Waimea Canyon is amazing to put it simply. I wouldn't recommend the drive from Kekaha (Kokee Rd. Highway 552) as it seems really long, is very winding and not nearly as scenic as the Waimea Canyon Drive (Highway 550) from Waimea. The first overlook is wonderful. We were there midday and the lighting was great. I can only imagine how beautiful the lighting would be early in the morning right around sunrise and then again around sunset. Stop at every overlook, both on your way up the Canyon Drive and on the way down. When my husband and I went there was a good deal of haze in the canyon due to very strong trade winds, but as the day moved on the haze burned off. The intensity of the greens, reds and blue sky is spectacular! It is a wonderful drive, make sure you and you traveling companions are up for a good half a day of driving then getting out and walking a little then driving again. I think the temperature dropped almost 20 degrees as we went from the shore to the end of the Canyon Drive so you may want ot bring a jacket. The last stop on the drive overlooks a massive valley, part of the Na Pali coast. Take the red dirt trail, that leads to another look out. The trail was very slippery due ot ht e intermittent rain when we were there so we did not hike all the way to the look out. We stopped for our lunch at park where the Kokee Lodge and Museum are located which was a nice picnic spot. When you come back down the canyon stop at JoJo's clubhouse in Waimea for some delicious Shave Ice. My personal recommendation is the combination of Passion Fruit, Guava and Mango syrup over the Shave Ice with Macadamia nut ice cream underneath. Yummy.

My wife and I stopped at the lookout during our day trip to Kauai. We had flown over from Oahu and rented a car for the day to check things out, and get away from all the hustle of Waikiki.
Now that we have been there, we cannot wait to go back. It was a bit hazy during our visit in April 2008, but that did not take anything away from the spectacular panoramic view at the lookout.
We went up the older highway to get there, and down the newer route to get back. It was a very interesting drive along the narrow, windy roads with all sorts of things to look at.
We will definitely be checking things out a bit more closely during our next visit, when we have more time to explore.
But even if you are short on time, like we were, it is certainly worth it to see one of the truly amazing places Kauai has to offer.

It's definitely worth the drive. Go in the morning before the warm air from the ocean rises and meets with the cool air and forms fog. It was foggy at the top and the 1 mile hile wasn't worth it. We drove down a little way to the Awa'awapuhi Trail, which is a 6.2 mile hike round trip. The hike was a little rough for me since I'm not used to it, but it warmed me up for the Kalalau Trail later on in the week. The views at the end was worth it!! I don't have pictures of the greener cliffs! I was so sad that I didn't take more pictures. If you aren't doing a helicopter or boat tour of the NaPali coast, this is a must do!

The first time we drove up to Waimea Canyon, with the intention of going all the way to the top in Kokee State Park to the Puu O Hila Lookout and a hike on the Pihea Trail, the clouds had rolled in making the hike impossible; the clouds covered the entire view at the top (though not of the Waimea Canyon itself, which was a spectacular view). But we went back a couple of days later and enjoyed the most fantastic hike under crystal blue skies with a gorgeous view of the Na Pali coast. The Pihea Trail is very hikable for most people - even our 4 and 7 year old girls made it all the way to the Pihea Vista (2 miles - it took us about two hours). Highly recommended, but go early (we got there at 8am and when we finished the hike, a lot of people were arriving and it was getting crowded and getting hot). I am sure there are many fabulous hikes in the area - use the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook as a reference. And stop at Jo Jo's Clubhouse for shave ice in Waimea - a fantastic value.