-
Hawaiian Blizzard
24 reviews
Kapaa, HI
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
-
Kauai Coffee Company…
10 reviewsEleele, HI
Category: Local Flavor
-
Kilauea Point National…
2 reviewsKilauea, HI
Category: Parks
-
Hanalei Beach
15 reviewsHanalei, HI
Category: Swimming Pools
-
Ke'e Beach
25 reviewsHanalei, HI
Category: Swimming Pools
Kokee State Park
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
15 reviews for Kokee State Park
One of the most beautiful views. Scary as well. One could easily lose their footing and topple over the edge. People mentioned there is a hike which takes you to a ledge, naw not today for me ok?
5 stars for a reason people. O yea the drive was fun as well. Especially the part with all the pot holes. Good thing i got full coverage on the rental car. The bright blue PT cruiser held up well trust me on that.
A grand tour of the Waimea canyon is just spectacular. Plan on 4-5 hours if you make all the stops. The road is windy and steep at times, but is paved fairly well, until the last 3 miles. That stretch is full of potholes and gaps in the road, so you need to be cautious.
The lookouts are just wonderfull. You see a full view of the Canyon on the way up, and if you go to the very end, you see the nw side of the island, part of the desolate coast and a spectacular valley. The sun hitting the sides of the canyon makes for a colorful display.
There is a restaurant up near the end and a museum that has all kinds of information about the area. Many trails to take if you have the time.
A must see for any visitor on Kauai!
Aloha!
Waimea Canyon was a gorgeous drive. If you can bike or hike up the 18-odd miles of the drive, I would suggest it, but our group was due for a wedding so I couldn't spare the time to do the bike ride.
With multiple vista and lookout points, the gorgeous green of the island combines with the white clouds, deep blue of the ocean, and lighter blue of the sky. Gorgeous tones at night and over the course of the day, and plenty of signs indicating the local "chicken" that wander all over the place. Even a quick warm drizzle only caused a rainbow to appear over the mountainside.
Careful driving here, lots of smaller traffic and corners that can surprise you. I suggest a jacket as you do end up at a much higher elevation than before.
While the tour stops can sometimes have a lot of fresh vegetation covering up little signs with explanations, most of the drive up is well-maintained.
There's a little cart at the top with a couple selling cold drinks, and freshly cut pineapple and dried versions of fruit, including pineapple and papaya and nuts. Delicious snack for the drive down.
The lookout points are worth the drive and in my case, worth the car sickness.
So post card-like! the view is just awesome.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (2)
Joyce L and the other reviewers more than adequately covered the beauty and awe of Waimea Canyon and the fun ride up. Waimea Canyon is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and it is truly a site not to be missed if you're in Kauai. I drove up there before sunset and it was amazing to see the already colorful and inspiring canyon formations lit up by the setting sun. There is a great lookout point set up but don't forget to stop frequently when driving up because there are so many other scenic viewpoints along the way.
Here are a few shots that I took which made my drive up there so worthwhile:
http://www.flickr.com/...
http://www.flickr.com/...
The drive up 550 (Waimea Canyon Dr) is punishing for the poor little rental cars... but man, for what you get at the top of the mountain... you better wish that rental makes it up the hill!
We went to Kokee State Park with plans to do a little hiking, some site-seeing and go in search of the wet spot i.e. Mt Wai'ale'ale, the Wettest Spot on Earth (which is not in the park, but you can see it from there).
The site-seeing...
Nothing short of spectacular. We came here in winter (Dec) and moments of sunshine was broken down by fog/ rain showers. The steep climb up the winding roads (along a mountain ridge!) is worth the experience alone.
The hiking...
We planned to take the Pihea Trail, and continue onto Alaka'i Swamp Trail (that's right... a high altitude swamp). An easy 4mi round trip, right? Wrong!
The Pihea Trail is a combination of wide trail, resembling a dried river bed, as well as slightly widened animal tracks. Don't get me wrong, what an awesome hike! But be prepared to ruin your shoes, wreck your clothes and covered in mud (even if you managed to stay upright the whole time) if you happen to do it after a wet period.
Nevermind paying $10 for a red dirt dyed t-shirt, I can give you some Nike socks dyed to the same effect free of charge:)
Sadly we did not manage to get further than Pihea Vista, which was only half way to where we wanted to go (a very steep climb downhill was involved if we went further).
The wet(test) spot on earth...
We felt the fury of rain (that is, red mud and slippery volcanic rocks) under our feet, and saw Mt Wai'ale'ale from afar. That was pretty cool.
Like previous writers said - it does get cold up there and I packed an extra long sleeve shirt just in case. Must come back when its not as wet!
This is a breathtaking lookout point.
You can look into the canyon, and also see the ocean.
The day we went I was dead tired, but I'm so glad we went anyway.
This is truly an incredible sight, and one that should not be missed if you're lucky enough to make it to Kauai.
