Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

«Photo Op»
Peaceful little spot to take a few pictures. Gorgeous vista to just look out over the water. Didn’t venture into the refuge area but it didn’t look all that spectacular anyway.

Great for driving through with a 5 minute stop. Nice pictures without taking the time to walk up. Would’ve walked up if we had more time.

Went there on the warmest (80) day of out visit. Sun was out and very warm. to the uncomfortable range.
just prior to entering we were informed that it would be a 10 to 15 min wait once we entered the gate for a parking spot. Once parked we took some pictures before we paid the $ 5 per person entry fee to the lighthouse area. There we took many photos and could see some whale activity in the distance.
There are many migrating birds
It was good to see once but will now delete it from my bookmarkd.

= $ 5 ENTRANCE FEE =
$ 5 is not a lot of money, but when you are a traveler on the island of Kauai and only had 15 minutes to stop at this location, $ 5/​head is expensive. I guess it is okay if you think of the funds as donation to the National Wildlife Refuge for their effort to protect the seabirds and environment.
Since I am not much of a birdwatcher, I decided to park my car near the entrance gate and gawk at the lighthouse from the fence with the rest of the cheapos.
NOTE: Construction on the lighthouse was completed as of late May 2013.

Beautiful scenery! It looked like something out of a postcard. I showed pictures of it to my co-​worker and he said it look like it was from UK. Definitely worth the visit and the $ 5 admission.
The only reason I gave 4 stars because the lighthouse was under construction at the time.

There is an overlook from the highway that you can view easily. But to get closer to the lighthouse, there is a short narrow one lane driveway downhill — no pedestrian traffic allowed. There are two sites for parking, and one of them is a little bit of an uphill climb (maybe 100 feet).
The lighthouse was fenced off, under restoration, and am not sure if it’s at all accessible at any other time,
I think this is the smallest National park /​refuge I’ve ever been to.
Definitely worth the $ 5 per person fee to view the birds though. It is a wildlife refuge and there are many birds to see — I have not seen these elsewhere: crested cardinal, a Layson albatross, blue footed booby nesting on the cliffs and Nene geese walk around the property. It’s possible to see marine life from this outlook.
See this link:
You can borrow a pair of binoculars from the ranger station to see the birds better.
I think it’s important to have an appreciation of nature and wildlife in general, to realize how vast, beautiful and diverse the world is.
If you go in with a me-​h attitude about birds, then this is not for you.

I agree with Dave F — you should definitely seperate the reviews for both the lighthouse and the refuge, but note that they are on the same property. You have to pay the $ 5 entry fee inside the refuge to get access to the lighthouse. So you might as well stop and enjoy the wildlife on your walk up to the lighthouse. Truth be told, I’m not a big bird person to begin with. They’re kinda «meh» to me. However, even i found pretty birds to look at and appreciate. The views are majestic and binoclaurs are found throughout the small santcuary (it really feels like a hill and that’s it).
There’s a small giftshop and bathroom too. Also, they have golf carts to accommodate those who have trouble getting up the hill on their own.
*note* as of the week of October 15−19^th the lighthouse was covered up in a huge tarp for renovation. So there wasnt much to see.

This is a small National Park that is primarily a bird and animal sanctuary and also is the location for the light house. There is a $ 5 entry fee to the park — but we paid it since it goes to help the work done by the parks system, a good cause. However we were disappointed that the lighthouse was under construction and covered up.
This is an excellent location for bird watchers.
You can stop at the viewing point just outside the park and get reasonable views of the lighthouse (accross a small inlet), the birds, etc. and not pay the entry fee.

To separate the lighthouse and wildlife refuge is a must on a review, but they are the same place.
This is the most isolated point so both a need for a lighthouse and a place for seabirds to take refuge & have young is needed.
Seeing the cliffs was cool. Seeing the seabirds (with emphasis on the small island just off shore) made realize that this important in another way than just a view. I was able to get a pic of a nesting bird upclose. I also got a great pic of the «birds only beyond this sign».
I walked away happy about the $ 5 and time spent.
The lighthouse has another site for review.

