Things to do nearKaho‘olawe

Kaho'olawe sits roughly seven miles southwest of Maui, across the Alalakeiki Channel. For Native Hawaiians, the island is considered sacred to Kanaloa, the god of the ocean and the deep sea, and it has served as a navigational and ceremonial center for centuries. Ancient heiau, ko'a fishing shrines, and petroglyphs are scattered across its surface, reflecting a long and layered human presence that predates Western contact by many generations.

The twentieth century brought profound damage. The United States Navy used Kaho'olawe as a bombing range from World War II until 1990, and the effects on both the land and the Hawaiian community were severe. A sustained protest movement led by the group Protect Kaho'olawe 'Ohana brought national attention to the island and ultimately resulted in the cessation of military use and a federal cleanup mandate. That history of resistance and reclamation is inseparable from the experience of visiting today.

Restoration efforts on Kaho'olawe focus on replanting native dryland species, removing invasive plants, and stabilizing eroded soil. Volunteers who travel to the island through work trips participate directly in this ongoing effort, planting native wiliwili trees and other species that once defined the landscape. The sense of collective purpose on these trips is palpable.

Kaho'olawe rewards those who engage with it seriously. It is not a place for passive sightseeing, but for genuine connection with Hawaiian cultural values and the slow, patient work of environmental healing, making it one of the most meaningful destinations in all of Hawaii.