism since the volcano became active again in 2024, with 1.8 million visits in 2025 to see the lava-spewing attraction.

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Volcanic rumbling has triggered earthquakes and rockfall risks, prompting closures of hiking trails around one of Hawaii’s most popular tourist attractions. Around the Kīlauea Volcano in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the National Park Service announced Wednesday that the Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of the Byron Ledge Trail would temporarily close 1.3 miles of trail. Since the volcano became intermittently active again in 2024, NPS reported a surge in tourism with 1.8 million visits in 2025 to see the lava-spewing attraction. Officials monitored the renewed volcanic activity after the U.S. Geological Survey issued a volcanic activity notice earlier this week. The USGS reported renewed “spattering” at Kīlauea and 200 shallow earthquakes beneath Kīlauea’s summit this week. The volcano, which erupted continuously from 1983 to 2018, earned an orange aviation color code, the second-highest level, indicating heightened volcanic activity and the potential for an eruption. Scientists say they can’t forecast when, or if, the volcano’s 55th eruption since 2024 will occur, according to the USGS. Officials warned residents about potentially dangerous gas emissions, volcanic fragments that can irritate skin and eyes, and unstable cliff edges that could collapse without warning.