Grand Canyon of the Pacific
Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is almost 10 miles long and 3,000 feet deep. This is part of Waimea Canyon State Park, which is right next to Koke’e State Park. The elevation in these parks is from 3,200 - 4,400 feet. There are lots of trails in these two state parks, scenic lookouts, and the red dirt waterfall. We have visited Waimea Canyon three times over two different trips, with each trip being in the winter (February/March).
The weather in these parks isn't predictable and it rains a lot. One of the wettest spots on earth, Mount Wai’ale’ale is near here, which receives about 450 inches of rain a year. The first time we visited Waimea Canyon, we had a decent view, but we weren’t so lucky on the second and third visits.
How to Get to Waimea Canyon
We drove to Waimea Canyon from Lihue and Poipu, each time we took highway 50 west to the town of Waimea and took highway 550 up to the park. If you go further west, from the town of Kekaha, you could take Kokee Road and it will run into Highway 550. From Waimea town to the furthest lookout (Pu’u O’kila lookout), the road is almost 20 miles. The best tip we heard about visiting the parks is that when you pass the Kauai Coffee Company along highway 50 and the view up the canyon is clear, keep going and get there quickly.
While driving up highway 550, if the weather is clear at the top, skip all of the pullover spots on the way up (Red Dirt Waterfalls and the different overlooks). Head straight up to the Waimea Canyon, Puu Hinahina, Kalalau Valley, and Pu’u O’kila lookouts because the weather is so unpredictable at the top, we want to make sure you have good views. The stops along the way up can be enjoyed on your return trip back down.
What We Did in Waimea Canyon
Although we’ve been here three times, we haven't done any of the hiking trails in these parks yet, but we may do some hikes here on our next visit. You can check out this link for the different park trails in Waimea Canyon State Park. We have stopped in four different places on this drive up the canyon. The first one is after mile marker 4, the Red Dirt Waterfall. This spot shouldn’t be missed. Again, if the skies are clear, keep going to the lookouts listed above and hit the red dirt waterfall on your way down.
The first lookout spot is Waimea Canyon lookout after mile marker 10. As with the other lookout spots, there is a self-payment kiosk here to pay for parking and entrance fee for all non-residents. This fee only needs to be paid once and will work for Waimea Canyon State Park and Koke’e State Park. On a clear day, you will have great views of Waimea Canyon from here. This is a nice stop, but it seems that this is the most crowded of all of the lookouts.
The clouds moved in during this picture, but if you squint you can see a helicopter flying through the canyon. That puts this canyon in perspective.
Less crowded is the Puu Hinahina lookout, near mile marker 13.5. You can access the Canyon Trail from here, or go to the Nihau viewpoint and/or the Canyon viewpoint.
Driving further up the hill, you’ll pass some cabins and camping areas. We were told that the chili at the Koke’e Lodge is excellent and it’s a good place to wait out a thunderstorm. Near the end of the road is the Kalalau Valley Lookout. On a clear day, the view from here is amazing. (show picture of a clear day and a cloudy day)
The end of the road is the Pu’u O’kila Lookout. There are some hiking trails from here, plus the lookout which has more great views. Again, depending on the weather…
On a clear day, this is what you might see at Pu’u O’kila Lookout, which is stunning.
If you are looking for a little adventure, consider doing a downhill biking tour from the top of the canyon (on paved roads of course). We did something similar on Maui and it was a blast.
After leaving Waimea Canyon, we stopped in the town of Hanapepe. We haven’t eaten here, but we have enjoyed walking around the downtown area, going to the local shops, checking out some art galleries, and walking across the swinging bridge. Our favorite shops here are the Aloha Spice Company and Lightsource Photography by Lee Scott.
If your stomach is growling at this point, make a stop in the next town of Eleele. Check out the Kauai Island Brewing Company for lunch and some craft beers.