Kaʻena Point Trail
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 opportunity for whale sightings as whales frequent this shoreline in the winter months.
Kaʻena Point Trail
Coastal
Managed by: Department of Land and Natural Resources
Hours & Site Information: Visit Website
Important Info:
A hike to Kaʻena Point can take two routes- from the Wai‘anae side or from the Mokuleʻia side. Both routes are approximately the same distance to the Point. The weather is usually sunny and hot, and it can be windy – a hat, sunscreen, and plenty of water are recommended. Allow 1 to 3 hours depending on your pace. Stay away from the wave-exposed coast unless you are familiar with hazardous ocean conditions. From the Wai‘anae side, take the trailhead at the end of the paved road in the Keawaula Section of Ka‘ena Point State Park and follow the dirt roadway for 2.4 miles to Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve. From the Mokule‘ia side, park at the end of the paved road and follow the dirt roadway for 2.5 miles. Upon reaching the Natural Area Reserve, take care to avoid damaging native flora and watch for nesting seabirds, some of whom make burrow nests. Stay on established paths. No dogs or other animals are allowed in the Reserve. To return, retrace your path.
Birds
| American Birding Association Common Name | Hawaiian Name | Scientific Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| snow goose | Anser caerulescens | ||
| Erckel’s spurfowl | Pternistis erckelii | ||
| red junglefowl (domestic) | moa | Gallus gallus | |
| Laysan albatross | mōlī | Phoebastria immutabilis | |
| wedge-tailed shearwater | ʻuaʻu kani | Ardenna pacifica | |
| great frigatebird | ʻiwa | Fregata minor | |
| brown booby | ʻā | Sula leucogaster | |
| cattle egret | Bubulcus ibis | ||
| ruddy turnstone | ʻakekeke | Arenaria interpres | |
| sanderling | hunakai | Calidris alba | |
| brown noddy | noio kōhā | Anous stolidus | |
| white tern | manu-o-Kū | Gygis alba | |
| rock pigeon | Columba livia | ||
| spotted dove | Spilopelia chinensis | ||
| zebra dove | Geopelia striata | ||
| Mariana swiftlet | Aerodramus bartschi | ||
| red-vented bulbul | Pycnonotus cafer | ||
| red-whiskered bulbul | Pycnonotus jocosus | ||
| warbling white-eye | Zosterops japonicus | ||
| common myna | Acridotheres tristis | ||
| saffron finch | Sicalis flaveola | ||
| house finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | ||
| yellow-fronted canary | Crithagra mozambica | ||
| common waxbill | Estrilda astrild | ||
| red avadavat | Amandava amandava | ||
| African silverbill | Euodice cantans | ||
| Java sparrow | Lonchura oryzivora | ||
| scaly-breasted munia | Lonchura punctulata | ||
| chestnut munia | Lonchura atricapilla |