Top Things to do in Waimea
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The 9 Best Nature & Parks in Waimea, Hawaii (HI)
Discover the best top things to do in Waimea, United States including Koke'e Mountains, Anuenue Playground, Waimea Canyon State Park, Polihale State Park, Canyon Trail, Waipo’o Falls, Kukui Trail, Kalahuipua'a Historic Park, Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park.
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1. Koke'e Mountains
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 148 reviews
Mountains on Kauai that offer many hiking trails.
Reviewed By briangBaildon - Queensbury, United Kingdom
Continue driving up from Waimea canyon to the end of the road and look down on the Na Pali coast 4000 feet below. There is a dirt track to the right of the official lookout which is worth a short walk to get better views down to the coast and back to Walaleale
2. Anuenue Playground
3. Waimea Canyon State Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8,194 reviews
"The Grand Canyon of the Pacific," Waimea Canyon is 10 miles long and 3,600 feet deep.
Reviewed By Starlinghall
Beautiful sites that I think every person visiting Kauai needs to see... the highlight for us was going to the very highest lookout point at the end of the road at the top of the mountain. We looked out across the ocean and it took our breath away!
4. Polihale State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 946 reviews
A historical state beach park with breathtaking views and landscape.
Reviewed By genyit
Yes, the dirt road is rutted, potholed, and can easily take 40-50 minutes to get to the beach. I had a Jeep Wrangler 4x4 and it didn't make the trip any faster, but I wasn't worried about bashing the undercarriage or stressing the shock absorbers. I personally think it would be foolish to try this ride with a regular car (think rain, mud, sand, hard-as-rock potholes, etc.) just make sure you've paid for the rental car insurance if you do. As far as the beach is concerned, it was worth every bone jarring bounce to get there and back. I was there on a beautiful sunny day, there were only a handful of other people for miles of gorgeous beach. Recommendation: bring a towel, umbrella, maybe a light weight chair, and lots of drinking water. Note: on my visit the bathrooms were closed. Although I wore a bathing suit I never gave any thought to going in the ocean. The surf was big and wild with a serious undertow. It was amazing to watch the huge waves roll in and then explode as they neared the beach. If you look to the North end of the beach you see the mountains frame the beach. If you look south you see miles of pristine beach and dunes, really quite stunning.
5. Canyon Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 438 reviews
Reviewed By DBM1961 - Quebec City, Canada
We are two middle-aged adults who did the Canyon Trail to atop Waipoo Falls, adding on the the cliff trail overlook. It was rated as a moderate hike on the park's website and I agree. We did not find it too physically challenging, but we did go slow. One does have to plan where to step so the "technical" aspect for me was more challenging than the endurance aspect. But that made it fun. I would suggest going early in the day to beat the crowds. I would also suggest checking the weather before going. I would not want to do this hike if it was wet. The views, especially the cliff trail overlook, are amazing!
6. Waipo’o Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 120 reviews
Reviewed By travelttolive - Sonoma County, United States
Beautiful and fun and rewarding and so many beautiful stops along the way to get there! The clay can be slippery so wear good shoes like hiking boots or hiking sandals. It was rainy on and off and people had a difficult time who were just wearing tennis shoes. If you take kids, be careful close to the canyon!
7. Kukui Trail
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 48 reviews
Reviewed By E692WLscottl - Minneapolis, United States
This trail is a serious adventure and not for the average hiker. You need to be in GOOD physical condition and I would only recommend this for an experienced hiker. If I was rating the trail, I would say this is an advanced to expert trail based on the climb out alone. The trail is 6 miles round trip.
8. Kalahuipua'a Historic Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By LauraDiItaly - Milan, Italy
On our first day visiting Big Island we organized an historical tour of the Koala Coast. We had a rental car, so we could stop and visit the places at our own pace. The first stop was at Puako petroglyphs just north of Mauna Lani resort. The trail is not well marked, but fascinating as you feel like walking inside a witched forest. Remember to bring water and to have close toe shoes. The petroglyphs are well kept and interesting; well worth the walk (1.5 miles round trip). Second stop was nearby Kalahuipua’a Historic Park, an easy walk (1.5 miles as well): here the highlight was a cave with a 'magic' hole, a natural skylight on its roof; if you stay still in the right position, the sun rays create all around your body an incredible “veil of light”,you could say … your “aura” ;-) It really is a MAGIC place, here you can see how Hawaiian kings could be considered like GODS by astounded common people. Next stop was Puukohola Heiau, built by king Kamehamea to fulfil a prophecy and become the unique king of the islands. If you are not Hawaiian, you can only see it from outside, but cannot enter the heiau, the place is still considered sacred and used nowadays by local families for religious ceremonies. We then stopped at the quaint little town of Hawi, here you can find the famous Bamboo restaurant, (thought we were not impressed by it) The visitor center was closed on Sunday, so we couldn't take advantage of their advertised 'five stars' restrooms. We proceeded to Kapaʻau to watch the original Kamehamea statue (the one in front of Iolani Palace in Honolulu is a copy) and reached the Pololo lookout at the end of the road.Impressive!! On the way back we stopped at the Lapakahi village, we had a quick visit there because the gate shut down at 4PM. We were fascinated by the thatched shacks with tapa tapestry inside, a replica of the ancient Hawaiian houses. A very enjoyable tour, very recommended!
9. Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 369 reviews
Russian Fort Elizabeth/Paʻulaʻula o Hipo is a National Historic Landmark and is administered as the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park just southeast of present-day Waimea on the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi. It is located at the site of the former Fort Elizabety, the last remaining Russian fort on the Hawaiian islands, built in the early 19th century by the Russian-American Company as the result of an alliance with High Chief Kaumualiʻi. The star fort was employed by the Kingdom of Hawaii in the 19th century under the name Fort Hipo (Hawaiian: Paʻulaʻula o Hipo).
