Hawaii Volcanoes National Park says the roughly 90-foot-high Hōlei Sea Arch collapsed into the ocean on September 27. When we wrote in January about our drive through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and the 19-mile descent on Chain of Crater Road to the ocean, we included our own photograph of Hōlei. We didn’t know then that we were seeing it for the last time, during its final months.
The reaction on the park’s Facebook page makes clear that Hōlei was more than something people happened to pass on the way down. In just 7 hours, their post had over 2,600 reactions and hundreds of comments. Kevin called it “always worth the drive,” while Susan said it had been “a highlight of that drive.” Others posted photographs taken September 22 and 23, only days before the collapse, alongside pictures reaching back decades.
Hōlei had been changing for years.
The ocean carved Hōlei into lava flows about 550 years old, working through cracks and weaker rock layers. What looked permanent from the viewpoint was actually continually being reshaped by the Pacific.
By 2018, researchers had documented significant cracking near Hōlei. In January 2020, the park closed the original overlook after new cracks and instability were found in the coastal cliffs, then opened a replacement viewing area farther back from the edge.
The biggest visible change came in July 2022, when historic high surf from a south swell tore a large chunk from the bottom of the arch’s leg. Rangers warned afterward that Hōlei could collapse into the ocean at any time without warning, yet it still stood when we visited four years later.
What stands out in the hundreds of FB comments is how many people immediately went looking for their own Hōlei photographs. Some were from this month, others from the 1970s and later family trips. The same formation appears again and again.
What caused the final collapse remains unclear.
Hōlei disappeared during a stretch of rough Hawaii weather that included hurricanes and tropical storms. NPS has confirmed the September 27 collapse but has not attributed it specifically to any one storm. Hōlei had already been weakening for years, so the timing alone doesn’t establish that Nolo or another storm delivered the final blow.
Chain of Craters Road still reaches the coast.
The road remains open, including its pullouts, parking areas, and coastal turnaround. Visitors can still make the long yet fascinating descent from Kilauea at the top down to the Pacific at the bottom and explore the coastline at the end, although the view they’ll now see on arrival has changed.
The park’s regular Hōlei webpage hadn’t yet caught up and still told visitors how to walk to the arch after its collapse. We also haven’t seen an announcement about what will happen to the interpretive signage or how the former viewing area will be presented now.
What are your memories of Hōlei? Please join the discussion in the comment section. Mahalo!
Photo Credit: © Beat of Hawaii at Hōlei Sea Arch in December, 2025.
By Rob and Jeff, Beat of Hawaii.
Some of the most meaningful parts of Hawaii are the ones visitors walk right past without knowing they are there. We’ve spent nearly 20 years finding them firsthand for BOH as full-time Hawaii residents reporting on travel, culture, and island life, and telling you what they mean for your trip. Join us →
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Oh, this makes me sad! I remember seeing this beautiful arch on our trip to the Big Island a few years ago. The ocean is relentless. Guess the lesson is always to see and enjoy while you can – you never know!