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Kīlauea Point Lighthouse
Kīlauea Point is the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. Built in 1913, the lighthouse was originally fitted with the largest hand-blown clamshell lens in the world — replaced with a beacon in the 1970s. Today it remains one of Kauaʻi's most photographed landmarks, sitting inside the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on dramatic sea cliffs above the Pacific.
Kīlauea Point Lighthouse — Quick Facts
- Reservations: Confirm refuge access for your date with FWS, then check the current reservation requirements before booking.
- Current access: Leave the stop out of your plans until FWS confirms access for your date. Follow posted closures and staff instructions.
- Lighthouse tours: Recreation.gov lists lighthouse tours as suspended. A refuge entry reservation does not establish access inside the lighthouse.
- Location: At the end of Kīlauea Road in Kīlauea town. FWS directions describe approximately 23 miles north from Līhuʻe on Kūhiō Highway, then Kolo Road and 2 miles along Kīlauea Road to the refuge entrance.
- Wildlife: Red-footed boobies, Laysan albatross, frigate birds (8-ft wingspan), plus seasonal whale, turtle, and dolphin sightings offshore
- Road-end overlook: Confirm access with refuge staff before driving there. Follow posted controls; do not assume the overlook is available.
- Built: 1913 — originally fitted with the largest hand-blown clamshell lens in the world
Nearby is the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, home to a diverse population of nesting seabirds and the only such sanctuary in the islands. Residents include red-footed boobies, the Laysan albatross, the red and white-tailed tropic bird, and the great frigate bird with its 8-foot wingspan. During certain seasons green-sea turtles, humpback whales, and dolphins can be seen frolicking in the waters.
Include Kīlauea Point in a birdwatching itinerary only after FWS confirms access for your date. Our Kauaʻi birdwatching guide explains other birding areas; check each location’s current access before using a suggested route.
Confirm access before booking
Check the FWS visitor page and Recreation.gov’s current alerts before making a booking. Treat refuge entry and lighthouse tours as separate decisions.
Before planning a visit, confirm access for your date, current hours, entry fees and reservation requirements on the official visitor page . Check lighthouse-interior tour availability separately; do not assume it matches refuge access.
Do not make a special drive to the road-end overlook without confirming access with refuge staff. Respect closure signs and barriers, including any controls on the approach road.
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Directions
After FWS confirms access for your visit, approach from Kūhiō Highway in Kīlauea via Kolo Road, then Kīlauea Road toward the refuge entrance. Confirm access to the road-end overlook separately with refuge staff. Follow posted closures and staff instructions; do not continue to a closed parking area.
