Planning your next Maui vacation getaway? If you have been busy making a list of all the best things to do in Maui once you get here, make sure to include Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge! This natural wonder is unique, beautiful, and full of life and with special events planned until the end of March 2019 now is the time to act and see what makes the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge a great place to visit.
The wildlife refuge has planned family-friendly events every third Saturday until March, so make sure to check the refuge’s “Saturday’s by the Pond” events to see if your next visit to Maui will coincide with one of their limited-time-only excursions. Featured events include guided birds walks, interpretive talks, educational presentations and hands-on crafts for the keiki.
Located at milepost 6 on the Maui Veterans Highway in Kihei, it is the perfect place to stop in between our Wailea vacation condos and Maalaea condos for rent as it’s right off the highway and has plenty of parking. With an abundance of land and natural beauty, the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 30 species of birds including some birds that are only found here in the Hawaiian islands like the ae‘o (Hawaiian stilt) and ‘alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian coot) with migratory waterfowl joining them in the winter.
You may also be lucky enough to spot Hawaii’s largest native insect the Blackburn’s Sphinx Moth with a wingspan of close to 5 inches or a Hawaiian Hoary Bat whose population is threatened by habitat loss. Plus, if you are visiting from May to September, you might catch a glimpse of the endangered Hawaiian Hawksbill Turtle at the adjacent beach looking toward Maalaea Bay. If getting a glimpse of rare wildlife is your idea of an amazing time, then it just makes sense to take a trip to this wildlife refuge.
Created in the early 1990’s, The Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 700 acres between Kihei and Maalaea. On-site are accessible walking trails and a coastal boardwalk located on Maui’s largest lowland wetland. You can enjoy the view from the boardwalk seven days a week from sunrise and until 7 p.m.
Currently, there are guided bird walks at the pond on Tuesdays starting at 9 a.m. where you can learn about the refuge and the birds that inhabit the area. Current refuge hours are 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Visitor center hours are Monday from 11 am until 3 pm, Tuesday through Friday from 9 am until 3 pm.
Now that sounds like fun! We hope you stop by this outdoor area during your next Maui vacation and keep us in mind for all your rental needs on the island. Have a great week and we’ll talk to you soon!
