Waimea Canyon

Kaua’i is amazing in general, but the two highlights of my 2 week stay there were Waimea Canyon and the Na’Pali Coast. Waimea sits at the end of the road on the western side of Kaua’i, with two roads available to reach it. We went twice, took the more traveled western route the first time and thought it was awesome. Imagine our surprise when we came back and took the eastern ascent, which had endless areas to pull over, stroll as close to the rim of the canyon as you are, and take photos by the hundreds. I wish I’d done the hike to the bottom, but it’s still amazing from the top. Towards late afternoon, we could hear the wild goats inhabiting the canyon braying, which was cool. I now have 12 posters of Waimea at home, the hard part was culling the «best» ones out, since I every shot I took was remarkable. Be sure to go all the way to the end, where you can look down (if it’s not cloudy) on the south end of the Na’Pali coast. We also took a «doors off» helicopter tour (see my profile photo for a shot I took on it) and plane tour of Waimea and Na’Pali. Both were pricey, but well worth the expense. I’d go back to Kaua’l in a heartbeat, just need to decide when!

This is a definite must do if you are in Kauai. The Grand Canyon of Hawaii more than lives up to its reputation. The colors are otherworldly. The range is so vast it only reinforces one’s puny existence! The Nepali coastline views are spectacular.

Go! Explore! There are so many beautiful views around each curve, and you will never get to all of them in time. Plan a whole day to drive, hike, pic-​nic, and just soak in the scenery!

Great place to Explore! The view is amazing I could stare at it for hours and still can’t believe it’s a real thing!
Check the weather first!
Go Early 10am-​12pm is the best time sunny&not too crowded…
We took the Kokee Rd going up and it was worth all the zigzag turns and tons of lookout along the way.
We took Waimea Canyon Rd going down and it was a great view also. Lots of uphill and downhill which was a thrill ride!
There is a Fruit stand/​Food stand on the main Lookout. Can be pricey but it’s worth it. Bought a bag of rambutan and it was juicy. Banana bread was good and moist. Banana Eggroll was a bit tiny but it was yummy.
Must go if you’re visiting Kauai!!!

We heard about the beauty of the canyon form so many people who had been to see it that we had to make it a must stop in Kauai. I am so glad we decided to go as it was spectacular. There is a large parking lot and the steps to go up to the viewing area are close by. There is also a handicap accessible ramp as well. It’s just a short way up to see the wonderful and colorful site. The day was sunny and bright so the colors really popped for us. There are usually large crowds there so if you go early you might miss the tour busses. There was a fruit stand selling fresh fruits and fruit drinks the day we were there. I don’t know if they are there all the time but, it was a hot day and the fruit drink was very refreshing.

Beautiful canyon and a great day trip to do while in Kauia. It was a 1.5 hour drive from Princeville and I really enjoyed the last part of the drive up the mountain to the canyon. It was a fun drive in our jeep.
The canyon known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific lives up to its name and is a beautiful sight to see.

I agree with all of the positive comments.
A Tip! — Bring a picnic lunch. There is no place to purchase food and only one sit down restaurant you probably don’t want to waste your precious vacation time at.
Stop off at the Subway or Big Save and pick up some sandwiches before heading up into the valley. Several of the viewpoints have picnic tables. You will be glad you did!

Any review less than five stars concerning Waimea Canyon is dead wrong. Yes, it is a cliché, but without a doubt, a MUST DO. Not going here would be like going to San Fran and not at least seeing the Golden Gate bridge. Most of the reviews are dead on. Any review less than five stars is not accurate. The weather ranged from 55 degrees to 84 degrees. Bring snacks. Stop often, every turn off had something different to offer. Bring boots. If you do it correctly, you will easily spend a day there, get muddy, get wet, hike, takes lots of photos, and check another box off your bucket list.