Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge closure

Trail Stabilization project results in temporary closure of Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge from January 17 through April 30, 2016.

Refuge hosts fee-free day Saturday, January 16

The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge will be closed from January 17 to April 30, 2016 to address safety concerns along the trail between the Visitor Center and Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse. The Refuge’s Friends group, Kilauea Point Natural History Association, nature store will also be closed during this time. The Refuge will do its best to reduce the length of the closure to the absolute minimum, but addressing issues that are quickly escalating along the pathway to the Point is critical for the future of public safety and visitation at the Refuge.

During the closure, the Overlook at the end of Kilauea Road will be accessible with staff and docents providing information Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm (except on Federal holidays). Parking will be extremely limited and a parking time-limit will be enforced.

Contractors McMillen Jacobs Associates will be stabilizing a portion of the trail that has experienced erosion, undermining, and settling. In a Draft EA open to public review and comment from October 14-November 12, the project proposed three alternatives to address the issue. The decision to stabilize the trail with a west ravine discharge was selected from three alternatives and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed January 7, 2016. The project will require heavy equipment to work along the pedestrian pathways, blocking access to the Visitor Center, Lighthouse and Point, and visitation will not be safe for the public.

The public is encouraged to visit the Refuge free of charge Saturday, January 16th to experience wildlife viewing from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Lighthouse tours every half hour beginning at 10:30 a.m., with the last tour at 3:00 p.m.

The Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge was established to preserve and enhance seabird nesting colonies and is home to some of the largest populations of nesting seabirds in the main Hawaiian Islands as well as the historic Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse. To learn more about the Refuge, please visit www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint and friend us on Facebook. To learn more about KPNHA, visit www.kilaueapoint.org