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to another a hundred or so feet away. The zippers, attached only by a cable, zoom through the air, above treetops, at speeds of up to 35 mph from one end of the cable to the other. It’s an adrenaline rush you will not forget. One of our favorite zipline tours is done by Outfitters Kauai , 2827A Poipu Rd., Poipu ( 88 8/742-9887 or 80 8/742-9667; www.outfitterskauai.com). Their Kipu Falls Zipline Trek starts with a 1⁄4-mile hike through the jungle to a steep valley with a 150-foot waterfall. Zippers climb up one side of the valley, attach themselves to the cable some 50 feet above the earth, step off the platform, and usually holler with ear-to-ear grins as they zip along the cable over the forest canopy, rivers, and waterfalls. Even first-time zippers run as quickly as their legs will carry them back up the trail to do it all over again. If you get your fill of zipping, there are hikes, a swimming hole, and rope swings to fill up the 3-hour adventure. Cost is $138 for adults and $118 for children ages 7 to 14.

WESTERN KAUAI

Waimea Canyon Trails

On a wet island like Kauai, a dry hike is hard to find. But in the desert-dry gulch of Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific (once you get here, you’ll see why—it’s pretty spectacular), you’re not likely to slip and slide in the muck as you go.

CANYON TRAIL You want to hike Hawaii’s Grand Canyon, but you don’t think you have time? Well, then, take the Canyon Trail to the east rim for a breathtaking view into the 3,000-foot-deep canyon. Park your car at the top of Halemanu Valley Road (located between mile markers 14 and 15 on Waimea Canyon Rd., about a mile down from the museum). Walk down the not very clearly marked trail on the 3.5-mile round-trip, which takes 2 to 3 hours and leads to Waipoo Falls (as does the hike below) and back. We suggest going in the afternoon, when the light is best.

HIKE TO WAIPOO FALLS The 3-hour round-trip hike to Waipoo Falls is one of Kauai’s best hikes. The two-tiered, 800-foot waterfall that splashes into a natural pool is worth every step it takes to get here. To find the trail, drive up Kokee Road (Hwy. 550) to the Puu Hina Hina Outlook; a quarter mile past the lookout, near a NASA satellite-tracking station on the right, a two-lane dirt road leads to the Waipoo Falls trail head. From here, the trail winds gently through a jungle dotted with wild yellow orchids and flame-red torch ginger before it leads you out onto a descending ridgeback that juts deep into the canyon. At the end of the promontory, take a left and push on through the jungle to the falls; reward yourself with a refreshing splash in the pool.

Kokee State Park

At the end of Highway 550, which leads through Waimea Canyon to its summit, lies a 4,640-acre state park of high-mountain forest wilderness (3,600–4,000 ft. above sea level). The rainforest, bogs, and breathtaking views of the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon are the draws at Kokee. This is the place for hiking—among the 45 miles of maintained trails are some of the best hikes in Hawaii. Official trail maps of all the park’s trails are for sale for 50¢ at the Kokee Natural History Museum ( 80 8/335-9975).

A few words of advice: Always check current trail conditions. Up-to-date trail information is available on a bulletin board at the Kokee Natural History Museum. Stay on established trails; it’s easy to get lost here. Get off the trail well before dark. Carry water and rain gear—even if it’s perfectly sunny when you set out—and wear sunscreen.

For complete coverage of the state park, .

AWAAWAPUHI TRAIL This 3.25-mile hike (6.5 miles round-trip) takes about 3 hours each way and is considered strenuous by most, but it offers a million-dollar view. Look for the trail head at the left of the parking lot, at mile marker 17, between the museum and Kalalau Lookout. The well-marked and maintained trail now sports quarter-mile markers, and you can pick up a free plant guide for the trail at the museum. The trail drops about 1,600 feet through native forests to a thin precipice right at the very edge of the Na