Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, 30 miles southwest of Hilo on Highway 11 according to the park, covers the summits of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, and the National Park Service reports that Kīlauea has erupted intermittently from Halemaʻumaʻu crater since December 2024, with pauses of several days or weeks between eruptions. The eruption area itself is closed; the park directs visitors to open viewpoints along the caldera rim and Crater Rim Drive, and says parking is reduced during eruptions, with lots sometimes full by 10 a.m. Entry is $30* per private vehicle (up to 14 passengers), $25* per motorcycle, or $15* per person on foot or bicycle (not required for visitors aged 15 and under), and the park does not accept cash. The park is open 24 hours a day; the Kīlauea Visitor Center is closed for renovation, a temporary Welcome Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and the park's alerts and conditions page lists current trail and area closures.
*Fees subject to change, please check nps.gov for updated information.
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, not drive time.
- Hilo International (ITO) — 26 miles
- Waimea Kohala (MUE) — 47 miles
- Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) — 54 miles
Live Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
We checked fees, opening hours, closures and operating status on 2026-10-14. These change without notice — confirm with nps.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 9 claims, 9 checked against the source
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Private vehicle $30 (up to 14 passengers), motorcycle $25 (valid 7 days), pedestrian/cyclist $15 per person with no pass required for visitors aged 15 and under; the park does not accept cash (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Fees & Passes | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| The park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Operating Hours & Seasons | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| The Welcome Center is open 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily and temporarily replaces Kīlauea Visitor Center during its renovation (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Welcome Center | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Kīlauea Visitor Center, its restrooms and about half its parking are closed during renovation (page gives February 18, 2025 to late 2026); the park stays open 24 hours during construction (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Construction Closures and Delays | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| The page lists current closures (on 2026-10-14 these included Keanakākoʻi side of Kīlauea, Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of Byron Ledge Trail, Kīpukapuaulu Trail, Mauna Loa Road past the second cattle guard through October 29, 2026); the alert list is rendered by JavaScript and was read in a browser on 2026-10-14 | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Alerts & Conditions | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Kīlauea continues to erupt intermittently from Halemaʻumaʻu crater, with eruptions separated by pauses of several days or weeks; the eruption area is closed, open viewpoints are along the caldera rim and Crater Rim Drive, and parking is reduced during eruptions (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Eruption Viewing | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| The park states that parking lots can be full by 10 a.m. (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Alerts & Conditions (parking note) | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| From Hilo the park lists 30 miles southwest on Highway 11 (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Directions & Transportation | Checked |
| The park encompasses the summits of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa (checked 2026-10-14) | NPS Hawaiʻi Volcanoes — Park home | Checked |