kalaupapa overlook

The overlook is a short drive from town or the airport. If you visit during whale season you can see whales breaching in the bay - it's pretty cool to see. Don't expect to see views of all the cliffs; you'll need to be on a plane for that. The overlook will just give you glimpse of the cliffs.

We drove up here twice from town. The first time it was rainy and the clouds prevented us from seeing anything. The second time it was a clear day, and we had an outstanding view of the peninsula. Definitely worth the short drive.

A drive to the end of the road overlooking the northern side of Molokai is well worth the drive. A short walk down a wooded path leads to the overview, where you are able to see Kalapapa, the protected area used for many years to provide a residence for those suffering from Hansen's Disease. The view of the small village, crashing waves, & cliffs is amazing. Along the lava stone wall at the edge of the overlook are a number of plaques explaining the history of Kalapapa & information about the people involved, such as Father Damian.

We were lucky to be there on a clear day. The view was beautiful. There were several informative plaques near the lookout that explained the history of the peninsula.We were interested in flying down to the peninsula and hiking back up. But, unfortunately, there were no flights on Mondays. Our knees were reluctant to climb down to the peninsula. It was a pity because we did not have another day to do it.

A short walk on a good, smooth, paved path takes one to the overlook. A series of signs is embedded in the rock retaining wall & offers brief explanations about Father Damien and his dedication to sufferer's of what's now known as Hansen's Disease. This is a must see attraction to learn about an important aspect of Molokai's history.

We flew over for the day from Maui, and rented a jeep so that we could get an overview of the island. I really wanted to take the donkeys down to Kalaupapa, but you really can’t do that on a one day trip as they leave early in the morning. I had read the book “Moloka’i “ by Alan Brennert (an excellent read about a young Hawaiian girl who contracts Hansen’s Disease and is sent to the leper colony at Kalaupapa) and wanted to see the places that were talked about in the book. This overlook is the closest that I would get to Kalaupapa on this visit, and I could see many of the places discussed in the book. What is unfortunately missing is the full view of the cliffs….the tallest in the world that must be quite impressive from down on the peninsula looking back up. These cliffs helped to form a natural barrier to keep the people from leaving, along with the rough ocean. So sad.This attraction has ample paved parking and a bathroom and drinking fountain.

My trip to Molokai was rendered less than perfect by a thick rain cloud that enveloped the island not long after I arrived. Thus there was no view at all. I did however see a nene and that was cool.

As we have a three year old child, we were not able to go to Kalaupapa, so we went to Kalaupapa Overlook instead. After a short walk from the car park, we found this beautiful lookout. This is a must see in Molokai.

The overlook is at the end of highway 470 and affords a beautiful overlook view of Kalaupapa and the peninsula which housed Hawaii's famous/infamous leper colony. It is accessible only by mule, boat or small aircraft. There are plaques at the top outlining the history of the colony.

The overlook can be reached with a simple walk. WELL worth the walk. Loved the views & even the walkway to the overlook was scenic and enjoyable.

The walk to the overlook will take you less than 5 minutes and it's a breathtaking view. Definitely worth checking out!

The Kalaupapa Overlook is a less than five minute walk from the parking lot. We visited the Kalaupapa Overlook the day before we did the Mule Ride. The overlook offers camera buffs and camera hacks the opportunity to take the "perfect picture". Once you are back to the parking lot another trail takes you to the phallic rock.

It’s a very nice view from the overlook, and there are a lot of plaques with information about leprosy, Father (Saint) Damien, and the people sent to Kalaupapa. There is plenty of parking, but it doesn’t get too crowded anyway. The trail to the overlook is fairly short, with the trail to the rock being a little more sloped and longer. There are restrooms next to the parking lot as well. It’s not a very far drive from town, so It’s definitely worth making the drive up to the top. If you have all day, then taking the tour down to the colony itself with mules or on the plane would probably be worth it (you do have to be sixteen and up to go on it though).

The Kalaupapa Overlook and Palaau State Park can be found after taking a short drive past the Kalaupapa Mule Ride office and mule barn to the road's end at the parking lot for these attractions. A short [5 minute] walk along a well defined path will lead you to the lookout area. Was worth the 45 minute wait for the cloud cover, zero visibility, and wind driven rain to clear. I used the time to hike and take photographs along the trail to the phallic rock. After my hike the sun appeared at the Lookout to reveal spectacular views of the surrounding sea cliffs and the settlement below. Displays along the protective rock wall at the Lookout provide information about the history of Kalaupapa and Father Damien's role in bringing order and dignity to patients suffering from Hansen's disease [aka leprosy]. This was an interesting and informative way to prepare for the next day's mule ride down to the settlement. Nearby and adjacent to the clean and well kept rest rooms is the trail leading to the oft photographed phallic rock. A short, easy [yes, it's easy] uphill walk requires about 10 minutes taking you through the same beautiful forest that leads out to the Lookout.I continue to wonder = How did such massive boulders end up in the middle of this forest?

We originally were coming up here to take the mule ride down to the Kalaupapa Leper Settlement@, but, believe it or not, we got rained out. So we went to the overlook - wow - I guess these are among the highest sea cliffs in the world. The view is spectacular, especially that of the leper settlement. What an idyllic setting for such a terrible disease, which was so misunderstood. Lots of info signs to educate you as look over the edge. Don't forget to go see phallic rock on the other side of the parking lot. Do sign up for the mule ride. We will come back some day just for this attraction...