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When Mark Twain visited Hawaii, he nick named Waimea Canyon the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific".

While it can't compete with the Grand Canyon in size, it definately rivals it in beauty.

Waimea Canyon is approximately ten miles long and up to 3,000 feet deep, and is located on the western side of Kauai.

The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waialeale, among the wettest places on earth.

Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, and is therefore the most eroded and the most fertile. The contrast of the red toned earth and the green plant life is breath-taking.

The canyon has a unique geologic history. Roughly 4 million years ago, while Kauai was still erupting almost continuously, a portion of the island collapsed. This collapse formed a depression, which then filled with lava flows.

In the time since, rainwater from the slopes of Mount Waialeale have eroded Waimea Canyon along one edge of the collapse. The cliffs on the west side of the canyon are composed of thin lava flows that ran down the surface of the Kaua?i volcano. On the other side of the canyon, the cliff walls are built from thick lava flows that pooled in the depression.

Over time, the exposed basalt has weathered from its original black to bright red.

Absolutely beatiful, and a must see if you ever visit Hawaii.

Sue and I pose for a picture at the edge of the canyon.