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Kilauea Point, with its dramatic backdrop of steep cliffs plunging to the ocean is one of the best places in Kauai to watch seabirds.
Throughout the year, visitors can see birds courting, incubating and feeding chicks. The rocky cliffs have been a premier seabird nesting area for thousands of years, providing protected coastal nesting and roosting habitat for seven species of native Hawaiian seabirds. Doves, cardinals, sparrows and other introduced bird species are also common.
Reintroduction of the endangered nene (Hawaiian goose) began on the refuge in 1991. Efforts to control predators and a buried fence line around the perimeter of the refuge protect breeding seabirds and nene.
Hawaiian monk seals sometimes sun on the rocks below the cliffs. Most of these endangered seals live on the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and are increasingly seen on the main Hawaiian Islands.
Native plant restoration efforts have continued since the refuge opened, such as establishing and maintaining nesting areas for the Laysan albatross, and improving feeding habitat for nene.
About 300,000 people visit the refuge each year, which provides environmental education programs.
Completed in 1913 as a navigational aid for commercial shipping between Hawaii and Asia, the Kilauea Point Lighthouse stands as a monument to Hawaii’s colorful past. For 63 years, it guided ships safely along Kaua'i’s rugged north shore.
In 1976, the Coast Guard deactivated the lighthouse and replaced it with an automatic beacon. In 1979, the lighthouse and other support structures were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Visitors enjoy a 0.2-mile walk to the point and visitor center, which offers displays and dioramas about native Hawaiian habitats and wildlife.
Volunteers at the point answer questions and loan binoculars for wildlife viewing. The base of the historic lighthouse is open daily.
Picnicking is not allowed on the refuge because food crumbs attract rodents, which can harm nesting seabirds.
Outdoor Activities |
