Roads closed after the March 2026 eruption at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes: what applies in 2026?

Direct answer

Roads closed after the March 2026 eruption and storm — Crater Rim Drive West beyond KMC and Mauna Loa Road

Exact conditions

Status: Not required; the stated access rule still applies
Applies to: all visitors
Place or corridor: Crater Rim Drive West beyond Kilauea Military Camp to Uekahuna; Mauna Loa Road beyond the first cattleguard; Escape Road from Highway 11 to Nahuku
Effective dates: March 18, 2026 through December 31, 2026
Release model: unpublished

Release detail: Reopening dates are condition-dependent and not published; NPS gave no end date.

Exceptions and limits

Crater Rim Drive West is open from the park entrance to Kilauea Military Camp.
Crater Rim Drive East and destinations like Devastation, Pu'upua'i and Keanakako'i reopened on March 18, 2026.
The closure beyond Kilauea Military Camp applies to bicycles and pedestrians as well as vehicles.
No permit or reservation exists that would allow entry to a closed area.

Official source

National Park Service · reviewed August 27, 2026

News Release Date March 18, 2026. Still closed: "Mauna Loa Road beyond the first cattleguard" and "Crater Rim Drive West beyond Kilauea Military Camp to Uekahuna, including bicycles and pedestrians". Cause: the "powerful March 14 weekend storm" plus ash "from the eruption on March 10."

Some Areas Reopen in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park