Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T! 

Waimea Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It is ten miles long and 3000 feet deep (The Grand Canyon in Arizona is 277 miles long and 6000 feet deep.) Waimea Canyon was formed both by erosion from the Waimea River cutting through the rock and by the collapse of the volcano that formed Kauai.

Waipo’o Falls is an 800-foot waterfall, flowing in two tiers from the Kokee Stream, dropping over the side of Waimea Canyon. We were there in April, so the water was flowing freely. In the summer, it can slow to a trickle.

There is a head-on view of the canyon from Waimea Canyon Lookout.  We could see Waipo’o Falls flowing down the opposite wall with helicopters hovering near it.

A few miles up the road, we stopped at a pullout (Pu’u Ka Pele Lookout) for an even better look at the falls. We were still pretty far away and had to use the telephoto lens. The only way to get closer is to hike to the top of the falls or take a helicopter tour.

Kauai Posts:

Location: Waimea Canyon Dr, Waimea, HI 96796

Designation: State Park

Date of my visit: April 19, 2019