Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park use the new bridge to enter Nāhuku lava tube (NPS Photo/J.Wei)

New Bridge To Nāhuku Lava Tube Completed

Big Island Video News

Aug 7, 2026

STORY SUMMARY

HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - Nāhuku and the loop trail are open following a bridge replacement project the began in April.

(BIVN) – A new bridge leading into the entrance of Nāhuku, the lava tube within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, is complete.

Nāhuku and the loop trail are both open, the National Park Service announced Thursday on social media.

Replacement work on the previous, deteriorating bridge began earlier this year in April. During the project, the popular lava tube remained open, but park officials said the entrance and exit would be on the east end only.

Nāhuku is open 24 hours a day and is lit between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. “Make sure you bring a flashlight or headlamp outside of those hours, and watch your head on the low ceiling in some areas,” the National Park Service advised.

Nāhuku illuminated. NPS Photo / J. Wei

Nāhuku, also called Thurston Lava Tube, is a one of the most popular features in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The lava tube was formed during the ʻAilāʻau eruption from Kīlauea volcano about 500 years ago.

About The Featured Image

Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park use the new bridge to enter Nāhuku lava tube (NPS Photo/J.Wei)


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