This refuge was established to protect endangered and threatened waterbirds, including the koloa (Hawaiian duck), ‘alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian coot), ‘alae ‘ula (Hawaiian moorhen), ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt) and nēnē (Hawaiian goose). In addition, these wetlands host a number of vagrant and migratory waterbirds. To ensure the continued protection of the birds that live in Hanalei NWR, ...
Read More Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge
Archives by Month:
Home to colonies of thousands of migratory and resident seabirds, this coastal refuge is a premier location for observing a diverse array of species, including both white and red-tailed tropicbirds, Laysan albatross, red-footed boobies, wedge-tailed shearwaters, and more. The historic lighthouse and plunging sea cliffs provide dramatic and awe-inspiring views as you look seaward toward ...
Read More Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
Formerly a sand and gravel mining site, Kawaiʻele Waterbird Sanctuary is a manmade wetland, created and preserved to provide a healthy habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds. This site is home to native species ʻalae ʻula, ʻalae keʻokeʻo, aeʻo, and ʻaukuʻu and is regularly visited by nēnē.
Named in memory of McKinley High School teacher and environmental activist Betty Bliss, this special viewing point provides a look into the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge- an area dedicated to the protection and management of endangered waterbirds and endangered plants. Accessible year-round by walking or biking along the Leeward Bikeway (also known as the ...
Read More Betty Bliss Memorial Overlook
This scenic, paved hike presents breathtaking views of expansive coastline, including Koko Head and Koko Crater, as well as views of the iconic red-roofed Makapuʻu lighthouse. Be sure to bring your binoculars to spot passing seabirds and humpback whales (humpback whale season runs from November through May).
Waimea Valley features botanical gardens, important cultural sites, a waterfall, and more. Managed by non-profit organization, Hiʻipaka LLC, Waimea Valley is accessible to the public with the purchase of admission. The valley is home to around 15 of the endangered ʻalae ʻula.
A hike along this coastal trail will bring you to Kaʻena Point Natural Area Reserve, one of the last coastal sand dune habitats on the island and an important nesting site for the mōlī (Laysan albatross) and ʻuaʻu kani (wedge-tailed shearwater). Along the route, you will find beaches and occasional tidepools. This trail also presents ...
Read More Kaʻena Point Trail
Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is nestled between Kīhei and Ma‘alaea towns and features a coastal salt marsh habitat. Start your trip at the Visitors Center to learn all about the area and its feathery inhabitants. Nearby, the Kanuimanu Ponds offer an up-close view of waterbirds. A must-see is the Coastal Boardwalk that offers a ...
Read More Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
A side trip on the road to Hana is always an adventure! The Wai‘ānapanapa State Park is a perfect rest stop steeped in Hawaiian culture. The off-shore rocks and cliffs provide excellent sightings of shore and seabirds, viewable from ancient shoreline trails.
Named after Hawai‘i’s first Superintendent of Forester, Ralph Hosmer, this grove of eucalyptus (planted by Ralph in 1909) and the adjacent nature trail though sub-alpine shrubland provides an excellent venue to sign Hawai‘i’s colorful native forest birds.
High up on the cliffs of Haleakalā Crater is the Leleiwi Overlook. On the short trail to the overlook, you may see nēnē and other native and common birds. From the lookout, you may glimps soaring tropic birds and seabirds returning to their burrows at night.
Some of the best bird watching on the island can be found at ʻAimakapā Fishpond. This wetland area provides habitat for an amazing variety of birdlife, including some species that are not found anywhere else in the world. Other species can be found spending the winter months in the fishpond, having traveled to Hawaiʻi from ...
Read More Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historic Park
Take a journey through Mauna Kea’s high-elevation dry forest. High above tropical rain clouds, this forest has adapted to an extremely dry and cold climate normally found on continents. You will see plants and animals found nowhere else in the world as you explore this special place. This forest is one of the last large ...
Read More Palila Forest Discovery Trail
A nice family trail, the Puʻu Huluhulu trail network features several short hikes atop a forested hill, surrounded by black lava from an 1843 flow. A mix of koa forest and dry mixed forest, this puʻu (hill) is a good place to view native forest birds seeking refuge from an otherwise stark lava landscape.
This historic trail was once a cattle driving trail linking Puʻu ʻŌʻō Ranch on Mauna Kea and Keauhou Ranch near Kīlauea. An easy, though lengthy 7.4-mile round-trip hike across smooth pāhoehoe and rough ʻaʻā lava flows, the trail meanders in and out of kīpuka (older, forested pockets spared from lava flows) filled with ancient trees ...
Read More Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Trail