Waimea Canyon Kauai
Waimea Canyon is a spectacular canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet (900 m) deep, located on the western side of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands.
Dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by Mark Twain, the canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waialeale, which is among the wettest places on earth.
Geologically the canyon is carved into the tholeiitic and post-shield alkalic lavas of the canyon basalt. The lavas of the canyon provide evidence for massive faulting and collapse in the early history of the island.
The west side of the canyon is all thin, west-dipping lavas of the Napali Member, while the east side is very thick, flat-lying lavas of the Olokele and Makaweli Members.
The two sides are separated by an enormous fault along which a large part of the island moved downwards in a big collapse.
The canyon has a unique geologic history as it was formed not only by the steady process of erosion, but also by a catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kauai. Like the other Hawaiian islands, Kauai is the top of an enormous volcano rising from the ocean floor.
With lava flows dated to about 5 million years ago, Kauai is the oldest of the large Hawaiian islands. Roughly 4 million years ago, while Kauai was still erupting almost continuously, a portion of the island collapsed. This collapse formed a depression, which then filled with lava flows.
Over time, the exposed basalt has weathered from its original black to bright red.
Waimea Canyon State Park encompasses 1,866 acres (7.5 kmē) and is a popular tourist attraction on the island. It provides a wilderness area with numerous hiking trails.
It can be accessed from Waimea on Hawaii state road 550, which is 18 miles long and leads up to Koke'e State Park. The island of Niihau, only a short distance west of Kauai at that point, can be clearly seen from the highway.
The link below leads to visitor reviews of Waimea Canyon
the view is worth the drive
by breoni, Topeka, KS
3 Sep 2008 at 3:31pm
TripAdvisor traveler rating: 4 of 5 stars
We spent a long time driving up narrow, windy roads. However, once we arrived, the view was worth it.
Amazing views, bring a jacket
by sjgphoto, Portland, Michigan
28 Jul 2008 at 10:36am
TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars
Waimea Canyon is amazing to put it simply. I wouldn't recommend the drive from Kekaha (Kokee Rd. Highway 552) as it seems really long, is very winding and not nearly as scenic as the Waimea Canyon...
Cant wait to go back
by PGDan, Prince George
19 Jul 2008 at 4:03pm
TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars
My wife and I stopped at the lookout during our day trip to Kauai. We had flown over from Oahu and rented a car for the day to check things out, and get away from all the hustle of Waikiki.
Now that...
Breath taking views
by lizzierd, baton rouge, la
4 Jun 2008 at 4:06pm
TripAdvisor traveler rating: 5 of 5 stars
It's definitely worth the drive. Go in the morning before the warm air from the ocean rises and meets with the cool air and forms fog. It was foggy at the top and the 1 mile hile wasn't worth it. ...
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