Hawaii Route 550 is a 14.1-mile rural highway located in the mountains on the western side of the island. Hawaii Route 550 begins at Hawaii Route 50 (Kaumualii Highway) at the coastal town of Waimea. From Waimea the highway climbs northward along Waimea Canyon Drive and Kokee Road to the entrance of Kokee State Park. Hawaii Route 550 ends at the Kokee State Park entrance and maintenance of Kokee Road continues under State Park Service jurisdiction to the Kalahua Lookout.
Kokee Road was part of the Kauai Belt Road between Kekaha and the Kalalua Lookout. The Kokee Road corridor has historically been long planned to continue northeast from Kalalua Lookout to the Waihina River. The entirety of Kokee Road was assigned as Hawaii Route 55 when the Hawaii Route System was extended to Kauai in 1955.
As the Kokee Road extension plans gradually fell apart it led to Hawaii Route 55 being renumbered as Hawaii Route 550. Hawaii Route 550 remained aligned on Kokee Road north of the Kitano Reservoir but was shifted onto Waimea Canyon Drive south of it. The bypassed portion of lower Kokee Road is now what comprises Kauai County Route 552.
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Part 1; the history of Hawaii Route 550
Much of the history of Kauai County Route 552 and Hawaii Route 550 are intertwined with that of Kooke Road. As presently configured Hawaii Route 550 is 13.5 miles spanning from Hawaii Route 50 (Kaumualii Highway) to the entrance Kooke State Park. The southern 6.8 mile portion of Hawaii Route 550 is overlaid on Waimea Canyon Drive whereas the upper 6.7 miles is on Kooke Road. Kokee Road continues another 5.1 miles to the Kalalau Lookout.
Prior to the construction of Kokee Road a trail existed north of Waimea to Kaunuohua Ridge. This trail terminated at the Kalalau lookout a short distance of Puu O Kila. Much of the lower parts of this trail followed the grade which would later become Waimea Canyon Drive.
The Kaunuohua Ridge trail can be seen in detail on the 1903 Hawaii Territory survey map.
Modern highway development of lower Kokee Road began near the start of the 20th century. In 1900 a concrete slab bridge was constructed over Waipao Stream north of Kekaha. This span is now part of Kauai County Route 552 and reportedly the oldest active highway bridge on Kauai.
The history of Kuhio Highway is extensively documented in a United States Department of the Interior application to the National Register of Historical Places dated September 5, 2000. The application is heavily focused on the history of the portion of Kuhio Highway comprised by Hawaii Route 560 but also details much of the overall history of the Kauai Belt Road. The Kauai Belt Road includes Kokee Road.
In 1911 the territorial legislature established a loan fund which provided revenue to construct belt roads on the Hawaiian Islands. A Loan Fund Commission was established for each inhabited island. The commission on Kauai was early to act and moved to construct numerous bridges over the island over the next five years to complete the Kauai Belt Road.
In 1915 completion of the Kauai Belt Road entered its final phase when Kauai County Supervisor proposed a $100,000 bond to construct the highway (Kokee Road) from Mana (near Barking Sands Beach) northeast to Haena. The purpose of this bond was to accelerate roadway construction so that the Belt Road could be completed by 1917. It was estimated that the roadway wouldn't be finished until 1923 using Loan Fund Commission money. Ultimately the bond measure would fail to pass and the road between Mana-Haena was only constructed to the Kalalau Lookout.
In 1918 camp lots began to be established at what is now Kokee State Park along the Kokee Road. The cooler weather at above the rim of Waimea Canyon proved to be popular and became a significant tourism draw on Kauai. Kokee Road and the Kokee Camps can be seen as major waypoints on the 1931 Hawaii Tourist Bureau map of Kauai.
During World War II the United States Army would construct a temporary log road from the Kalalau Lookout to the Wainiha River. The purpose of this road was to route a telephone line through Alakai Swamp from the Hanalei Coast to the Army Airfield near Mana. The temporary log road seems to have kept interest in completing the Kauai Belt Road alive.
In 1954 Kauai County began construction of an extension of Kokee Road from the Kalalau Lookout towards the Alakai Swamp (sourced from a 1967-era Sierra Club document). Construction made it to where the Puu O Kila Lookout is now located but became bogged down in the Alakai Swamp. Reportedly construction equipment kept getting stuck in the swamp lands and immediate additional funding was denied.
