At the first official lookout there is a map with all the trail routes in the area. When we visited there was also a ranger/volunteer on hand who gave us tips on the trails we should visit. Definitely worth visiting during a stay on Kauai. There is a charge to enter the Park which you can pay via the machines at the lookouts.

This was an all day trip for us in our rental car. Views are spectacular. Be careful, roads are full of potholes and people park randomly on the side of the road for the views. Go to the end to see the Nepali Coast hillside made famous in Jurassic Park.

What a great way to spend a day! I think we stopped at every pull off we drove by, and each view just kept getting better and better! There are 5 “official” placed to stop. You pay $10 per car and $5 per person ONCE, and it’s good for all 5 stops (so don’t through away the little receipt). And we DID see someone happily ticketing cars without it, so don’t try to save the $20. :) Just take your time… no hurry!… and be sure to take the road all the way to the end for the best view of the Na Pali coast!

Dramatic, breathtaking views. Similar to the Grand Canyon (not as long, of course) but about as deep and much greener. Don't just stop at the spectacular Waimea Canyon Overlook, fantastic though it is. Drive all the way to the end at Koke'e State Park and the two spectacular overlooks at the very end, where you can view the Kalalau Valley and the ocean. The natural history museum in Koke'e is also worthwhile. You can learn about the geology of the place and the flora/fauna.

The only problem with this trip was the cloud, it was wonderful for the experience but not for the pictures I tried to take. It is the biggest canyon in the Pacific, but very small for those who visited the Grand Canyon. It is all lava and trees, very green i between the rocks. Beautiful.

Simply a must do when visiting Kauai. It was my 3rd time visiting Waimea Canyon and it is always awe inspiring. If you start early, you can avoid the crowds. Also, there is a fee of $10 per vehicle and $5 per person. We were lucky to catch it on a relatively cloudless day, so we were able to see Niihau and the Na Pali coast in all their glory. At the end of the road, the road had many potholes, other than this it was smooth sailing. Highly recommend.

The road to Waimea Canyon has lots of twists and turns, so be ready for a slower drive. The view of the canyon is beautiful. The restrooms could use some attention, but they were available. There are a lot of trails on the road to the canyon, and can be difficult to locate without doing a little research beforehand. We decided on the short Iliau Nature Loop. It was pretty rough and not well marked, but it was fun. Be sure to drive all the way up the road for the best views.

A great place to view the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, as Mark Twain dubbed it. Short drive from Waimea with more great views on the drive. There is a fee to pay, which supports the park and the staff that run it, keeping it clean and well maintained. When we went the fees were $10 per vehicle and $5 per person in your vehicle. So we paid $40 since we had 6 people (all adults) in our vehicle.

We stopped into the Grand Canyon of Hawaii to do the canyon trail to waipu falls. The trail was well marked and well groomed and offered some incredible views that you’d see of Jurassic park (literally). The road is well kept and about hour drive to get to the summit from bottom. If you’re a hiker I’d highly suggest doing some of the trails and if not there are some sight seeing points and picnic areas on the way

Make it a full day trip and be prepared for the potholes. Considering this is the #1 attraction on Kauai, you would think the state would spend the money to fix the potholes which in some cases are truly dangerous. However don't let that stop you from going all the way to the end of the road to the scenic overlook, with the NaPali cliffs and coast down below. We came in the winter so the water was too rough to cruise the NaPali Coastline, but this was the next best thing. We stopped at the 1st overlook and paid the park fee. The view was spectacular. Don't be in a hurry. Take in each view and just have a long look at the birds circling down in the canyons. There was a young native Hawaiian man dressed in a traditional clothing who gave us a history talk, for tips. We really enjoyed what he shared with us! We skipped the 2nd overlook but had lunch at the lodge, and then drive over the rutted roads to the 3rd and final dramatic overlook. It was a fantastic day, and the colors of the red earth and green vegetation was a treat for a photographer.