Hawaii Volcanoes National Park records 15K visitors

HILO, Hawaii – Officials say more than 15,000 people have visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park since it partially reopened last month.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the park reopened on National Public Lands Day — when admission was free — after closing in May because of the Kilauea volcano eruption.

According to park figures, nearly 2,700 visited the park on Sept. 22, the day of its reopening. The park had nearly 2,000 visitors each day of the following week.

Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando says the visitor numbers are on par with past Septembers, the month park visitation typically falls.

She says the turnout was impressive considering much of the park remains closed because of damage caused by the effects of the eruption.

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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/