Top 5 Favorite Natural Wonders of Hawaii

Results have been tallied from the recent Facebook poll conducted by Hawaii Magazine and they have revealed the Top 5  Natural Wonders of Hawaii:

#5
Diamond Head 
(Oahu)

The extinct volcanic tuff cone known as Diamond Head—and especially, its west-facing Waikiki Beach profile—is perhaps Hawaii’s most recognized natural landmark. British sailors arriving on Oahu in the 19th century gave the 150,000-year old monument the English name that would stick after mistaking calcite crystals lodged in its slopes for diamonds. Diamond Head’s Hawaiian name is Leahi—a variant of the words lae (brow) and ahi (tuna), describing the famed silhouette’s resemblance to the dorsal fin of a tuna. A 45-minute hike from the cone’s interior floor to its highest point overlooking Waikiki, Honolulu and Oahu’s entire south shore is one of the island’s most popular. Said Facebook ohana member Robert Lanham, “(Diamond Head is) a great landmark and a challenging hike with awesome views when you get to the top.” The world-renowned view from Kuhio Beach toward Leahi, enjoyed by millions more Waikiki visitors, isn’t half-bad either. 

#4
Waimea Canyon
(Kauai)

Hawaii’s “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” owes its distinct beauty to natural events that occurred in one cataclysmic volcanic moment, then slowly over millions of years. Four million years ago, as steady volcanic activity from the Kauai’s dominant peak Mount Waialeale was still growing the island, a huge section of land collapsed creating a massive depression. Fresh lava filled the depression until Kauai’s eruptive life ended. Eons of rainwater coursing down the Waimea River from Waialeale’s peak—one of the wettest places on earth—and rainfall turning young, freshly- exposed lava rock from black to bright and deep reds, have since cut the 10-mile, 3,000 ft. deep Waimea Canyon visitors marvel at today. Whether viewing its grandeur by helicopter, by hiking trail or at a handful of popular lookouts perched on its edge, Waimea Canyon is a must-see even on return visits to Kauai.  



#3
Haleakala National Park / Haleakala Volcano
(Maui)

Haleakala volcano was a favorite natural wonder of our readers, by day and night. “On a clear day, you can see five other islands,” said Facebook ohana member Joey Nakagawa, of the view from Haleakala’s summit, 10,023 ft. above sea level. Post-sunset, from Haleakala’s summit crater, “The night sky is amazing,” said ohana member Kathy Schama. “It is so incredible to hike through (the crater) and stay in the cabins.” The park’s arid, volcanic cone-dotted crater—actually a huge land depression—is its biggest attraction, drawing hundreds of visitors each morning for the amazing sunrises that gave the summit its Hawaiian name. (Haleakala means “house of the sun.”) But there’s much more to see at Haleakala National Park than the summit. The park also encompasses lush Kipahulu Valley from summit to sea and the popular Seven Sacred Pools and waterfalls of Oheo Gulch, all of it about 10 miles southeast of Hana on the winding Hana Highway.  



#2
Napali Coast
(Kauai)

“There is NOTHING in this world as gorgeous as the Napali Coast!!!” gushed Facebook ohana member Teri Dayton. And many of you agreed. Inaccessible to all but hearty hikers and visitors arriving by sea, the 16-mile Napali Coast on Kauai’s northwest side is a garden of unblemished natural treasures. Sheer sea cliffs reaching more than 4,000 feet from ocean to summit. Secluded stretches of white sand beach. Isolated waterfalls. And countless valleys, including one of the island’s most beautiful, Kalalau—deep, wide and sheltered by lush, rain-kissed cliffs thousands of feet high. Ohana member Val Nelson called the vista of Napali from the Kalalau Trail, hugging the cliffs above the coast, “absolutely breathtaking and staggeringly beautiful. It’s difficult to think of another view in the world that compares.” Actually, we’re sure there many more amazing views, Val … all of them at Napali. 



#1
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park / Kilauea Volcano
(Big Island) 


No other natural wonder of Hawaii came close to topping Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Kilauea Volcano in our Facebook poll. “Hawaii has many wondrous places, but Kilauea is like nowhere else in the world,” said Facebook ohana member Mike Mason. “A volcano you can walk up to.” We couldn’t have summarized the appeal of the most visitor-friendly active volcano in the world any better, Mike. Kilauea volcano and its 500 square-mile home, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, are ecologic wonderlands unique in all the world. Where else can you hike through fern-filled tropical rain forests, walk the floor of volcanic crater, cross a lava desert, gaze at the planet’s most massive volcano Mauna Loa, watch steam and ash pour into the sky from a huge crack in the earth, walk through a lava-built natural tunnel and see and hear molten lava pouring into the sea creating the newest land on earth … all in a single day? Nowhere but here. The best part? You’ll still have an inexhaustible supply of wonders of nature to explore the next day, too. 

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