HAWAII NATIONAL PARK, United States — The Hōlei Sea Arch, a 90-foot natural landmark that stood for centuries along Hawaii’s volcanic coastline, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, the National Park Service said.
The lava-rock formation in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park was still standing on September 23 but had disappeared by the night of September 27, according to the National Park Service. Officials do not know exactly when it fell.
The park had been temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo, and officials said the collapse could have occurred during that closure.
The loss of the landmark was announced on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
A Landmark Shaped by the Pacific
Hōlei Sea Arch rose about 90 feet, or 27 metres, from steep coastal cliffs near the end of Chain of Craters Road on Hawaii’s Big Island.
The rock from which it formed originated in a lava flow about 550 years ago. Over centuries, waves striking the coastline gradually eroded softer portions of the lava cliff while harder sections remained, eventually producing the distinctive opening.
The process, known as differential erosion, continues after an arch has formed. Waves, wind, and other forces keep weakening the remaining rock until it eventually collapses.
The National Park Service had long described Hōlei as a temporary feature whose eventual disappearance was expected as Hawaii’s coastline continued to change.
CNN first reported the collapse internationally.
Years of Instability Preceded Collapse
Signs that the coastline around Hōlei was becoming unstable had been documented for years.
Earthquakes associated with the 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea damaged cliffs near the arch, according to the National Park Service.
New cracks and other indications of instability prompted officials to close the original viewing area in January 2020. A replacement viewing point farther from the cliff edge opened that March.
Later that year, heavy surf generated by Tropical Storm Darby broke away part of the lower section of the arch.
The continuing erosion reflected the geological forces that created the formation in the first place. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park describes sea arches as remnants of once-continuous cliffs created where lava reached the ocean and added new land to the island.
As wind and waves fracture those cliffs, caves can develop and gradually deepen until openings are carved through the rock. Eventually, the bridge of rock above an arch can no longer withstand the erosion.
Visitors Warned to Avoid Cliff Edge
Park officials have warned visitors not to enter the closed area where Hōlei once stood.
The cliffs remain unstable and drop almost vertically into rough ocean waters, creating the risk of sudden falls and further collapses.
The National Park Service said photographs posted on social media after the arch disappeared showed people entering the restricted area.
Officials warned that doing so could endanger not only visitors but also emergency personnel who might have to attempt a rescue.
Hōlei was one of the best-known natural features along the remote southern coastline of the national park and had been photographed by generations of visitors.
Its disappearance, however, is part of the continuing geological transformation of Hawaii Island, where volcanic activity, earthquakes, waves, and erosion repeatedly reshape the coast.
Other sea arches are expected to form and disappear as those processes continue.
