West Side · State park
Waimea Canyon
A ten-mile gorge cut into the dry west side of Kauaʻi, reached by a long climb from Waimea town and shared with neighbouring Kōkeʻe State Park. The rim sits far above the coast, so the weather up there is routinely nothing like the beach you left.
Live · National Weather Service
West side forecast right now
Kōloa / Poʻipū
85°F · Mostly Sunny
Rain 13% · Wind E 10 mph
Waimea
89°F · Mostly Sunny
Rain 14% · Wind ESE 3 mph
The National Weather Service Waimea point is the nearest official forecast. The canyon rim is considerably higher and often cooler and cloudier than this forecast — treat it as the drive-up conditions, not the lookout. Full island forecast
Published by the agency — not live
Fees, hours and trails
- Hours
- Daily, during daylight hours
- Entrance (non-resident)
- $5.00 per person (children 3 and under free)
- Entrance (Hawaiʻi resident)
- Free with Hawaiʻi driver's licence or ID
- Parking (non-resident)
- $10 per vehicle (non-commercial)
- Parking note
- A parking ticket is valid for both the Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe State Park lots
- Trails in the park
- ʻIliau Nature Loop, Kukui Trail
Read by Kauaʻi Insider from Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of State Parks on September 13, 2026. Fees, hours and requirements change — confirm with the agency before you go.
Hawaiʻi DLNR Division of State Parks (opens in a new tab)What to see
The lookouts
Waimea Canyon Lookout is the main stop and the one most visitors mean when they say they have seen the canyon. Puʻu Hinahina Lookout is further up the road. Continuing into Kōkeʻe State Park leads to the Kalalau and Puʻu o Kila lookouts, which look down onto the Nāpali Coast from above — when the clouds allow.
Cloud moves fast up there. A viewpoint can be completely white one minute and clear the next, so it is worth waiting rather than driving back down immediately.
Practical
Before you drive up
There is no fuel, and very limited food and water, above Waimea town. Mobile coverage is patchy. The road is paved the whole way but narrow and winding, with slow-moving traffic at the lookouts.
Morning is generally the clearest part of the day, and it is also the coolest — bring a layer. Flash flooding in the canyon's streams is a real hazard during heavy rain; never enter a stream crossing that is running high or brown.
Parks & trails
Official status checks for major destinations
Hāʻena State Park / Kēʻē
Current status not automatically available
Nāpali Coast / Kalalau Trail
Current status not automatically available
Waimea Canyon State Park
Current status not automatically available
Kōkeʻe area
Current status not automatically available
Polihale State Park
Current status not automatically available
Linked-only official resource. Weather is never used to infer a park or trail status.
Today on Kauaʻi
Daylight in Hawaiʻi Standard Time
Sunrise
6:24 AM HST
Sunset
6:42 PM HST
Locally calculated for central Kauaʻi. Clouds and terrain affect actual visibility; these are not safety times.
Kauaʻi Insider publishes the State's own fees and hours and the National Weather Service forecast. It does not know whether the park is open right now unless an official notice has been issued — check the State park notices above and the DLNR page before you drive.
Common questions
Answered plainly
How much does it cost to visit Waimea Canyon?
The State of Hawaiʻi publishes a $5.00 per person entrance fee for non-residents, with children 3 and under free, and $10 per non-commercial vehicle for parking. Hawaiʻi residents enter free with a state driver's licence or ID. One parking ticket covers both the Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe State Park lots.
How long is the drive to Waimea Canyon?
The canyon lookouts are at the top of a long climb from the west-side town of Waimea. From the north shore it is a substantial cross-island drive, so most visitors treat the canyon and Kōkeʻe as a full day rather than an add-on.
What is the weather like at Waimea Canyon?
The canyon rim is much higher and cooler than the coast and is frequently clouded in even when Waimea town is clear. Kauaʻi Insider shows the National Weather Service forecast for the Waimea point below; it is the nearest official forecast, not a measurement at the lookout.
Which trails start at Waimea Canyon State Park?
The State lists the ʻIliau Nature Loop and the Kukui Trail within Waimea Canyon State Park. Longer hiking is in neighbouring Kōkeʻe State Park.