Tour Waimea Canyon

It's widely said that Mark Twain considered Waimea Canyon—the 3,000-foot-deep centerpiece of Koke'e State Park—the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

On assignment in Hawaii for the Sacramento Union in 1866 and 1867, Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, journeyed to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. Never to Kauai. Whether actually penned by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau or another author who did venture to Kauai, the characterization is a good one.

While only a small fraction the size of its Arizona namesake, and less than one-third the age of the 200-million-year-old Grand Canyon, Waimea Canyon is a super hiking, birding and photographing destination.

A top-of-the-line first hike in Koke'e State Park might be to the 800-foot Waipo'o Falls, two miles from the Koke'e Tracking Station off Highway 550. While strenuous, the half-day hike will provide visitors with solitude and glimpses of exotic, rainforest vegetation. Pack a picnic lunch to be consumed on the warm, flat rocks by the ginger pool 100 yards in.

Those seeking a more ambitious expedition might attempt the circuit that continues for six miles beyond Waipo'o Falls to the tough Canyon and Kumuwela trails, returning to Highway 550 via the Halemanu-Kokee Trail. This trip must be undertaken early in the day to guarantee a daylight return to your car. Along the trails, you may catch glimpses of wild pigs, feral goats, mule deer and chickens.

Kauai, the oldest of the islands, is made of brittle, crumbly volcanic rock, so never attempt to climb steep cliffs. Every year people are stranded in the wilderness and fatalities have been recorded. If you become lost at night, stay put and try to light a fire. Be mindful of flashfloods. Small creeks can turn into raging torrents with upland rains, so never camp in a dry creek bed.

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