Kauai’s Waimea Canyon: The Grand Canyon of the Pacific

Considering a trip to the Hawaiian Islands? Here are a few facts before you go: The eight major islands and smaller islets and atolls stretch across a space of sea fifteen hundred miles long, from the island of Hawaii in the south, to the Kure Atoll in the northwest, which is connected to Green Island. Collectively, these islands form the fiftieth state of the United States, and among them, the island of Kauai, some 65 miles away from the island of Hawaii, is the oldest.

This “Garden Isle,” offering incredibly scenic waterfalls, deep valleys, and mountains, also contains some of Hawaii’s best hotels. Kauai was created by volcanic activity, its highest mountain, Kawaikini, rises to a level of 5,243 feet. Here, travelers will discover one of the wettest places on earth, where a high annual rain has carved out the land. On the west side, for instance, you’ll find the town of Waimea and the mouth of the Waimea River, whose waters formed Waimea Canyon. A part of the Waimea Canyon State Park , this tremendous rift in the earth’s surface is 3,000 feet deep and ten miles long, and also known as “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.”

Lava flows in Kauai date back five million years, and approximately four million years ago, as the volcano on this island erupted continuously, a part of the island collapsed, in which a depression formed that was then filled by lava. Rain, pouring down the sides of Mount Waialeale eroded Waimea Canyon along one side of the collapse. Cliffs on the canyon’s west side are made of thin lava flows; on the opposite side, the cliffs are made from thicker lava flows that pooled in the depression. Over time, basalt, exposed to the air, changed from its original black color to a bright red, creating the incredible views.

Today, the park is comprised of 1,866 acres and is a great destination. It may be found by heading out of Waimea along Hawaii state road 550, about 18 miles distance, and heading into Kokee State Park.