Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse, Maritime lighthouse on Kīlauea Point, Kauai, United States.
Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse is a white concrete tower standing 52 feet (16 meters) above a coastal cliff with views stretching across open ocean. The structure sits on a prominent headland and its light can reach vessels 24 nautical miles away across the water.
The lighthouse came into operation in 1913 after Congress approved funding to help guide growing maritime traffic from Asia across the Pacific. Since then it has served as a navigation aid for decades of ocean travel to and from the islands.
The lighthouse bears the name of Senator Daniel K. Inouye, a figure important to Hawaii's political history, as a tribute during its centennial year. Today visitors can sense how this place connects to broader stories of American influence in the Pacific region.
The site is reached through marked trails within Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, open to visitors on certain weekdays. Prepare for windy coastal conditions and wear proper footwear since the terrain is exposed and can be slippery when wet.
One of only seven remaining second-order Fresnel lenses in American lighthouses resides here, originally manufactured in Paris during the 1900s. These optical instruments from the early lighthouse era are extremely rare and represent important technical achievements of their time.
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