The arch sat at the end of Chain of Craters Road on the island of Hawaii, known locally as "the big island." The National Park Service said it was still visible jutting from the coastline on September 23 but had vanished by September 27, leaving the exact moment of collapse unknown.
Rangers weren't caught off guard. The agency warned back in 2021 that the structure would eventually crumble, noting in its recent statement that the coastline around the arch "has shown signs of instability for years."
For visitors, the loss stings most. Chain of Craters Road draws tourists for sweeping lava field views, and the arch had long served as a dramatic endpoint for that drive. Now it's gone, a reminder that even features carved by nature over centuries can disappear within days once erosion catches up.