About 10 miles long and almost 4,000 feet deep, Waimea Canyon can stand alongside those geologic sites in the American Southwest as a scenic wonder. A rugged hunter's trail follows the river from sea level into the gorge—not an advisable route when tropical rains fall in the interior and send a churning deluge through the canyon. It's easier to reach the bottom via the Kukui Trail, which is off the road that climbs along the rim of the canyon, a trek of about five miles round-trip that drops more than 2,000 feet.
This shot is from farther up the canyon on the Black Pipe Trail, part of a network of trails near Koke'e State Park. The trail connects with the Canyon Trail and crosses midway along the courseway of Waipo'o Falls. This place is a hiker's paradise. See Kauai Trailblazer pages 151-171 for canyon trails, as well as the many trails that radiate seaward along the Napali (The Cliffs) coast and into the Alakai Swamp.