**Keep in mind, its pretty chilly up there, and bring a sweater!I did, but I noticed other people freezing up there.**
This place is like a dream... breathtaking views in a very surreal way. It's hard to imagine something this beautiful exists. The colors the angles the changing light. Even when the fog rolls in it is peacefully serene. The drive is twisty and long but the visions that you see along the way are worth it all.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
What a magnificent sight it was to see Waimea Canyon from its lookout point. There are several stops along the way including Puu Hinahina Lookout which gives you a good view of Niihau, the forbidden island, on a clear day.
The roads are seriously windy and even for someone who is not generally proned to car sickness, I got a bit queasy and had to close my eyes and lay back for a while. It was well worth it though as the breathtaking sight will make you forget all your nausea and whatnot.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (4)
Over 4,300 acres of lush forests and great views of the Kalalau Valley and the Pacific Ocean from a 4,000 ft. lookout, Kokee State Park is worth the long ascension from sea level. There are beautiful (and potentially fatal) hiking trails along the Waimea Canyon rim and high atop the peaks of Kauai overlooking the ocean.
Tent camping is permitted. And rustic cabin accomodations are available through the Kokee Lodge at a great price ($35-$45 a night).
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
I have visited Kokee State Park and the Kalalau Valley Lookout viewing the Na Pali Coast several times. In 2006, I took my daughters, Joy and Kristina to take pics of this beautiful, serene scenic wonderment.
Here are my pics I took of Kokee State Park from 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007-I hope you will enjoy viewing all my pics of Kauai. should you want to know the location of a pic, please feel free to send me a message.
My pics of the Island of Kauai, including Kokee State Park Kalalau Lookout:
http://www.flickr.com/...
In addition, here's another URL to view the many pics taken of this famous, beautiful lookout by other visitors:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The colours of this majestic scenery appears as an artistic painting with sporadic fog banks wafting intermittently. Still, I have discovered that over the years, Kauai had to place barriers from people falling off the sheer cliffs.
Visitors used to be able to hike down the ravine in 2004, but this past year when I visited Kokee State Park, the hiking trails have been barricaded. So, in July 2007, I noticed a drastic change with the scenery which has been visually hindered by the steel bannister barricade. The Kokee State Park has made drastic safety improvements for visitors' safety, but it slightly diminished its beauty visually.
Heads Up: Go to the very TOP of Kokee State Park's road FIRST and do not stop to view the other look outs. By the time you have taken your pics of Kokee Lookout, ALL and every tour bus will descend upon the miniscule cul-de-sac parking lot making it very difficult to move your car. After viewing Kokee Lookout, then go visit the other lookouts in peace and quiet.
Please drive very slowly up and down the Kokee State Park's road because there are countless gargantuan size potholes that will ruin the rental car's tires and axle. I had to pay the costly price replacing one of rental car's tire and paid a rental car agreement chump fee, despite I had $1 million car insurance.
Well this place is just beautiful, from the waterfalls over bright red soil to the waimea canyon vistas. Definitely worth the side trip. Go early in the day; rain clouds move in toward the afternoon.
On a clear day, you can see the cliffs of Nihau and down to the Waimea coast from along the drive. It is a windy road, so take your time. Definitely take your time. The views of the Na Pali coast and down Waimea Canyon are spectacular and even from a small digital camera, you can capture wonderful photos. The colors are so vivid, your friends will think you have doctored them. The red dirt, black rock and greenery all contrast. This is worth the drive from anywhere on the island.
It was like a scene out of a romantic film.
Surfer boyfriend's cousin drives us to the top of Kokee State Park (elevation 4000) and we watch the sun go down and the fog roll in.
Yes, I said fog.
Fog like my home of San Francisco. Cold, thick, and damp. I will NEVER be homesick because I can just revisit the San Francisco weather here! Beautiful summits, visible coastline waves and green, green, green EVERYTHING.
Canyons and rivers and waterfalls that make you weep with the beauty they contain.
Surfer boy and I conducted a beautiful makeout fest with no one around and if it wouldn't have been absolutely freezing, I'm sure we would have turned the passionate romance into something dirty and naughty. Ladies, wear jeans and bring a warm coat because that gorgeous summer dress and light wrap will NOT keep you warm in the slightest. Although being as cold as I was gives you a good reason to cuddle with the one you love.
Rumor has it that you can hunt mountain goats and wild pig. (picking teeth with wild pig bone) However, that's just an unsubstantiated rumor and BUUUUURRRRPPP...I'd know nothing about that.
What I DO know about though is how you can fashion a bong out of papaya branches and a Vitamin Water bottle. Since I'm fairly stoned, I'd say it worked well. That may or may not have anything to do with visiting this park.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (8)
- Cool (4)
so beautiful...it almost looks fake cuz it so beautiful and perfect. i was definitely shocked by its beauty and i got a little teary because i felt so lucky to see such a nice view. worth the drive!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
