Standing roughly 90 feet tall on the southern coast of the Big Island, Hawaii’s famed 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The National Park Service confirmed the landmark fell during a period of severe weather and temporary park closures in late September 2026.
The centuries-old basalt landmark, located at the end of Chain of Craters Road within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, succumbed to the ocean waves sometime between September 23 and September 27, according to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The park service noted the arch was still standing on Wednesday, September 23, when officials temporarily closed the park during Tropical Storm Nolo. By Sunday night, September 27, the formation had vanished into the Pacific.
Basalt Erodes Under Ocean Waves
The US Geological Survey explained that the arch originally took shape in ancient lava flows by removing rock along cracks and weaker rocks
through a process of differential erosion, where softer stone wears away faster than harder layers. The landmark takes its name from hōlei, which is a small endemic plant belonging to the milkweed family.
Earthquakes associated with the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and summit collapse inflicted heavy damage on the nearby cliffs. The instability prompted park officials to close the original viewing area in January 2020, eventually opening a safer vantage point further from the drop-off three months later. Later that same year, massive surf whipped up by Tropical Storm Darby sheared a large chunk of rock directly from the arch’s lower portion.
Storms Batter Island Coast
Hurricane Nolo rapidly intensified into a Category 3 storm on September 24, forcing park authorities to shutter the grounds. Although the storm did not make a direct landfall at full strength, it drenched parts of the Big Island with over a foot of rain and generated heavy surf that likely delivered the final structural failure.
Forecasters attribute the tropical activity to an intense El Niño pattern combined with planetary warming driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Visitors Share Memories Online
Following the collapse, thousands of visitors turned to social media to share personal photographs and memories of the landmark. One participant on Facebook reflected on the event by noting that nothing lasts forever, writing that visitors should appreciate the beauty of the present moment.
“Hōlei Sea Arch is a very special place to so many of our visitors! Please share your favorite Hōlei photos in the comments, We would love to see them too.”
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Park officials emphasize that geological change is a continuous cycle along the coast.
“This formation is beautiful, but temporary, and has a limited life span.”
National Park Service