Ka‘ena Point

The leaping place of souls, at the end of O‘ahu

Ka‘ena Point is the westernmost tip of O‘ahu, a narrow point of volcanic rock and dune at the very end of the island, about ten miles from Waialua on the North Shore and ten from Wai‘anae on the leeward coast. Since ancient times it has been known as leina a ka ‘uhane, the leaping place of souls, where the spirits of the recently dead could be reunited with their ancestors. The leap lies inside the Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve and is honored as a wahi pana, a celebrated legendary place. Many people trace their ancestors to this point, and early Hawaiians came here to fish and to collect feathers.

The ground is old even by island standards. The volcano that built the Wai‘anae Range last erupted more than three million years ago, and the surf has been carving the sea cliffs of Mokule‘ia above the point ever since. Coral reefs grew in the warm water offshore, winter storms broke them, and the waves ground the pieces into the pale sand of the dunes. Dunes like these once lined the main Hawaiian Islands, and their plants and animals have almost all been lost to some 1,500 years of change since people arrived. The reserve, set aside in 1983, protects one of the last intact dune ecosystems left. About 2,000 seabirds breed here, one of the largest colonies in the main islands, Hawaiian monk seals rest on the shore, and humpback whales frequent the water around the point in their winter breeding season.

Vehicles were taken out of the reserve in the late 1980s to let the wildlife recover, so you come in on foot or by mountain bike. The reserve begins about two miles past the end of the paved road, beyond the boulder barricade, and wraps around the point toward Wai‘anae. It is open all year to hikers, cyclists and shore fishers. Dogs are prohibited. Carry water and sun protection for the walk out, and give nesting birds and resting seals plenty of room.