Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is shutting most visitor access as Tropical Storm Lala approaches Hawaiʻi Island. A National Park Service news release dated August 13, 2026, sets timed closures for summit roads, trails, the Kahuku Unit, tent camping, and key drive segments, and tells registered lodging guests at Volcano House, Kilauea Military Camp, and Nāmakanipaio A-frame cabins to shelter in place without outdoor recreation.
That is a park-specific traveler decision on top of islandwide air and cruise Lala coverage. If you planned a crater rim walk, Nāhuku lava tube visit, Chain of Craters drive, or backcountry night, treat those plans as closed until the park reopens sections after staff assess conditions.
- Trigger: Tropical Storm Lala heavy rain, flooding risk, and damaging winds on Hawaiʻi Island.
- Thursday by 2 PM: Mauna Loa summit, Red Hill, and Mauna Loa Road past Kīpukapuaulu close.
- Friday by 12 PM: Welcome Center, Kahuku Unit, all trails, Nāhuku tube, tent camping, backcountry, Chain of Craters Road, and Crater Rim Drive East close.
- Still open for registered guests only: Volcano House, Kilauea Military Camp, and Nāmakanipaio A-frame cabins with shelter-in-place rules.
- Reopen rule: Staff will reopen when safe; check the park website for alerts.
What the National Park Service ordered
The official Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park storm safety release says the park is planning parkwide closures ahead of Tropical Storm Lala. Forecast language on that page points to heavy rains, flooding, and strong damaging winds on Hawaiʻi Island.
Thursday, August 13 closures by 2 PM cover the Mauna Loa summit, Red Hill, and Mauna Loa Road past Kīpukapuaulu. Kīpukapuaulu remains closed for hazard trees, so that segment was already offline before the storm plan.
Friday, August 14 closures by 12 PM expand to the Welcome Center and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store, the Kahuku Unit, all trails and Nāhuku lava tube, tent camping at Nāmakanipaio, all backcountry sites including the coast and Pepeiao, Chain of Craters Road, and Crater Rim Drive East. Additional unannounced closures can still appear if weather worsens.
What independent local reporting adds
Hawaii News Now’s August 14 report confirms the rolling closure plan and ties it to Lala’s approach. Local reporting is useful for same-day island context, while the NPS release remains the load-bearing list of which roads, trails, and facilities close when.
Big Island travelers should not treat a single road update as a full park status. The NPS list separates Thursday summit and Mauna Loa road actions from the broader Friday visitor-service and trail shutdown. If you are already mid-island, assume recreation access is ending on the published clocks rather than waiting for a second announcement at the gate.
What is still open, and what shelter-in-place means
The park says Kilauea Military Camp, Volcano House, and the A-frame cabins at Nāmakanipaio remain open for registered guests only. Those guests must shelter in place and not recreate outdoors for everyone’s safety.
That distinction matters. A confirmed hotel or cabin reservation is not a free pass to hike Nāhuku or drive Chain of Craters. It is permission to stay indoors at the lodging property while the storm risk is active.
Day visitors without lodging reservations should plan as if the visitor core is closed after the Friday noon cutoff. Do not drive in hoping for a partial overlook stop once trails, the Welcome Center, and the listed roads are closed.
How this fits the wider Lala travel picture
Deep Arrival’s broader Tropical Storm Lala Hawaii advisory coverage tracks island watches, warnings, and statewide traveler risk. Airline-specific moves such as Hawaiian Airlines Hilo cuts and waivers are a separate stream for people flying into Hilo rather than touring the park.
Park access is its own decision because a flight can still land while trails and roads inside the national park stay closed. Conversely, a reopened airline seat does not reopen Nāhuku or Chain of Craters. Check both layers if your trip mixes Hilo flights with volcano day plans.
For destination planning once the storm threat eases, Deep Arrival’s Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guide and Big Island things to do shortlist remain the base pages for rerouting days. Use them after the park posts reopen notices, not as proof that anything is open right now.
What to do if you are already on island
If you hold lodging inside the listed open properties, follow shelter-in-place instructions and keep outdoor recreation off the schedule until the park says otherwise. Confirm arrival timing with your property if roads outside the park are also restricted by county or state notices.
If you planned a same-day park visit from Kona or Hilo, cancel or move the outing rather than testing the Friday noon line. The NPS release is written as a rolling safety shutdown, not as a short delay.
If your itinerary can flex, park the volcano day at the end of the trip and watch nps.gov/havo alerts for reopen language. The release says staff will assess conditions and reopen when safe, which can happen in stages rather than all at once. Keep fuel, food, and indoor backup plans ready so a delayed reopen does not strand the rest of a Big Island day.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Have tickets or plans for trails, Nāhuku, or Chain of Craters this weekend | Assume closed on the NPS clocks and rebuild the day outside the park. |
| Hold Volcano House, KMC, or Nāmakanipaio A-frame reservations | Shelter in place and skip outdoor recreation until the park reopens areas. |
| Are flying into Hilo for a volcano day | Check airline waivers separately, then verify park reopen status before leaving the airport. |
| Can move flexible sightseeing | Swap in coastal or Kona-side plans and keep the volcano day as a reopen-dependent option. |
| Need current status after the storm passes | Use the park website alerts, not social reposts, before driving to the entrance. |
- Staged reopen notices: Roads, trails, Kahuku, and the lava tube may return on different clocks.
- Extra unannounced closures: The NPS release allows more closures if weather deteriorates further.
- Hazard-tree residual: Kīpukapuaulu was already closed and may lag even after storm reopen steps.
- Lodging rules: Shelter-in-place stays in force for registered guests until recreation is allowed again.
Confirmed facts are the Thursday and Friday closure clocks, the named roads and facilities, the registered-guest lodging exceptions, and the shelter-in-place recreation ban on the NPS release. Unknowns include exact reopen times for each unit, whether any road reopens before trails, and how long hazard-tree work keeps Kīpukapuaulu offline after Lala passes.
Is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park open during Tropical Storm Lala?
Most visitor access is closing on the NPS schedule. Trails, many roads, the Welcome Center, Kahuku Unit, tent camping, and backcountry sites close by the published Thursday and Friday cutoffs.
Can Volcano House guests still hike or drive park roads?
No. Registered lodging guests may stay at Volcano House, Kilauea Military Camp, or Nāmakanipaio A-frame cabins, but they must shelter in place and not recreate outdoors.
When does Chain of Craters Road close?
The NPS release lists Chain of Craters Road among the areas closing on Friday, August 14, by 12 PM, along with Crater Rim Drive East.
How will visitors know when the park reopens?
Park staff will assess conditions and reopen when safe. The release points visitors to the park website alerts at nps.gov/havo for current status.
Is this the same story as Hawaiian Airlines Hilo cuts?
No. Airline schedule and waiver decisions are a separate traveler stream from park road and trail closures, even though both are driven by Lala.
