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Waimea Swinging Bridge
Located within the West Region on Kauai
Walking the Waimea Swinging Bridge
The Waimea Swinging Bridge is a pedestrian suspension bridge spanning the Waimea River in the center of Waimea town on Kaua'i's west side. The original bridge dates back to the early 1900s, built to connect residents to farms on the far side of the river. It's been rebuilt several times -- most recently after Hurricane Iniki destroyed it in 1992.
The bridge sways and bounces as you cross. That's by design. The cables and wooden planks flex with your weight, which is part of the experience. It's perfectly safe, just a little unnerving the first time you feel it move under your feet.
What to Expect
This is a quick stop -- five minutes, maybe ten if you linger for photos. The bridge is free to walk and open during daylight hours. From the center of the span, you get a nice view up and down the Waimea River, with the red-dirt canyon walls visible in the distance.
It's walkable from Waimea's main road. Park anywhere in town, grab a shave ice at Jo-Jo's, and stroll over. The bridge sits just off Menehune Road, less than a mile from Highway 50. If you'd rather drive, the turn onto Menehune Road comes up just before mile marker 23 (on your right heading west from Hanapepe) — the bridge appears on the right after a short stretch through a residential neighborhood.
Pairing with Other Stops
Waimea is the gateway to Waimea Canyon, so most visitors pass through here on the way up or down from the canyon lookouts. The bridge pairs well with a stop at the Captain Cook monument on the waterfront or a plate lunch in town. It's a small piece of old Kaua'i history that takes almost no time to see.
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Trade winds are strong right now, with high surf hitting the south shore today. Windward areas are seeing frequent showers through the weekend.
South-facing beaches have dangerous surf today through Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will build rough water by Sunday or Monday. The bigger picture is a tropical system, Fausto, heading our way. It's weakening but should arrive near the islands by Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rain. The exact track is still uncertain, so check the forecast daily.
Get your beach time and water activities in today through early next week on the leeward side, where conditions stay calmer. Be ready to shift plans by midweek when conditions turn rough.
0:000:52
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Windy conditions across Maui right now, with trade winds gusting strong. South-facing shores have high surf today and will see another big swell Saturday and Sunday—the water's dangerous unless you're an experienced ocean swimmer.
Through the weekend, windward areas will get frequent showers while trade winds stay gusty. The bigger picture arrives midweek: Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward the islands and should reach Maui as a tropical storm or weaker system Tuesday or Wednesday. That'll bring rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Hit the leeward beaches and snorkel south Maui coasts today through early next week, but stay out of windward and south-facing waters through Sunday.
0:000:54
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Windy conditions dominate right now with strong trade winds pushing across the island. South-facing shores have high surf today—dangerous water if you're not an experienced swimmer.
Through the weekend, those south shores see another big swell Saturday and Sunday, and east-facing shores will build dangerous conditions by Sunday or Monday. Windward areas get frequent showers. A tropical system—the remnants of Hurricane Fausto—is weakening and headed toward the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain midweek. Timing and track are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Leeward beaches on the Kona side stay your best bet today through early next week, but avoid the water on the windward and south shores through Sunday.
0:000:57
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Strong trade winds are pushing showers across windward areas through the weekend. On Kauaʻi, expect frequent showers on the windward side.
High surf is running on south-facing shores today and will build again Saturday and Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will also see dangerous swell by Sunday or Monday. Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward Hawaii. By Tuesday or Wednesday it should reach the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily through midweek.
Beach time on leeward shores works through early next week. Plan water activities for today, but be ready to shift if Fausto's track becomes clearer—conditions will deteriorate by midweek.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
