Why You Should Visit Waimea Canyon More Than Once

While visiting Kauai, if you have the time, I highly recommend visiting Waimea Canyon/Koke’e State Park twice. I will show you why.

The first day we visited there was dense cloud coverage. All you could see was a giant wall of cloud. I knew that we were supposed to be able to see the ocean from here, so I was very happy knowing that I had planned two days in Waimea Canyon to increase our odds of a beautiful day. On our second visit, the skies had cleared up and the view was out of this world!

If we had not gone back, we would have missed out on this spectacular sight. Exact same viewpoint. We did juggle our schedule around a bit, to make sure we had one day at Waimea with clearer skies. The weather changes quickly and frequently here, so if you have the flexibility to be adaptable, keep an eye on the weather in the canyon and go when the conditions are right.

We also would have missed out on this view at the highest point you can drive to, Pu’u O Kila Lookout. After we were faced with no visibility at Kalalau Lookout, and it had started to rain, we headed out of the park in search of a drier option. On our second visit, we drove right up to Pu’u O Kila and worked our way down. 

The Pihea trailhead starts here. We started down it, but it was pretty crowded, and we got tired of listening to a very loud woman complaining about men so we decided to go to the Canyon Trail instead (which was what we originally planned…we just got sucked in here by how gorgeous the views were).

This lookout is in Koke’e State Park, which is where you end up if you keep driving up the canyon, past Waimea Canyon State Park. The road in Koke’e State Park is not as well maintained as the road through Waimea State Park. We were in a SUV and were fine, but there were some deep potholes that we slowly navigated around. 

The second highest viewpoint you can get to by car is Kalalau Lookout. There is ample parking here. This lookout is also in Koke’e State Park. 

Next, we headed back into Waimea Canyon State Park to check out Pu’u Hinahina lookout. 

There is ample parking at this lookout, as this is also the beginning on the Pu’u Hinahina Trail, which leads to the Canyon Trail. We originally planned on starting the Canyon Trail from the lot on Halemanu Road, but we kept missing it. The Pu-u Hinahina trail was very slippery, muddy, rocky and had lots of tree roots. The views on this section are nothing special, no scenic vistas. We slogged our way through the mud, slowly, until we came to a narrow switchback. We scooted out of the way to let people pass on the way down and my husband positioned himself too close to the edge of the canyon. As he was teetering on the edge, he started doing wild arm circles trying to regain his balance. I reached out, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him forward. We both peered down the side of the canyon and at the same time said, “We’re done.” 

We then drove down to the Waimea Canyon Outlook where we celebrated not needing to call for an air rescue.

We actually stopped at the Red Dirt Waterfall on our way to the park, however, parking is easier and safer if you stop on the way out. To find the Red Dirt Waterfall, you need to enter or leave the park from Waimea Canyon Drive. The waterfall will be on the east side of the road. There is not a parking lot here, you just pull over to the side. It’s near mm 5, you can see it from the road if you are heading north. 

Things to Know Before You Go

1. The road is very curvy and has many blind spots. To me, it seemed just as nerve wracking as the Road to Hana did. The drive up and down may take longer than you think it will.
2. The best views (due to cloud cover) are said to be mid-morning and late afternoon. I recommend going at least twice to increase your odds of witnessing the spectacular views.
3. There is a daily fee to get in, you may pay with a credit card at the kiosk. 
4. Bring an umbrella or raincoat. It rains here, a lot!
5. If you plan on hiking bring walking sticks. Sometimes you can find tree branches leaning up against the trail signs that you can use if you forget or don’t have one.
6. The Lookouts and Visitor Center all have bathrooms.
7. You can purchase food, drinks, snacks and souvenirs at the Visitor Center.

Our next morning was spent checking out Wailua Falls and the Kilohana Plantation, with a leisurely afternoon back on Poipu Beach. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.

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More Hiking Adventures

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Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park

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