Like all burgeoning visitor destinations, Maui is challenged by the need to balance preservation of its natural environment with the interests of commercial growth. One example of the island's commitment to balance is the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge.
The 700-acre refuge, established in 1992, is located on the island's south shore and is one of the last remaining natural wetland habitats in Hawaii. Traveling south on Highway 310 from Ma'alaea toward Kihei, the pond is located on the right side of the road between Mile Markers 1 and 2. There is a gravel parking area and trail around the pond. This wetland preserve is home to 31 species of birds and migrant waterfowl such as the Pacific golden plover. It serves as both a refuge for birds and as sedimentation basins that keep the coral reefs from silting from runoff.
This is a good place to chill out and take a self-guided tour along a boardwalk that starts at the outlet of the pond on the ocean side of North Kihei Road. There will be interpretive signs to guide you through sand dunes and around ponds to the end of the trail at Ma'alaea Harbor.
