Kilauea Lighthouse

The lighthouse itself was closed when we visited but the views of the bay and the ocean from here are stunning. Also a great place for nature lovers. A wide variety of birds can be found flying around and perched on the nearby trees. The albatross the boobie among others. Very interesting location. They also rent out binoculars for free if you’d like to spot the underbelly of a bird or try to look out for the spray a telltale sign of a whale. We were told that this is a place where whales come to mate so it is a good whale watching spot.

We loved stopping at this beautiful lighthouse on the tip of Kilauea Point! It offered a gorgeous panoramic view of the ocean, and its National Wildlife Refuge status means that it’s a prime location for seeing all kinds of sea birds. It’s a great place to relax and listen to the sound of the birds & the ocean waves hitting the rocks below.
The parking lot is modest, but we didn’t have trouble finding an open spot when we were there. My husband and I each paid our $ 5 to get in, and made the short walk up to the bookstore before heading to the lighthouse. The park was a bit smaller than I had hoped, and there was no access to the inside of the lighthouse — bummer! But we still managed to spend over an hour looking out at the ocean, taking bird photos (one of the baby boobies was learning how to fly & land!), and reading up on the history of the lighthouse through the self-​led mini «museum.» The volunteers who man the lighthouse and adjacent buildings are very kindly and informative, and patiently answer all the questions you can think of!

So I thought the lighthouse was stunning and a lot of info about the wildlife. The only problem is I was eaten alive by bugs! Eeek!

Incredible views and wildlife. We saw various boobies, albatross, nenes, frigate birds, and other birds. If you have a national park card, you get in for free.

Amazing spot which is the northern most of the island. It is a short walk from the parking lot to the actual lighthouse and you are greeted by incredible views once you are there. It is one of those «closer to god» type of views and makes you feel small and big at the same time.

This is one of the last tourist area for us to visit. Since we got tired of shopping, we’ve decided to drive 45 minutes from our hotel to visit this lighthouse. The parking is a bit tight. With most general population who don’t know how to park between the line, it makes the parking situation a bit of a headache. Once you’ve parked, they will ask for $ 5/​person entrée fee just to get in. The lighthouse is actually locked up and we weren’t able to get in and visit. The view of the ocean from mountain top is truly amazing. You should be able to finish looking around in less than 15 minutes. I am willing to pay but $ 5 is a bit too pricy for a less than 15 minutes self tour and not being able to walk up to the lighthouse.
If you have extra time on your trip to Kauai, it will be a good spot to keep time at. Otherwise, I’m not sure if its worth it.

Love birds and wildlife it is a must! Love historical lighthouses it’s a must! Tours are Wednesday and Saturday 10:30 — 2:30. Going back for tour Saturday:) Volunteers are very helpful and friendly. Golf cart rides for those that need assistance. Drive in only to parking, there is walking once parked. No food allowed, there is a water re-​fill station which was nice:) $ 5 per person cash so bring cash too.

Really nasty female Ranger yelling at us for walking. «Didn’t you see the signs?» She questioned and then blamed us for other people that were also walking. We told her we haven’t seen the signs and then she told us we didn’t have to be rude. On the walk back we noticed two stick figure with lines drawn through them we really didn’t notice that had meant no walking. Perhaps you should stand at the top of the hill to prevent people from walking down to the bottom instead of yelling at them when they get there. Really bad PR on her part.

No need to actually drive into the lighthouse area. Park your car outside the gate, and take pictures. The best view is outside the gate, unless you really want to walk up to the lighthouse. Beautiful views, similar to most other areas in Kauai.
This is not a must see in Kauai, but nice to see if you enjoy lighthouses.

Awesome. $ 5 per person. Do this. Tour of the beautiful lighthouse was great. And the views are spectacular.

