Honolulu’s Makapu’u Point Lighthouse: an Easy Hike with Beautiful Sights

Whether we are in Hawaii or Maine, visiting lighthouses is always something we include in our travels. The Makapu’u Point Lighthouse on the eastern shore of Oahu is a beautiful light station set on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. It’s not one you can drive to, but you can do the gentle hike to the lighthouse viewpoints and above. This isn’t your standard Oahu hike, but I think you’ll enjoy it just the same. This is about a half hour’s drive from Waikiki or downtown Honolulu, so it’s easy to plan for.

Have you gotten to visit the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse? We’ve got the full scoop on adding it to your Honolulu trip and how to be prepared for this fun afternoon hike. If you have any questions about visiting this or other lighthouses on Oahu, or if you’re looking for more hikes, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you put together a fun trip to Oahu.

Highlights of the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Hike

There aren’t many lighthouses in Hawaii so getting to visit the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse is kind of cool. What I enjoyed most about this is that it felt like a hike but also just like a walk. Yes, it is more than a mile from the parking area up to the lighthouse viewing platforms, but it’s just a very nice jaunt and it’s beautiful the whole way. As you make your ascent, you’ll have an option to to head down to another trail that goes along the tide pools. If you have the time, that’s a fun walk to do after you visit the lighthouse, and it even loops you back to the parking lot.

On the way up to the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse, you’ll see a couple of different exhibits about the coast of wahoo and Wildlife. during the winter months. months this is a great place to watch for humpback whales as they migrate. It’s also a wonderful bird watching place. While we didn’t see any albatross nesting here, there are quite a few nesting areas over on Kauai and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot one soaring above on its way.

Other birds to watch for are our deep Brazilian Cardinal, which is really beautiful and found all over Hawaii, and the koa’e, or Hawaiian tropicbird. From the time you reached the first viewpoint, keep your eyes peeled for the tropicbird as they will soar all around and have long wispy whitetails that make them impossible to miss. Once you get to the final viewing platforms that look north towards the Waimanalo beaches, you’ll see there are actually quite a few tropicbirds that nest on the cliff. A lighthouse and beautiful birds? It’s perfect.

Tips for a Great Trek to the Makapu’u Lighthouse

Since the whole trail to the Makapu’u Lighthouse is paved, you don’t necessarily need to worry about having good off-road shoes. I might not do the hike in slippers (flip flops) but you don’t have to be in hiking boots. Tennis shoes are just fine because you’re not going off-trail at all.

NOTE: the actual Makapu’u Lighthouse is not open to the public, so if you were hoping to get really close or even go inside the lantern tower, unfortunately that’s not an option.

Adding the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse to one of your Honolulu days. is pretty easy. Allow yourself an hour to 90 minutes to be able to do the whole hike, and pair it with a visit to Sandy Beach or Waimanalo. It’s right in between the two, so if you are plotting out your stops for the day, it’s very easy to incorporate the lighthouse. This part of the Oahu Coast can be easy to miss since the highway goes up further towards Kailua or Kaneohe Bay, but it’s absolutely worthwhile to take the long route so that you can visit both the Makapu’u Lighthouse and some of the beautiful viewpoints in this rugged section of Oahu.

If you’re like me and you enjoy photography, I think visiting the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse will be kind of a fun job for you. you cannot get directly up close to the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse tower, but there are two different viewing areas for it. The lower one is a fantastic one for getting some good shots of the lighthouse with the contrast of the sky behind it. Photographing the lighthouse from above, it’s a very different perspective and the beautiful waters of Oahu make for a stunning backdrop for your shots.

If you’re looking to take photos of the koa’e as they’re flying to and from the cliffs, that is best done with a good size telephoto. A 400 to 600 mm lens is best set with a very quick shutter speed and a fair amount of light coming in so you can capture them. while the tropicbirds do love to soar, they also tend to dart and dive which could be difficult to photograph. just be alert and ready with your camera.

Being Prepared for the Makapu’u Hike

The hike to the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse will take you about 40 minutes from the beginning up to the top platforms. You definitely should bring water with you and if you’re hiking with kids, bring a little snack. There are places to rest along the way if you’ve got anyone who needs a moment, but there is not any shelter from start to finish. If you’re sensitive to sun, make sure that you’ve put on your sunblock in advance or that you bring an umbrella or parasol. The umbrella can be kind of tricky though as the wind really picks up as it sweeps through the rocks up the cliff.

Another thing about being at this point on the coast of Oahu is how quickly the weather can change and how swiftly clouds can move in. brainstorms are fleeting, but they can definitely soak you if they’ve got the right composition. last time that we did this hike, about 100 yards before the Makapu’u Point Llighthouse viewing platform, we got enveloped in a misty cloud. It actually felt nice after doing that uphill hike for a while, but needless to say, the mist soaked us just as much as a good rain. Wear fast running clothes because chances are you might encounter some clouds like this.

Parking and Accessibility at Makapu’u Point Lighthouse

Parking for the Makapu’u Point lighthouse Trail and the tide pools trail is all together within the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline. When you turn off the highway, take whatever parking you can find. There are perpendicular parking spots at the trailhead, and then once those are full it is parallel parking up the winding road back to the highway. This is a handicap accessible trail, so there are accessible parking spots at the front. Although the top platforms at the end of the trail have stairs leading to them, the well-maintained paved trail does prove doable for both those using wheelchairs and pushing strollers. It was nice to see such a diverse crowd of people enjoying the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail when we were last there.

More Things to do Near the Makapu’u Lighthouse

Besides the hike up to Makapu’u Point to see the lighthouse and seabirds, there is more to do in this part of Oahu. Going from the same parking area, the Kaiwi Shoreline Trail navigates the low coastal brush down to the Kaho’ohaihai Inlet / Alan Davis Beach and a few other small coves and tidepool areas, including the beautiful Kaloko Inlet and onto Kaloko Beach. If the waves are calm, which they tend to be here, this is a great spot to enjoy the water. Put it all together for a 3 mile loop!

Wawamalu Beach Park (Sandy Beach) is just a few minutes’ drive away, and here you’ll find a great food truck, restrooms and beach showers, and you can watch the most awesome local boogie boarders I’ve ever seen. This is a EXPERIENCED beach spot and the lifeguards will yell at you if you look like you’re not ready to handle this tight, aggressive waves.

Also nearby is the Koko Krater Botanical Garden, which has an amazing plumeria grove, the Koko Crater Rail Trail (very difficult hike), and to the north are more beautiful beaches as you come to the town of Waimanalo. This little corner of Oahu is beautiful and so fun to explore.