Trails reopen as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park repairs continue

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park staff reopened sections of two trails on Nov. 9 as repairs and restoration continue after the Kilauea eruption and earthquakes of 2018.

Portions of Byron Ledge and Devastation trails, a scenic 1.1-mile section of trail that connects the routes to Puu Puai cinder cone, three volcanoes (Kilauea, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea), and the Kilauea Iki trailhead on the west side of the crater, have been restored and inspected to allow for renewed hiker access.

The reopening also provides crucial additional parking at the Devastation Trail parking lot for hikers embarking on the Kilauea Iki Trail. Parking is limited and often overcrowded at Kilauea Iki Overlook, according to park officials.

Accessing Kilauea Iki Trail by parking at the Devastation Trail parking lot adds roughly two miles to the four-mile loop trail for a total of 6.2 miles.

Additional disaster recovery continues in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park which sustained serious damage from 60,000 earthquakes that shook the area between April 30 and Aug. 4, 2018.