Kahoʻolawe Island

Kahoʻolawe is the smallest of the eight main islands - uninhabited, sacred to Native Hawaiians, and a former US Navy bombing range now under long-term restoration.

Known for: its history as a bombing range and its role in the Native Hawaiian cultural revival.

Don’t miss: the island is closed to the public - access is limited to approved cultural and restoration groups, so it is best appreciated from the sea or from Maui.

When to go: not open to general visitors.

Kahoʻolawe is a small, uninhabited island in the Hawaiian archipelago, southwest of Maui. It covers roughly 45 square kilometres and is the smallest of the main Hawaiian Islands.

The island is noted for its stark, eroded landscape and cultural sites sacred to Native Hawaiians. Access is restricted - most visits are by organized cultural, restoration or research trips with permits; there are no regular tourist facilities.

From the 20th century into the 1990s Kahoʻolawe was used by the U.S. military as a training and bombing range. After the cessation of most military activity control of the island was returned to the State of Hawaii and it is now managed for cultural restoration and ecological rehabilitation.

Kahoʻolawe sits in the central Hawaiian Islands, southwest of Maui and within the State of Hawaii. The island is remote, with no permanent population or public infrastructure.

• Access: Landing and visits are tightly regulated; public access requires permits and is generally limited to cultural, restoration and research groups.
• Size: The island is uninhabited and totals roughly 45 square kilometres (about 17 square miles).
• Conservation: Managed as a cultural and ecological reserve with ongoing revegetation and unexploded ordnance clearance after decades of military use.

There are no commercial services to the island. Visits are possible only through authorized organizations based on Maui; interested parties should contact the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission for information on permitted cultural or volunteer programs. Landings are weather-dependent and subject to strict safety briefings.

• Access is tightly controlled; look for authorized cultural- or conservation-led trips from Maui with required permits.
• Respect restrictions: Kahoʻolawe is a cultural reserve and access is limited to restoration teams and permitted visits only.
• If participating in a permitted trip, pack sun protection and a firmly secured boat-line - landings are often on rocky shorelines.