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Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park says Hōlei Sea Arch was standing on September 23, 2026, and had collapsed by Sunday night, September 27. The National Park Service (NPS) does not know the exact time or a single immediate cause. The often-cited age of about 550 years refers to the lava flow the arch was carved into—not a confirmed age for the arch itself.
When did Hōlei Sea Arch collapse?
In a news release dated October 1, 2026, the National Park Service reported that the approximately 90-foot (27.4-meter) arch was still standing on Wednesday, September 23, and had collapsed by Sunday night, September 27. The exact time is unknown. The NPS said the collapse may have occurred during the temporary park closure associated with Tropical Storm Nolo, but did not say the storm caused it. National Park Service, October 1, 2026.
Was the arch really 550 years old?
Not necessarily. The NPS says the arch was carved into a lava flow dating to about 550 years ago. That figure describes the rock, not a separately established age for the arch as a landform. The arch formed later through erosion, but the cited NPS page does not give its age. National Park Service, Hōlei Sea Arch.
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The immediate trigger has not been established. The NPS has documented a longer history of instability in the area: earthquakes during Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption and summit collapse damaged nearby cliffs, and new cracks and instability prompted the park to close the original viewing area in January 2020. A safer viewing area farther from the cliff edge opened in March 2020. Surf from Tropical Storm Darby also broke off a lower section of the arch in 2020. These events show that the cliffs and arch had been changing, but they do not identify what finally brought the arch down. Nolo is a possible timing context, not a confirmed cause. NPS release.
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How do sea arches form—and why do they collapse?
Lava reaching the ocean can add new rock to an island’s coastline. Once cooled, that rock is gradually worn and fractured by waves and wind. Erosion can enlarge weaknesses in a cliff into sea caves; as a cave is enlarged through a headland, it can become an arch. Erosion continues after the arch forms, and eventually its roof may fail, leaving a pile or column of rock known as a sea stack.
Sea caves commonly begin at weaknesses such as faults, fractures, or bedding planes. Waves and transported sediment can exploit those features, along with dikes, veins, and softer layers. This is the general process described by the NPS, not a forensic explanation of Hōlei’s final collapse. The agency calls individual arches “an ephemeral feature of the island’s constantly shifting coastline.” National Park Service, Sea Caves; National Park Service, Hōlei Sea Arch.
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Can visitors still see the arch or visit its former viewing area?
The arch has collapsed, and an older NPS place page’s directions to its former observation area are historical information—not confirmation that the area is currently open. Check current Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park alerts and access notices before visiting, and follow signs and closures on site.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe park warns visitors to stay out of closed areas and away from cliff edges. In its October 1 release, the NPS said: “Visitors are required to stay out of closed areas and away from cliff edges which are unstable and can collapse without warning.” The cliffs drop vertically to the ocean, and the rough, wave-swept coast presents falling and drowning risks. Do not approach the former arch site. National Park Service, October 1, 2026.
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