When I visited the lighthouse (which is all we really wanted to see) was wrapped in what looked like bubble wrap. No thanks. I did not really want to bird watch, it is just not my thing, so we passed on the $ 5 admission.
Maybe next time the lighthouse will be done and we will be able to see it.

This was a nice experience, although the 5 $ per head charge was a bit steep. At least it goes to a good cause… The lighthouse is alright, but the real beauty are the sea caves visible from this park and all of the beautiful birds. We also saw a seal here (albeit from far away)…it’s worth the stop, but it isn’t the most amazing thing on the island.

The thought will cross your mind: I’d like to be a bird and fly over this lighthouse, those cliffs, that ocean… one day. I know, sounds corny but it’s true. Go, and you will hear your inner voice speak.
The view is absolutely breath taking! I could have stayed here forever just looking at the water, the birds, the wind on the trees. You come here and you don’t want to leave because you see how small you are in the grand scheme of things — it’s comforting — the beauty is big! The best you can do to soak it all in is to just breathe. Right before you leave, take a good photo and put it somewhere you can enjoy.
Tip: oxyclean gets that red dirt out of your clothes and off of your shoes.

We actually didn’t get to tour the lighthouse since it closed around 4pm! Make sure to go early. It looked nice from the cliff!

So many birds!!!

$ 5 to go in. Lighthouse under renovation. New rails up maybe for safety.
Nice vistas.

I admit I came here thinking it was going to be a tourist trap, but let me tell you that it is wrong. It’s a wonderful secluded little corner of Kauai where, if you love nature, you’ll fall in love with this place. There’s nothing more beautiful than watching the waves crash into the shore, with hundreds of birds gracefully soaring over the cliffside with the lighthouse in the backdrop.
And no… neither me or my car got hit by birds’ poop bombs, which is a miracle given how many birds were out there.

Five hundred, I dub thee «Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.»
I find you not just Hawai’i’s pride, but a nation’s treasure.
Very wise people set you aside so water fowl and beast would be protected.
Each red-​footed booby, each shearwater, each albatross, each nene has a roost.
How do they know to come back and back and back to your protection? They must just
Understand, because you are a quiet, beautiful haven; a
Natural wonder. In winter, humpback whales migrate from Alaska,
Drifting and rolling out at sea, spouting, breaching. It’s awesome to behold,
Regal creatures accompanying the thousands of chattering birds…
Every animal with its own rhythm, its own place,
Delighting visitors day in and day out, unaware.

The lighthouse and the views around it are 5 star. Just the drive out to the lighthouse alone was a feast for the eyes. My wife and I spent a couple hours just taking in the scenery, snapping pictures, and watching the videos and reading all the historical plaques and signs. We used our tripod to take a bunch of pictures of us jumping in front of the lighthouse for at least 15 minutes. (It’s funny what people on their honeymoon will do for fun. ;)) How the birds live in the side of the mountain is simply fascinating. The 360 degree view you get from walking around the point is just breathtaking.
This is a MUST SEE if you’re on Kauai. DO NOT miss this!

Came one day towards closing time (4pm) and was only able to see the lighthouse from a distance. So the fam decided to come back the next day to check out the refuge and lighthouse up close. The entry fee is $ 5 per person, but because the parentals signed up for a National Parks Senior Card ($ 10) from our visit last year to Volcanoes Park on the Big Island, 4 in our party were free and i only paid $ 5!
You see a lot of birds along the path to the lighthouse. There was a Nene perched on the bushes, lookin like he ready to pounce on my head. So i ran… i mean, walked briskly. There’s information about the different types of birds in the refuge, but i took to enjoying the scenery more than reading. Bionoculars are available for patrons to use freely, as well as the viewing scopes along the perimeter of the lighthouse (no change needed… its FREE).
Good stop to take in the views. There is NO shade, so wear sunscreen or better yet, bring an umbrella.

This place has it all: great views, tall cliffs, noisy seals, whale watching, dolphin spotting, a vast assortment of birds and small wildlife, bugs, and island history. I would recommend this to anyone with or without kids! The gate gets locked at sunset, so be sure to arrive with plenty of time to wander around the area. Be careful of the marked areas where birds are breeding or mothering… stay on the trails!