Kakahai‘a National Wildlife Refuge

About Kakahai‘a National Wildlife Refuge

Kakahai‘a National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Moloka‘i was established in 1976 to permanently protect wetland habitat for endangered waterbirds, primarily Hawaiian stilt and Hawaiian coot, and to provide habitat for wintering migratory wetland birds.

How to Get There

Kakahaia Refuge is located along the coastal road (Highway 450) linking the island's southeast coast with the airport in Kaunakakai. The refuge is located directly seaward of the Kawela subdivision and is about 5 miles from Kaunakakai. As a satellite refuge, Kakahaia is not open to the public except by Special Use Permit; however, parking, picnic tables, and shade trees are located on the ocean side of the road. This park area is open year round.

Plan Your Visit to Kakahai‘a National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Kakahai‘a National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)