Waimea Valley sits right off the highway between Haleiwa and Turtle Bay Resort. We stopped there to hike the park on the way back from Honolulu. If you’re looking to experience your own little slice of Jurassic Park on Oahu, Waimea Valley is the place for you. A bunch of movies, including the newest Jumanji, have also been filmed in Waimea. The park path is pretty easy and paved, but there are a few steep spots. I enjoyed the stunning scenery, especially the all the different species of plants, flowers, and trees. Considering I bought a $7 hibiscus Hello Kitty notepad at a gift shop in Honolulu, I was thrilled to find a hibiscus garden.
Waimea Falls
You hike about a mile and a half round trip to the waterfalls at the back of Waimea Valley. The weather is very tropical; it sprinkled on and off most of the time we hiked through. If you want, you can swim in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Before you enter the water, you have to check in with the lifeguard and wear a life vest. A good number of people were swimming, and most of them carried their towels and other gear in with them.
Catch up on our trip to Hawaii: We booked our vacation through Costco Travel | Our Oahu eats | Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium | The Dole Plantation | Pearl Harbor | Cruising with Hawaii Duck Tours | Iolani Palace | Kayaking with Turtles in Kawela Bay | The Polynesian Cultural Center
This and the bay across the street were my favorite island spots!