Waimea Canyon State Park

Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands, and Waimea Canyon is a record of that age written in stone. Millions of years ago the island began as a single great shield volcano. As it grew, one side of the mountain cracked and slumped along a massive geological fault, dropping the whole western block and leaving a deep rift in the volcanic shield.

Then came the water. The Waimea River, fed by some of the wettest highlands on earth up near Mount Waialeale, went to work in that rift, cutting down through layer after layer of old lava flows over the ages. Each dark and light band you see in the walls is a separate ancient eruption, stacked like pages in a book, and the red streaks are iron in the rock slowly rusting in the tropical air. The result is a canyon that is part volcano, part fault, and part river, unlike anything else in the islands.

Most people meet the canyon the easy way, from a series of lookouts strung along the rim road that climbs from Waimea town. The main Waimea Canyon Lookout is the classic first stop, a short walk from the parking area to a railing hung right over the heart of the gorge, with the red walls falling away at your feet. A little farther up, the Puu Hinahina Lookout adds a westward view toward the ocean and, on clear days, the forbidden island of Niihau on the horizon.

Keep climbing and the road carries you into cooler, mistier country and Kokee State Park at the top, where the Kalalau and Puu o Kila lookouts peer down thousands of feet into the folded green amphitheater of Kalalau Valley on the Na Pali Coast. It is worth doing the whole drive slowly, stopping at several lookouts, because the canyon looks completely different depending on where you stand and how the light and clouds are behaving.

For anyone who wants more than a roadside view, trails drop right off the rim. The most popular is the walk to a viewpoint above Waipoo Falls, a route of a few miles round trip that leads out along the canyon wall to where an 800-foot waterfall spills down into the gorge, one of the great payoffs on the island for a modest effort.

The bold can take the Kukui Trail, a steep, knee-testing descent of nearly 2,000 feet down switchbacks all the way to the canyon floor and the river far below. It is a serious hike back up in the heat, so it rewards an early start and plenty of water. Whichever trail you choose, the ground can be slick red mud after rain, so sure footing matters more here than the distance does.

The canyon sits above Waimea town on the dry southwest side of Kauai, reached by the rim road that switchbacks up from near sea level. Fill up on gas, water, and snacks in town first, because once you start climbing there are no stores, and the drive to the top and back with stops easily fills half a day. Out-of-state visitors pay a state park entry and parking fee at the main lookouts, so check the current requirements before heading up.

Go in the morning if you can. The canyon makes its own weather, and clear mornings often give way to clouds and drifting mist by afternoon that can swallow the deepest views. Bring a light layer for the cool air at the top, wear shoes you can hike in, and give yourself time to linger at more than one lookout. It is the kind of place that keeps changing while you watch it, the reddest and greenest canyon most travelers will ever see, hidden in plain sight on a tropical island.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Waimea Canyon State Park, on the west side of Kauai, Hawaii, protects the spectacular Waimea Canyon, a vast and colorful gorge often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, one of the most breathtaking natural wonders in the islands. The enormous canyon, miles long and deep, reveals dramatic red, brown, and green cliffs, waterfalls, and rugged ridges carved into the landscape, viewed from stunning overlooks along the road, with hiking trails leading into the canyon country. Its immense, colorful scenery makes it a must-see destination on Kauai. A spectacular and colorful canyon, it awes visitors. With its gorge and overlooks, the park offers a spectacular destination in Hawaii.

Waimea Canyon is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific because of its vast size and dramatic, colorful cliffs, a deep and wide gorge carved into the island of Kauai that evokes the grandeur of the mainland's Grand Canyon, with rich red, brown, and green hues in its rugged walls. While unique in its own tropical, waterfall-laced way, its scale and beauty earned it the fitting nickname. Its immense, colorful scenery is the appeal. Appreciating this makes a visit to Waimea Canyon State Park in Hawaii especially memorable.

You can take in the breathtaking canyon views from stunning overlooks along the road, hike trails into the canyon and surrounding country, see waterfalls and dramatic cliffs, and continue to the nearby lookouts over the Napali Coast and the Alakai Swamp. The spectacular overlooks, the colorful canyon, the hiking trails, and the waterfalls are the draws, making it a must-see destination. The canyon vistas are the highlight. With its scenery, Waimea Canyon State Park offers a rewarding experience in Hawaii.

The canyon is reached by a winding mountain road with overlooks, and if you hike, staying on marked trails, keeping back from cliff and canyon edges, watching footing on trails that can be muddy and steep, and bringing water and rain gear matter, as the area can be wet and cooler than the coast. The overlooks can be misty, so patience for clear views and checking conditions before you go help. Staying back from edges and coming prepared ensure a safe, rewarding visit to Waimea Canyon State Park in Hawaii.

Waimea Canyon State Park is on the west side of Kauai, Hawaii, within reach of the nearby lookouts over the Napali Coast, Polihale State Park farther west, the west-side towns, and the routes around the island. That makes Waimea Canyon State Park a spectacular stop to combine with Polihale State Park and the other attractions of west Kauai on a visit to Hawaii.