Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Closes Areas Due to Earthquake Activity at Kīlauea

Parts of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii were closed on October 2, 2026, after nearly 100 earthquakes were recorded beneath the summit of Kīlauea volcano. The National Park Service reported that the Keanakākoʻi area has been temporarily closed to the public for safety reasons due to the earthquake activity and increased volcanic unrest. The closure includes Old Crater Rim Drive, the overlooks near Keanakākoʻi Crater, and the Crater Rim Trail to Keanakākoʻi. However, the Devastation Trail parking lot remains open. Over the past 24 hours, nearly 100 earthquakes were recorded in the summit area, with the largest measuring magnitude 3.4 at 9:52 p.m. HST on Wednesday. The strongest activity occurred between about 8 p.m. Wednesday and 3 a.m. Thursday. Since 3 a.m. Thursday, summit inflation has leveled off and earthquake activity has decreased. A comparison of webcam imagery before and after the intrusion showed no new ground cracking or eruption of lava in a new location, according to the National Park Service. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the 55th episode of Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption is expected to begin soon after a shallow intrusion of magma occurred overnight within the summit region near the existing eruption location. Over the past 24 hours, the north vent has had several overflows, including a small dome fountain and an overflow that lasted more than an hour Wednesday afternoon. Overnight, the north and south vents exhibited a strong glow, intermittent spatter, and large flames. The west vent also had a glow and large flames. No other areas showed signs of volcanic activity.