Places on Kauai: The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Basic Information

• Name: Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
• Where: Kauai, Hawaii
• Hours: Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Cost: $10 per adult, kids 16 and under are free
• More Information: USFWS website

Directions

The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is located on the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.  To get there from Lihue, just take the Kuhio Highway around east side of the island to reach the North Shore.  At Kilauea town look for the Shell Station and make a right there on to Kolo Road and then immediately make a left on to Kilauea Road.  This road leads right to the wildlife refuge.  The route is well signed so there should be no issues with trying to find the refuge.

Parking

Parking at the wildlife refuge can be a bit challenging because of how small the lot is combined with how popular the location is with visitors.  If visiting mid-day expect to wait in line along the narrow road that accesses the refuge’s parking lot.

Narrative

A must see location for anyone visiting the North Shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai is to make a stop at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge is located on a peninsula that extends out into the Pacific Ocean that features the beautiful Kilauea Point Lighthouse:

Here is a closer look at the lighthouse from the upper viewpoint:

From the parking lot there is a short trail that leads to the lighthouse.  Along the way the old residence the lighthouse keeper would have lived at can be seen:

The short walk to the lighthouse offers nice views of the surrounding North Shore coastline:

Along the trail there are also multiple signs that describe the incredible amount of birds that can be seen at the wildlife refuge such as Great Frigatebirds, Laysan Albatross, Red-Footed Booby, and others:

Many of the birds can be seen flying over head or nesting on the hillsides of the refuge:

The state bird of Hawaii is the native duck called a nene.  The nene can be seen at the refuge as well.  In fact I have not seen a place with more nenes in the wild than at Kilauea Point:

There are so many of them that the Fish and Wildlife Service have signs up warning people not to feed them:

At the end of the trail is where the lighthouse is located:

You can learn more about the history of the Kilauea Point Lighthouse at the below link:

On Walkabout At: Kauai’s Kilauea Lighthouse

Due to receiving federal restoration funds, the lighthouse was re-named in 2013 in honor of former Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye:

Senator Inouye passed away in 2012, but during his time in office he was the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee which meant he had the power to send a lot of federal money back to Hawaii.  Because of this power, the late Senator Inouye has buildings, highways, ships, and even the lighthouse at Kilauea Point named after him:

Now that Senator Inouye has passed away, the easy federal money is no longer available thus the Fish and Wildlife Service is relying on fundraising from the public to help maintain the lighthouse:

One of the fundraisers is that families and companies can sponsor bricks with their names on them near the lighthouse:

It seems to be working because the Kilauea Lighthouse is beautiful and well maintained:

At the end of the peninsula there is a small island filled with nesting birds:

Also from the end of the peninsula is where visitors can try and spot humpback whales:

I saw a couple of whales during this visit to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, but they were too far out to photograph.  I have been able in the past to photograph whales from Kilauea Point.

Conclusion

A visit to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge should take 1-2 hours to complete.  I believe this is time well spent for the opportunity to see native birds, possibly humpback whales, Kauai’s scenic coastline, and a beautiful lighthouse.