The smallest of the main Hawaiian islands, Kahoolawe is an uninhabited island off of Maui's southwest shore. Used as a bombing and missile range by the United States Navy for several years beginning in 1939, Kahoolawe was believed to be the "most artillery-impacted island in the Pacific" during World War II. The island was returned to the state of Hawaii in 1993 and placed under supervision of the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC), which is supervising its cleanup and restoration. As of 2011, the island and its adjacent waters currently are off limits to the public.

Getting to Kahoolawe

The U.S. Navy spent 10 years removing ordnance on the island before transferring control of access to the state of Hawaii in 2003. Since then, KIRC has limited access to researchers, archaeologists and volunteers assisting with the restoration effort. Important archeological sites of ancient Hawaii dot the island, which was used as a ranch and a penal colony before being seized by the Navy. Goats were introduced to the island in 1793 and ran rampant, ultimately reaching a population of more than 50,000 by the late 20th century, destroying plant life and damaging the ecosystem. Goat removal and eradication reduced the number of goats and slowed the damage. Bombing was ceased in 1990, but the Navy failed to clear all ordnance from the island. Even today, more than 10 percent of the island is completely closed due to the danger of unexploded munitions. As part of the restoration and cleanup of the island, which was designated as a federal archaeological district in 1981, KIRC accepts volunteers who make a weekly trip to the island. From Monday to Thursday, volunteers work to restore the island's natural equilibrium and learn about its culture and history. Currently, this is the only way members of the public can access the island. Applications are available from KIRC ( and a wait list of more than two years is not unusual.

Northwest Kahoolawe

Thanks to fringing reefs that lie offshore of Honokua Bay, the area of Kahoolawe extending north and east from Keanakeiki to Honokua Bay is graced with a number of long, white sand beaches. As coral dies, it is pounded by the waves into the finer, lighter grains that create these sugary beaches. These beaches, while lying near the largest off-limits areas of the island, have had their surfaces cleared of ordnance and debris but have not been subjected to subsurface clearance to remove any buried materiel.

West Kahoolawe

One of the widest white sand beaches on the island lies in the wide arms of Hanakanaea Bay. Because of its gentle slope into the ocean and protection from Hawaii's prevailing easterly trade winds and northern winter swells, the calm waters of the bay --- also known as Smugglers Cove after opium smugglers who used the cove as a transit point and hiding place for their product --- make its beach a superior place for landing small vessels.

North and East Kahoolawe

The area around Kahoolawe's summit, Puu Lua Makika and its slopes down to the ocean have been cleared of ordnance at the subsurface level, including the gold sand but rocky beach at Hakioawa on the island's northeast corner. At the far eastern tip of the island, the large sweeping crescent of Kanapou Bay is home to a chalky sand beach that is backed by deeper sand dunes. The north shore of Kahoolawe is characterized by towering sea cliffs that occasionally are gouged with small pocket beaches, likely accessible only from the water.

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