This is for the bird watchers: go here. It is a bird reserve, and it is a guaranteed spot to see the endangered nene. You can get a view of a cliff filled with birds; it is mesmerizing. The info house has binoculars you can check out freely.
For non-​bird watchers: this place is still pretty impressive. The views are breathtaking; for example, mighty waves crashing against an inaccessible cliff and cove, slowly carving out a cave. In the winter, whales can be spotted.
For people who actually want to go into the lighthouse rather than cool off in its shade: check the website. Turns out that the lighthouse is accessible only Wednesdays and Saturdays. Plus I hear there is a height limit, so it might have been disappointing anyway for our shortstack. If it were not so hot, the little guy would have enjoyed running around, looking at birds and through the child binoculars.

The lighthouse is well-​maintained and the walk to it is very short. You can read about the history of the lighthouse in the small building next to it, or buy something in the gift shop. The entrance fee is $ 5, but I think it’s worth it. I saw a good number of people bird watching too; I forget the name of the bird, but they perch on the side of the cliff parallel to the lighthouse. You can also watch out for the nene and red-​footed boobies. Great attraction for tourists with a great view!

Phenomenal view and great historical place to visit.
It’s a federal park so there’s a $ 5 entrance fee. The tour of the light house is free and about 20 minutes long. The tour guide is knowledgeable but a little slow.
You’ll get some awesome pics from this vantage point. You’ll also see a few species of birds that are local to the island.
Definitely a must visit!

The VIEW! The lighthouse and wildlife bird refuge is a really nice place… It is thoroughly worth the trip and the detour off the main highway. The views from the lighthouse is absolutely amazing.

Opens at 10. Wish I could have gone into the lighthouse. View was pretty nice. I love lighthouses so this one is one of two on Kauai. $ 5 per person to get in; kids 15 and under are free.

This is one of the treats of a Kauai visit – a bargain too.
Striking scenic views down to waves rolling in and then crashing onto the cliffs, plus long coastal vistas in both directions. The restored lighthouse has quite story. Be sure to read up on the mechanics of the lens and its oil-​fired light, especially just how the heavy lens /​light apparatus was floated on mercury.
You’ll enjoy learning about the wildlife, looking at the birds on the cliff and if you’re lucky, gift-​shop staff will aim the binoculars just right and you’ll see albatrosses in their mating ritual.

Visiting the Kilauea Lighthouse is one of those things you do just once just so you can say you’ve seen it. It’s a short walk from the parking area and the entrance fee is $ 5/​person. I’d recommend coming here if you’re in the area, but not something to see if it’s out of your way.

GREAT views.
The lighthouse is beautiful.
Great photo opportunities.
Not many activities besides site seeing

Awesome views of the Pacific and of course the 52′ tall lighthouse itself. The lighthouse went through a major restoration recently and is now in pristine condition. Unfortunately access to the inside of the lighthouse itself is restricted. However, inside the building near the lighthouse is a looping narrated video that shows the history of the lighthouse and what the inside looks like both pre and post restoration. If you are a lighthouse fanatic I strongly recommend you spend the $ 5 access fee to see it up close and visit this building that has interesting information about it. If you don’t want to pay anything then just go to see the amazing view of the lighthouse from outside the entrance gate. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
From Lihue, drive north on Kuhio Hwy for approximately 23 miles to the town of Kilauea, turn right on Kolo Road, then left on Kilauea Road and drive 2 miles to the lighthouse entrance (there are signs to follow, so no worries). All visitors are required to drive down into the lighthouse parking area. $ 5 for adults 16 and older, children 15 and under are free.

We had one rain day during our stay, which hit the whole island but particularly the south. Since we’d barely explored the Kilauea side of the North Shore, we decided to go for it, and you know, happy accidents.
Kilauea Lighthouse is great, with an amazing view of the cliffs and coast below. The lighthouse is, you know, a lighthouse, but we must have spent an hour watching the birds, the waves, and we even had several whales going at it. They’ll lend you binoculars at the top (or sell them to you at the shop, but why?), and there are plenty of telescopes as well. As to the complaints that they charge $ 5 for access to what amounts to a lookout, I don’t think anyone should have a problem supporting the upkeep of this beautiful park, and no, you do not get the same experience from the gate at the end of Kilauea Road.