We also took the opportunity to explore Waimea Canyon, to the north of town. There is a large state park there, criss-crossed with dozens of small dirt or gravel roads and hiking trails, and a number of different ecosystems to explore. If you've got good boots and an adventurous spirit, you can experience some incredible scenery, including a look at the Alawai Swamp, and Mount Waialeale, whose peak is known worldwide as the wettest spot on earth (receiving an average yearly rainfall of over 400 inches)
There are numerous lookouts along the road to Koke'e State Park, with ample opportunities for some breathtaking nature photography. Watch your step, though; some of the best pictures are taken while balancing on logs and fences overlooking cliffs hundreds of feet up from the canyon floor.
The road up through the Waimea Canyon area and into Koke'e State Park winds up from Waimea into thinly populated hills, and finally into a forested area full of a wide variety of trees and wildflowers. Our little 4-cylinder Rent-a-wreck could barely make it up to 35 mph when you floored the gas pedal.
Hiking trails abound through this area, some considerably more difficult than others. We'd suggest you stop at the Koke'e Lodge, about 12 miles up the road from Waimea, for recommendations on where to go. You can also make cabin reservations here, but we'd suggest making them in advance of your trip -- there can be waiting lists of several weeks during the busy season.
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We stopped and turned around about five miles along the trail we had chosen because it was a little more challenging than we had expected, and since Chris is still getting back into the outdoors, we figured this was challenging enough. Still, the view of the canyon as it channelled the rivers down to the sea was breathtaking, and won't be soon forgotten.
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