DLNR News Release – KAHAUALEʻA NATURAL AREA RESERVE REOPENS, October 4, 2024

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

DAWN CHANG
CHAIRPERSON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 4, 2024

KAHAUALEʻA NATURAL AREA RESERVE TO REOPEN FOLLOWING VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

(HILO) – Access is being restored to Kahaualeʻa Natural Area Reserve on Hawaiʻi Island, effective October 4, 2024 at noon. The Kahaualeʻa Trail, also known as the Captain’s Trail, will also reopen at the same time.

The reserve was closed in mid-September due to unsafe conditions related to volcanic activity at Kīlauea Volcano. That activity has subsided, allowing restoration of public access. DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) encourages visitors to Kahaualeʻa to check eruption information from the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory web page before visiting.

For general information about closures of trails and Natural Area Reserves on the Big Island, call DOFAW at 808-974-4221.

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RESOURCES 

(All images/video courtesy: DLNR) 

Kīlauea eruption information: http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/hvostatus.php

Kahaualeʻa Natural Area Reserve: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/nars/hawaii-island/kahaualea-2/

Kahaualeʻa Trail: https://hawaiitrails.ehawaii.gov/trails/#/trail/kahaualea/291

Media Contact: 

Patti Jette

Communications Specialist

808-587-0396

[email protected]