Kilauea Lighthouse was built in 1913 and is located on the northern most point of Kauai (and the main Hawaiian Islands.) When first built it housed the largest clamshell lens in the world and was capable of sending its beam of light 20 miles out to sea; however, the use of the clamshell lens was discontinued in the mid 70’s and the Kilauea Lighthouse was replaced with a beacon.

The lighthouse sits on a picturesque bluff more than 200 feet above the sea, which is also home to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and is a great place to do some serious bird watching. Many different species of birds have made their homes in these cliffs. In fact, right of the northern tip of the peninsula is Moku’ae’ae Island, a bird sanctuary. The view from the edge of the peninsula is absolutely breathtaking with the wide-open Pacific Ocean sweeping endlessly in front of you, almost completely unobstructed clear to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

The refuge and lighthouse are open for self-guided tours daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and free for children under 16.