This description is no joke … I have thought to myself that visitors who have never been to Arizona would have similar gut reactions to seeing this canyon for the first time.
I came back to tour this geological wonder after a previous visit some thirty years ago … My kids had never been here … and everyone was glad we made the drive.
To visit Waimea from Kauai’s north shore is a major undertaking. Referring to the map below, we were staying in Princeville. The road ends at the Na pali Coast a few miles further on. My wife and granddaughter did an escorted hike into the coastal wilderness that put them close to the other end of the road. We had to drive around the island which takes at least a couple hours. Most of Kauai’s hotels are on the south shore which is much more accessible to a canyon visit.
We stopped in Hanapepe on the drive out because my daughter had discovered a bookstore there she felt was worth visiting. It’s hard to see, but just above the door, it proclaims this to be the westernmost bookstore in the United States…
Hanapepe was also the location of a swinging bridge across their local river.
A side story about Hanapepe and Kauai… when my father passed away, we claimed a ceramic chicken from his estate to grace our family home in Vermont. Wild chickens roam all over Kauai, and are actually protected by the State … you can’t just grab one for your dinner !! I proposed that “Hanapepe” would be a great name for our Vermont chicken. The resolution was passed and we hit the road for the canyon.
The picture above shows the beginning of the road’s ascent toward the canyon. As you can see, in Kauai you are never far from the ocean
My elder daughter found a download that pointed out the trails and observation pullouts along the road. It threw in history and comments about difficulty … for example, it identified the location of a hike, but told us not to do it “unless your life insurance is paid up.” There were other hikes that were shorter and safer.
Visiting the canyon costs $5 for the car, and $3 for each tourist visitor. Hawaii residents visit for free. These fees are paid on an honor system at a couple pullouts. During my previous visit, the pullouts were dirty and trashy … They seem to be using their park funds well because everything was very clean !!
The road rose gradually along the canyon road … the canyon is about ten miles long and three thousand feet deep. This picture reminded me of looking down at the Colorado River in Arizona, but Hawaii’s canyon is much greener.
I’m not sure which is prettier … the canyon or my granddaughter!! This canyon has waterfalls falling towards the base
Eventually the road signs and our canyon software told us we had entered the Koke’e State Park. There was a lodge and campsite, and we stopped for lunch at their dining room. The chili was surprisingly good !! Our software told us that most residents of the lodge were there to hunt wild boar. While most tourists would be turned off by the distance to the beaches, I could see some people staying here for the sheer beauty and access to hiking trails descending into the canyon.
Leaving the lodge, we followed the signs toward “the end of the road.” Our software told us that there were two more pull outs, but one was closed … but the other was a huge surprise. We were now looking down at the Na pali coastline.
This was like having hot fudge poured onto our ice cream. Our ocean cruise of the coast had been canceled due to high surf warnings … so this was our opportunity to see these vistas without paying $1000s for a helicopter!!
It really was the end of the road, and these views made the two hour car ride back to Princeville seem much shorter !!
One last note: During my travels, I have overcome my timidity about asking to take local’s photographs. This gentleman was on a break at a Visitors Center, and he was surprised when I asked if he would share a pic with me. I think you’ll agree that he provided me with a special moment.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 