If I could only visit 1 spot during my time in Kauai, I would without any hesitation choose Waimea…read moreCanyon State Park. Affectionately nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", it is easy to see how this canyon gained its affectionate moniker. Stretching 14 miles long, 1 mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep, the Waimea Canyon provides breathtaking panoramic views of crested buttes, rugged crags and deep valley gorges. Even at the first rest stop you come across, you are already high enough that the view would have made the trip worthwhile. There are 5 rest stops on your way up to the top, each offering restrooms, trash cans, and their own respective viewing points; each stunning in its own rights. You can choose to simply stop at each stop on your way up like we did, or drive all the way to the top and work your way back down. Keep in mind it takes almost an hour to drive up to the very top without stopping. And the fog starts rolling in later on in the day obscuring visibility into the canyon. So you'll want to make sure you start your day off early if you're opting for the later strategy. For us, we started on the bottom and worked our way back up. We never made it all the way to the top as the fog had already rolled in by the time we hit the higher levels which made viewing anything on those levels impossible. There is now some construction being done for safety improvements and roadwork patching. Much of which is past due and much needed. As we started to encounter quite a few gigantic potholes on the higher elevations that often required either maneuvering around into oncoming traffic or traversing very slowly over the shallower parts of the potholes. We were quite thankful we were in a SUV because we were fairly certain we would not have made it past some of the potholes if we were in a lower profile vehicle such as a sedan or convertible. While driving the canyon is free (outside of parking), you can also splurge and view the canyon unobstructed from an ariel vantage through either a chartered plane or helicopter ride.

Fantastic views - sometimes can be cloudy at the top $10 a vehicle and $5 a person but stunning…read moreviews ! Spectacular ! The road going up is quite windy - give your self some time to get there it takes a bit but breathtaking

Beautiful beach but a little rough for snorkeling! Worth it for the views alone!! Would visit againread more

I was born and raised steps away from this park and remember climbing that big tree you see in…read morefront of that park.we used to scare the old timers.lol!!!We used to go swimming and boogie bording right in front in the mouth of this beach.I remember it very well...MAHALO

Beautiful views, but the waterfall was much smaller than I thought it would be. Regardless, if…read moreyou're looking for a view of Waimea, I'd recommend it! I thought the hike was pretty easy. I'd give it a 2.5/5 on the difficulty scale, only because there is a lot of loose rocks and roots. My boyfriend (who is less active than me) a 4/5 on the difficulty scale.

Some reviews say this is an easy and good "family" hike. It is a nice hike with many nice views…read more However, it is also strenuous with about 4 steep downhills and therefore 4 steep uphills. it is only 1.8 miles in each direction but it took us about 3 hours including a 20 minutes rest at the falls. I recommend it but be prepared with a fair amount of water, good footwear, and to spend 3 hours or so unless you're a seasoned hiker and so is your party.

Beautiful black sand beach, quiet. Great secluded hideaway, I was alone all day. Stunningread more

Maybe it was the time frame we were there, but there was only one other person on the pier, so we…read morehad it to ourselves. It was so beautiful.

"Russian Fort" as we knew it growing up on Kauai. In the past, always remember it as a wall of…read morerocks, but the State & County of Kauai has dramatically improved the park's scenic beauty. They have a timeline display of the history of the fort, as well as honoring the Hawaiian name and historic Hawaiian significance of the park. There are restrooms, which could use some improvement, but is sufficient for emergency restroom pit stops. Plenty of parking to choose from too.

We saw beautiful flowers, read about the history of this park, and saw the statue. We were looking…read morefor everything and anything to do on our last full day on Kauai with strong winds and high waves, and this was a good place to be!

AKA TAMAGO - EGG SHAPED PARK…read more Tiny park with Captain Cook Monument and a picnic table. Located around Mile Marker #23, between Ishihara Market and Obsession café. YELP 365 - 272/365

Nice place to bring your take out food to. They have several picnic tables and a statue of the…read moreperson responsible for the decimation of the islands population. Go figure.

We did a sunset hike at the awa'awapuhi trail and it was wonderful! It's 3 miles down hill and back…read more3 miles essentially uphill. I thought it was an easy-moderate hike for someone who likes to hike/exercise. The parking lot was not super crowded for a sunset hike. It's a generally safe/mapped out trail, on the last mile, there are small stretches of a thin path so be careful! You cannot really see the amazing views till the end. You're in a dense forest and once you complete the 3 miles you will open up to a gorgeous view! It started to rain, so we didn't go down the last little bit to the edge, it's a very thin path to the edge with little to no buffer so be safe! If you go for the sunset hike, bring some headlights for the hike back. It was def worth it!

