Hawaii visitors won't see this iconic landmark again - USA Today

One of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's most iconic landmarks has disappeared. The Holei Sea Arch, a natural lava rock structure made by erosion, recently collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, according to the National Park Service in an Oct. 1 news release.

Located at the end of Chain of Craters Road against the cliffside, the 90-foot arch was a popular spot for parkgoers to witness nature's power. It was made from lava flow dating back 550 years. When molten lava hit the ocean, it cooled and hardened into rock. Wind and sea erosion over time created the famous arch shape.

The arch was still present Sept. 23, but was gone by Sept. 27, the park said. The exact time of collapse is unknown, but NPS said it may have happened while the park was closed for Tropical Storm Nolo on Sept. 23-24.

"The coastline flanking the sea arch has shown signs of instability for years," NPS said in the release. Earthquakes from the 2018 Kilauea eruption and summit collapse had damaged the cliffs around the arch. In 2020, the park had to close the viewing area due to new cracks. In 2022, massive waves took a "significant portion" weighing nearly half a ton off the arch.

However, the arch was always temporary.

"That is something that is very much part of a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, that the landscape is constantly being created and changed," Ben Hayes, interpretation and education manager at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, previously told USA TODAY in 2022.

The area is closed, and visitors are warned to stay away from the unstable cliff edge because of serious falling hazards.