Things to do nearMakapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail

Makapu'u Point has marked the southeastern corner of Oahu for generations of mariners, and the red-roofed lighthouse standing on the rocky promontory below the trail was completed in 1909. Its Fresnel lens, one of the largest of its kind in the United States, once guided ships through the Kaiwi Channel between Oahu and Molokai. The trail itself is a paved road, roughly two miles round trip, that climbs about 500 feet through open lava terrain dotted with coastal shrubs and native naupaka.

From the summit overlook, visitors take in a panorama that sweeps across the deep cobalt of the Kaiwi Channel, the sea stacks and tide pools at the base of the cliffs, and on clear days the faint silhouette of Molokai on the horizon. The trail is managed as part of the Hawaii State Parks system, and interpretive signs along the upper section explain the history of the lighthouse and the ecology of the surrounding coastline. Tide pools at the base of the point support sea urchins, small fish, and other intertidal life for those willing to scramble down after the hike.

The surrounding Makapu'u area also connects to nearby Waimanalo Beach and Sea Life Park, making it easy to extend a morning on the trail into a full day along this less-crowded stretch of Oahu's windward shore. The combination of accessible terrain, genuine historical character, and some of the most dramatic ocean scenery on the island makes Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail a compelling destination for anyone spending time on Oahu.