This Awa'awapuhi Trail was recommended to me by a lifeguard I randomly chatted with at one of the…read morelocal beaches in Kauai. He swore by the hike, saying the ending viewpoint would be the highlight of my Hawaiian vacation! But, the lifeguard left out details. And I'm here to fill you in on the real Awa'awapuhi Trail and what to expect and be prepared for! Right away...this hike must be attempted FIRST THING IN THE MORNING! There you go, there you have the answer to everything! Because, at any moment in time, throughout the day, clouds can roll in while standing high above the Na'Pali Coastline and the dense covering can hang around for a while, no matter how long you wait for the skies to clear up. So...if you hike here early, early morning, the probabilities of you confronting that picture perfect setting is greatly enhanced. It's like the common law of physics (but I believe I failed physics in high school, lol)...when the sun rises, the air is cool and crisp, and there's no heat rising from the ground to create moisture early on. Grrr...that's why this lifeguard, he needed to warn me that if I hike this Awa'awapuhi Trail....MORNING TIME. MORNING TIME. MORNING TIME!!!! Instead, I arrived at 11am because I had a few other sights and overlooks I wanted to check out before trying out this hike and using up at least 4 - 5 hours of the day here. This is also important...I visited Kauai in the middle of August. The sun rises about 6:30am and fades in light about 6pm. You only have 12 hours of the day to make the most of your explorations. Depending on the amount of time you have visiting Kauai, whether 3 - 4 days, or maybe you're island hopping for a total of 10 days - 2 weeks, point is...you'll at least need half the day to hike this Awa'awapuhi Trail. Also, be prepared for it to be a strenuous hike too. It's 6 miles roundtrip. The hike down to the overlook vista point is a cakewalk. All downhill! Well, you know what that means. The trek back uphill to the trailhead is quite difficult. Along these 6 miles in total to and from the overlook, there is nothing to see. Basically, the hike is boring! I found myself daydreaming about the next activity, lol. You walk through the jungle each way. There's no glimpses or peaks through the forest of the coveted Na'Pali Coastline that you're easily afforded at roadside overlooks throughout Koke'e State Park. If you're short on time I'd suggest stopping at Kalalau and Pu'u o Kila Lookouts. If you have no time limits and are more adventurous, then this Awa'awapuhi Trail is for you. Remember, lol, it gets dark at 6pm! When arriving at the observation point, I briefly had a clear moment to enjoy the views. The Pacific Ocean was blue. The coastline was certainly evident. You could see helicopter tours flying in the distance. You definitely get a 180 panorama. But once the fogginess rolled in, it never left. And I waited 30 minutes, actually sitting down and praying for the the dreary cloudy covering to dissipate. But, it never did and it wasn't meant to be. That's why I'm reiterating...hike here in MORNING TIME. Like, 7am if possible! Some last things to mention. The parking lot at the trailhead was very small. When I arrived at 11am, it was full but I managed to squeeze my car into a space, though it was a makeshift job. I'd say the lot holds spaces for about 15 cars. And there's no shoulder area along Koke'e Road to park. Lastly, when making it to the Awa'awapuhi Overlook Point, there's a very tight pathway that'll lead down even lower alongside the cliff's edge. It appeared like a sheer drop down on either side of you as I watched others bravely venture on. If you have a fear of heights, there's no way you can attempt going past the primary viewing platform. I could understand, people like to push the limits or boundaries of risk, but I know when enough is enough, especially I was only hiking in casual tennis sneakers. It wasn't worth it to continue past the point of comfortability. Overall, this Awa'awapuhi Trail is just average and can be greatly disappointing if you have high expectations. Am I sour about my experience and the ending I left with? Absolutely! Lol Just warning...there could be clear skies at the trailhead, but when you show up at the overlook it could be a whole new narrative. Then you're held hostage to the conditions and since there's only 12 hours in the day, you sort have wasted half of it. And within Koke'e State Park and Waimea Canyon right next door, there are many quality stops, alternative hikes, places to explore and magical instances to be had. But if you're convinced about attempting this Awa'awapuhi Trail and you're not hiking it first thing in the morning, I believe you're doing yourself a disservice.

The Menehune Ditch is a Historical Territory Landmark of Hawaii. It was a ditch of importance…read morehistorically for irrigation. Menehune (a Hawaiian version of dwarfs or Brownies) are said to have built the ditch by placing the stones that form the ditch wall. I came out this way because the Menehune Ditch sits at the base of a neat lava flow erupted a long time ago. Enjoyable location to take in the geologic sites and learn a little bit of history about the area. Follow the driving directions provided on the website to around mile marker 23 on Menehune Road. The Menehune Ditch and the Waimea Swinging Bridge are right next each other and we ventured on the bridge after exploring the lava flows and ditch. Not too far to go on the bridge, but there is a good view of the water canal. If driving, keep a look out for the bridge on the right when heading up along Menehune Road. We spotted the bridge in the distance and found some space on the side of the road a little bit before the ditch/bridge to pull off and park while we explored.