Lucy Wright Park


It’s a telling reflection of how locals feel about Captain Cook that the beach where he first landed is named not for Cook but for Waimea’s first Native Hawaiian teacher. This small riverfront park holds picnic tables, restrooms and outdoor showers. Camping is permitted on the flat grassy area, but it’s not a very appealing spot.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Captain Cook Landing Site

0.05 MILES

The precise spot where Captain Cook first set foot on Hawaiian soil being unknown, a large boulder near the mouth of Waimea River was arbitrarily chosen…

3. Waimea Town Center

0.13 MILES

Waimea’s plantation-era core offers some interesting architecture. Take a short stroll to admire the neoclassical First Hawaiian Bank (1929), the art deco…

4. Captain Cook Monument

0.14 MILES

A statue of Captain James Cook stands on Waimea’s central green space. When his ships Resolution and Discovery sailed into Waimea Bay in January 1778,…

5. Hofgaard Park

0.16 MILES

This small grassy park at Waimea’s main intersection holds a statue of Captain Cook. Display panels explain local history.

6. Waimea Hawaiian Church

0.22 MILES

Sunday’s Hawaiian-language mass at this simple low-slung church makes an interesting way to connect with local culture. Waimea’s first Christian…

7. Waimea State Recreational Pier

0.33 MILES

Flecked with microscopic green crystals called olivine, this wide, dark-tinged beach stretches between two scenic rock outcroppings and is bisected by the…

8. Waimea United Church of Christ

0.45 MILES

What’s now the Waimea United Church of Christ was originally erected in 1847 by Reverend George Rowell. Protestant missionaries had lived in Waimea for…