The Hawaiian Islands, surrounded by the sea, are marked with numerous navigational beacons and lighthouses. Today, you'll still find all five of the Hawaiian Islands with lighthouses. Kauhola Point, jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, is located at Hawaii's northern tip on a sheer cliff. A reef there extends a few miles out from the coast, and was first lit with a navigational beacon in 1897, shortly before the islands became a U.S. Territory.
A modern conical tower, built in 1933, replaced the old frame tower that dated back to 1917. Following the design of Kauai's Nawiliwili Lighthouse, the 86 foot Kauhola Point Lighthouse was built of reinforced concrete and flashed an alternating pattern of red and green. The light was automated in 1951.
This scene, caught on stormy day, shows all that remains of the Kauhola Point Lighthouse. The windows were closed off and the lantern room is gone. The surrounding cliff had fallen away during a 2006 quake, leaving the tower in a precarious position. Cracks in the cliff nearby the base have reached within a few feet, making any type of tower rescue next to impossible.
A rugged road, more suitable for four-wheel drive, leads to the northern point of the island and climbs through old plantation lands. Any plans to see the lighthouse should be made quickly. Unfortunately, there's no way to estimate how long the lighthouse will linger.