Westernmost Tip · State Park & Natural Area Reserve
Ka'ena Point
-
A monk seal resting at the point — the wildlife payoff for the long walk.
-
Seabirds like the masked booby nest near the point.
-
The remote coastline at Oahu's western tip.
- Hours
- Daily ~6:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Admission
- Free — no permits for day hiking
- Distance
- 2.5–3.5 mi each way (~5 mi round trip)
- Facilities
- None — no shade, water, or restrooms
About this trail
Ka'ena Point is the westernmost tip of Oahu — a flat, hot, exposed coastal trail ending at a Natural Area Reserve sanctuary where Hawaiian monk seals and seabirds live year-round. It's free, open daily roughly 6 AM to 7 PM, and needs no reservations or permits for day hiking.
There are two ways in: from the North Shore side past Mokuleia/Dillingham Airfield where Farrington Hwy ends, or from the Wai'anae side at Yokohama Bay (Keawa'ula Beach) where the road ends, hiking north. The trail runs 2.5–3.5 miles each way — about 5 miles round trip — with no shade, no water, and no facilities. Start before 8 AM.
The wildlife is the payoff: monk seals — give them 50+ feet, they're federally protected — Laysan albatross and shearwaters year-round, and humpback whales offshore in winter and early spring. Don't swim (rocks, surf, currents — no lifeguards), and leave nothing visible in your car: break-ins are reported at the trailheads.
