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Like the other
Hawaiian islands, Kauaʻi is the top of an enormous volcano rising from the ocean floor. With lava flows dated to about 5 million years ago, Kauaʻi is the oldest of the large Hawaiian islands. Roughly 4 million years ago, while Kauaʻi was still erupting almost continuously, a portion of
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from the slopes of Mount Waiʻaleʻale have eroded Waimea Canyon along one edge of the collapse. On the east 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.
338:. The lavas of the canyon provide evidence of massive faulting and collapse in the island's early history. The west side of the canyon is all thin, west-dipping lavas of the Napali Member. In contrast, the east side is very thick, flat-lying lavas of the Olokele and
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Waimea Canyon State Park encompasses 1,866 acres (7.5 km) and is a popular tourist attraction on the island. It provides a wilderness area with numerous hiking trails. It can be accessed from
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for "reddish water", a reference to the erosion of the canyon's red soil. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the
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The canyon has a unique geologic history as it was formed not only by the steady process of
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the island collapsed. This collapse formed a depression which then filled with lava flows.
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but also by the catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kauaʻi.
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along which a large part of the island moved downwards in a big collapse.
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on Hawaiʻi state road 550, which is 18 miles long and leads up to
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Department of Land and
Natural Resources - Division of State Parks
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Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls, Waimea Canyon Park Kauai, Hawaii
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Protected area of Kauai County, Hawaii, United States
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Upper Waipoo Falls, Waimea Canyon Park Kauai, Hawaii
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Members. The two sides are separated by an enormous
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
464:Helicopter tour to the Waipoo Falls, Kauai, Hawaii
1274:Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources
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452:Waimea Canyon State Park Lookout, Kauai, Hawaii
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558:Yale University: Geology of the Waimea Canyon
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1032:Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park
563:Hawaii State Parks: Waimea Canyon State Park
440:Red sand in Waimea Canyon Park Kauai, Hawaii
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111:Learn how and when to remove this message
1256:Wahiawā Freshwater State Recreation Area
989:Wailuku River State Park / Rainbow Falls
499:
428:Waimea Canyon State Park, Kauai, Hawaii
418:
979:Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area
944:Kohala Historical Sites State Monument
1191:Kūkaniloko Birthstones State Monument
1085:Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area
699:National Historical Parks & Sites
315:, among the wettest places on earth.
7:
1251:Waʻahila Ridge State Recreation Area
1065:Halekiʻi-Pihana Heiau State Monument
929:Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park
49:adding citations to reliable sources
1216:Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau State Monument
1181:Keaīwa Heiau State Recreation Area
984:Wailoa River State Recreation Area
934:Kekaha Kai (Kona Coast) State Park
914:Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area
14:
1241:Sand Island State Recreation Area
1206:Mālaekahana State Recreation Area
410:Falls at Waimea Canyon State Park
401:A panoramic view of Waimea Canyon
1141:ʻAiea Bay State Recreation Area
1100:Wailua Valley State Wayside Park
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299:of the United States. Waimea is
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1246:Ulupō Heiau State Historic Site
974:Mauna Kea State Recreation Area
959:MacKenzie State Recreation Area
763:Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale
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36:needs additional citations for
1231:Royal Mausoleum State Monument
1047:Waimea State Recreational Pier
949:Lapakahi State Historical Park
510:. University of Hawaii Press.
323:The canyon is carved into the
311:on the island's central peak,
1:
1161:ʻIolani Palace State Monument
1090:Puaʻa Kaʻa State Wayside Park
1007:Ahukini State Recreation Pier
1301:Canyons and gorges of Hawaii
1221:Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside
1201:Makapuʻu Point State Wayside
1171:Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline
1136:Ahupuaʻa O Kahana State Park
1075:Kaumahina State Wayside Park
924:Kalopa State Recreation Area
1151:Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
1146:Diamond Head State Monument
285:Grand Canyon of the Pacific
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1211:Nuʻuanu Pali State Wayside
1070:ʻĪao Valley State Monument
60:"Waimea Canyon State Park"
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1196:Lāʻie Point State Wayside
969:Mauna Kea Ice Age Reserve
964:Manuka State Wayside Park
939:Kīholo State Park Reserve
773:National Wildlife Refuges
755:National Marine Sanctuary
533:earthobservatory.nasa.gov
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1316:Protected areas of Kauai
1226:Queen Emma Summer Palace
1176:Kaka'ako Waterfront Park
1095:Waiʻanapanapa State Park
1042:Waimea Canyon State Park
1022:Nā Pali Coast State Park
954:Lava Tree State Monument
745:Papahānaumokuākea Marine
722:Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP
126:Waimea Canyon State Park
1236:Sacred Falls State Park
1166:Ka'ena Point State Park
1037:Wailua River State Park
909:ʻAkaka Falls State Park
569:"Waimea Canyon, Kauaʻi"
529:"Waimea Canyon, Kaua'i"
610:22.05611°N 159.66528°W
573:NASA Earth Observatory
411:
243:22.05611°N 159.66528°W
1306:State parks of Hawaii
508:Place Names of Hawaii
409:
727:Puʻukoholā Heiau NHS
717:Kaloko-Honokōhau NHP
615:22.05611; -159.66528
579:on December 30, 2003
506:Pukui, Mary Kawena.
283:, also known as the
248:22.05611; -159.66528
45:improve this article
1027:Polihale State Park
606: /
535:. December 21, 2003
360:In the time since,
273:Hawaiʻi State Parks
239: /
1311:Calderas of Hawaii
1296:Landforms of Kauai
1118:Palaʻau State Park
737:National Monuments
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186:Show map of Hawaii
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1156:Heʻeia State Park
1080:Makena State Park
1017:Kōkeʻe State Park
1012:Haʻena State Park
880:
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864:National memorial
689:Hawaiʻi Volcanoes
381:. The island of
379:Kōkeʻe State Park
313:Mount Waiʻaleʻale
307:arising from the
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210:Nearest city
161:Show map of Kauai
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901:Hawaiʻi (island)
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890:Recreation Areas
854:Hawaii Volcanoes
841:Wilderness Areas
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56:Find sources:
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34:This article
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23:
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1186:Kewalo Basin
1041:
886:State Parks,
872:Pearl Harbor
831:Pearl Harbor
591:
581:. Retrieved
577:the original
539:February 19,
537:. Retrieved
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305:Waimea River
284:
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
826:Oahu Forest
821:Kona Forest
811:Kealia Pond
613: /
601:159°39′55″W
246: /
234:159°39′55″W
221:Coordinates
1290:Categories
598:22°03′22″N
494:References
325:tholeiitic
231:22°03′22″N
71:newspapers
888:Monuments
849:Haleakala
684:Haleakalā
369:Geography
362:rainwater
1110:Moloka‘i
806:Kakahaia
340:Makaweli
301:Hawaiian
196:Location
786:Hanalei
667:Federal
583:May 30,
415:Gallery
383:Niʻihau
351:erosion
319:Geology
295:in the
269:Website
204:Hawaiʻi
85:scholar
999:Kaua‘i
796:Huleia
659:Hawaii
514:
375:Waimea
336:basalt
293:Kauaʻi
289:canyon
214:Waimea
200:Kauaʻi
87:
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1128:O‘ahu
344:fault
332:lavas
92:JSTOR
78:books
1057:Maui
585:2006
541:2023
512:ISBN
64:news
657:of
47:by
1292::
571:.
531:.
202:,
647:e
640:t
633:v
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543:.
518:.
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108:(
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99:(
89:·
82:·
75:·
68:·
41:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
