Visiting the Beautiful Kilauea Lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai

There aren’t many lighthouses in Hawaii, but the Kilauea Lighthouse is one that you MUST visit. Located on the North Shore of the Island of Kauai, NOT on the Big Island, the Kilauea Lighthouse is actually part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. Visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse includes a beautiful light, epic views of the Kauai Coast, and some of the best birdwatching you can do on the island. We’ve got all the information for visiting (including reservation info) and tips for having the best experience here at the Kilauea Lighthouse.

Are you planning your trip to the Kilauea Lighthouse because you love lighthouses or because you love birds? Or maybe both? I think it’s a great stop to plan for you time on Kauai’s North Shore and since it’s a part of the National Park System, it’s a wonderful inexpensive thing to do. We’ve got all the information for visiting, so if you have any other questions or have your own tips, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more!

Highlights of the Kilauea Lighthouse and Refuge

I love the Kilauea Lighthouse because it’s both beautiful and a rare sight for anywhere in Hawaii. There are very few traditional style lighthouses in the islands, let alone that you can actually visit so this one is special. I like the way the exhibits are set up for the public, covering topics like Kauai, maritime history and the wildlife of Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

In fact, the wildlife of the cliffs are the other big highlight of visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse. From the beautiful tropics birds with their long wispy tails to the Hawaiian State Bird, the Nene goose, there are lots of cool species to watch for (and whale watching from the cliffs too). Really though, the big ticket bird to see here is the albatross.

These HUGE birds make their nests on the grassy, shrubby areas at the top of the cliffs and take off from here, soaring all around the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, almost like they are putting themselves on display for visitors. Another bonus is watching the giant waves rash into the cliffs to the east of the Kilauea Lighthouse This is the north shore of Kauai, so you know that the waves can get huge, in particular in fall and winter. It’s beautiful!

Where is the Kilauea Lighthouse?

To start, the Kilauea Lighthouse and the wildlife refuge are on the North Shore of Kauai… NOT ON THE BIG ISLAND. I know that Kilauea is a volcano on the Big Island, but this area, Kilauea Point, is close to the town of the same name on Kauai. You’ll see as you tour the Hawaiian Islands that the same name will pop up in many places. For example, Waimea. There is Waimea on the South Shore of Kauai, Waimea Valley on the North Shore of Oahu, and the town of Waimea in the Northwest of the Big Island. Just keep in mind how the Hawaiian language works and that there are different words put together to create the names of some places.

The Kilauea Lighthouse is located between Princeville/Hanalei and Kapaa on the North Shore of Kauai. It’s easy to add to a day heading to anywhere on this side of the island as long as you plan to visit during opening hours and you’ve reserved your time.

Tips for Visiting Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

The most important thing to know about visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse is how to access it. It’s a part of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, which is a federal land, and thus is managed as such. You’ll need entry reservations to visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse which can be made through Recreation.gov. If you have a National Parks Pass entry is free, but you still have to reserve your timed ticketed entry to the Refuge and pay the reservation fee ($1 per person).

Believe me when I say that they are NOT lenient on letting people visit who haven’t reserved their time. You may be able to get a same day reservation, but if it’s busy, you may be out of luck. Plan ahead and make sure you can visit the Kilauea Lighthouse, even if you’re not sure that you’ll make it there in time. Allow yourself an hour or more to enjoy your visit to the Kilauea Lighthouse.

I think that amount of time you need really depends on how much you want to geek out about birdwatching. I absolutely think this is an incredible spot because of the bird species you see, but my kids will tell you it’s just kind of cool. Know your audience when you plan your time here at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

What to Bring to the Kilauea Lighthouse on Kauai

Since visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse is not a long visit unless you’re bridwatching, you can just park and enjoy the short walk to the tower and exhbitis. Binoculars and telescopes are provided at the Kilauea Point visitor center (or at the lighthouse) so you can check out a pair. No need to bring anything with you.

If you’re here for the bird photography opportunity you’ll need a fast camera with a good lens. I’ve used both my 250mm and 600mm lenses here and been able to get some great shots. You’ll see that on the point to the east of the lighthouse there are huge waves crashing, and just above the waves and on the cliffs you’ll be able to see many nests as well as birds flying in from all angles. This can be shot with a good telephoto and maybe a tripod for support. Flying over in a helicopter is amazing because you can see the giant waves crashing, but you miss out on the birds from up there.

When it comes to the albatrosses and tropics birds as they approach, it’s a bit of a spot to photograph them, so being agile with your camera is more important. If you can keep it to a smaller lens, they do get rather close sometimes, but a bigger lens can be really rewarding when the albatrosses are soaring. I love them!

Parking at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

There are two parking areas at the Kilauea Lighthouse and Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. They’re not far apart and one acts as overflow you might say. Because the entry times for the area are ticketed, the refuge staff is able to manage parking very well. If you have an entry ticket, you shouldn’t have trouble parking. As far as accessibility to the lighthouse, there are disabled parking spaces closer to the main paved trail, but it’s still quite a distance. The visitor center and lighthouse area are all fully wheelchair accessible, which is awesome, but there’s quite a bit of ground to cover with a few slopes.