Waimea canyon is the deepest and longest canyon in Hawaii. The length of the canyon is 10 miles while the width of the canyon is 1 mile. The depth of the canyon reaches up to 3,500 feet. The canyon was developed a few thousand years ago. It was developed as a result of the overflowing rivers from the summit of Mount Waialeale.

Today, the canyon is housed inside the Kokee’s State Park. Koke’s State Park covers an area of 4,345 acres. There are many trails in Kokee’s State Park, which lead to Waimea Canyon. The total length of the trail is 45 miles. If you are interested in exploring Waimea Canyon, you can hike on the trail. You can explore the canyon on feet or by vehicle. There is no petrol station along the canyon road so you have to make sure that your vehicle has tank is filled up before beginning the journey. Since the road is built on the canyon, you will experience cool temperature when driving on it. The temperature on the high areas of the canyon is about 10 – 15 degrees cooler compare to other places.

You can access Waimea canyon in two ways. You can take Highway 50 and Highway 550 to reach Waimea canyon. Alternatively, you can reach Waimea Canyon by driving pass Waimea and head to Highway 55. If you want to observe the scenery, you should go to the Waimea Canyon Lookout. The Waimea Canyon Lookout is situated in the middle of marker 10 and marker 11 of the Waimea Canyon Road. Besides visiting the Waimea Canyon Lookout point, you can visit other lookout points. There are several lookout points that offer good view of the scenery including Puu Hina Hina Lookout. Puu Hina Hina Lookout can be found in the middle of the marker 13 and marker 14 of the Waimea Canyon Road. When standing at the Puu Hina Hina Lookout, you will observe a white object in a distant. The white object that shape like a ball is the remain of a radar station used during the Cold War.

You should bring your camera when hiking the trail at Waimea canyon. Before attempting to hike the Waimea canyon, be sure to obtain a valid permit. The permit is required when hiking certain area of the trail. If you want to camp at the canyon, you can do so at Kokee campground. You can also rent the Hale Koa Cabin.