In 1955 the Hawaii Route System was expanded to Kauai. Hawaii Route 55 was assigned to the entire corridor of Kokee Road from Kehaka to the Kalalau Lookout. A second segment was established on Waihina Powerhouse Road which terminated at Hawaii Route 56 (Kuhio Highway) near Haena. Early Hawaii Route 55 can be seen on the 1959 Gousha Highway map of Hawaii. Hawaii would become the 50th State on August 21, 1959.
The conceptual extension of Kooke Road and Hawaii Route 55 from Kaunuohua Ridge to Wainiha Powerhouse Road appears on a 1962 Hawaii Department of Transportation planning map. This map suggests a far straighter alignment than the Alakai Swamp and rugged 3,000-foot descent along the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast would have permitted. Kokee Road is shown to have been assigned as Federal Aid Second Route 550.
Interest in completing Kokee Road to Wainiha Powerhouse Road waned during the early 1970s and the planned extension disappeared from Hawaii Department of Transportation maps. Waihina Powerhouse Road was relinquished to Kauai County along with lower Kokee Road. Hawaii Route 55 would be renumbered as Hawaii Route 550 to denote it as a secondary highway and was rerouted along Waimea Canyon Drive.
Hawaii Route 550 appears on Waimea Canyon Drive and upper Kokee Road on 1983 United States Geological Survey maps of Kauai. It isn't fully clear when lower Kokee Road was assigned as Kauai County Route 552.
In recent decades maintenance of Kokee Road north of the Kooke State Park entrance at Mile Marker 14.1 has transferred to the State Park Service. An "end state highway" sign is located at Mile Marker 14.1. Despite Kooke Road within Kooke State Park no longer existing as a State Highway it still is signed with Hawaii Route 550 Mile Markers.
Part 2; a drive on Hawaii Route 550
Traffic in Waimea can access northbound Hawaii Route 550 at Waimea Canyon Drive from Hawaii Route 50. Traffic is advised Kauai County Route 552 is also accessible 3 miles to the west in Kekaha. Waimea was a major village and is most well-known for the landing of British Captain James Cook on January 20, 1778. The first Catholic mission in Hawaii was established at Waimea in 1820. Waimea would later become a center of sugar cane harvesting activity on western Kauai.
Waimea Canyon Drive continues to rapidly ascend through the increasingly scenic vistas of Waimea Canyon. Waimea Canyon is often referred to the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii" due do to it resembling the famous Arizona canyon. Waimea Canyon was formed approximately 4 million years ago when the western side of Kauai began to collapse and pull away during a period of heavy volcanic activity. The modern weathered look of the canyon is from erosion caused by the Waimea River chipping away at the reddish volcanic rock.
Waimea Canyon Road passes the Red Dirt Waterfall (which wasn't running when these photos were taken).
Waimea Canyon Drive ascends through grades in excess of a 10% incline.
Waimea Canyon Drive enters Waimea Canyon State Park and intersects Kooke Road near the Kitano Reservoir (2,123 feet above sea level). Hawaii Route 550 transitions onto northbound Kooke Road. Kooke Road southbound to Kekaha is carried by Kauai County Route 552.
Northbound Kooke Road climbs above 2,500 feet above sea level and passes the Waimea Canyon Lookout.
Northbound Kooke Road has numerous unmarked vistas of Waimea Canyon.
Kooke Road passes the Puu Hinahina Lookout. From the lookout vistas of Waimea Canyon and the island of Lihua can be found. The Cliff Trail permits access to numerous falls within in Waimea Canyon.
Hawaii Route 550 terminates at Mile Marker 14.1 at the entrance of Kooke State Park. The end of the State Highway corridor is marked with a white placard.
Kokee Road passes the NASA Kokee Park Geophysical Observatory which is part of the larger Pacific Missile Range Facility.
Kooke Road passes the Kooke Natural History Museum.
Kooke Road winds through a series of switchbacks to the Awaawpuhi Trail. This trail marks the boundary of the Na Pali Coast watershed.
Kooke Road passes the Kalalau Lookout and continues a short distance to the Puu O Kila Lookout. The Kalalau Lookout is a wide vista of Kalalau Valley and much of the rugged Na Pali Coast. Kalalau Valley is only accessible by land via a trail out of Haena State Park. Said trail (the Kalalau Trail) is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the United States due to haggard terrain and unpredictable weather conditions.
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