20 Jurassic Park Sets Every Fan Needs To Visit In Hawaii

Monday, December 2, 2019

travel.com

You don't have to be Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, or Chris Pratt to go to Jurassic Park. All you need to do is book a trip to Hawaii. After all, most of the Jurassic Park movies were shot on the islands that make up the incredibly beautiful State. Publications such as VisitTheUSAOnly In Your State, and Legendary Trips have given us the precise locations used in all three Jurassic Park films as well as in the Jurassic World movies.

The best part of all of this? You can visit each place and they won't look dissimilar to what you saw in the films. Sure, the sets won't be there, neither will the dinosaurs or Steven Spielberg, but otherwise they're exactly the same. Without further ado, here are 20 Jurassic Park sets that every fan needs to visit in Hawaii.

20 - THE NA PALI COAST WAS ALMOST ALWAYS USED IN THE OPENINGS

Jurassic Outpost and Hawaii

Visting the Na Pali Coast is A MUST before you leave this planet. It's simply one of the most incredible places on Earth. Here, the mountains jet up from the clear blue ocean. It's magical. This is why this Kauai location was used for the opening of the majority of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. Tours from the water will often show you the exact valley that the helicopter flew through in the first Jurassic Park.

19 - MANAWAIOPUNA FALLS WAS WERE THE HELICOPTER LANDED

Jurassic Outpost and trip Advisor

Manawaiopuna Falls on the island of Kauai is commonly referred to as "Jurassic Park Falls". This is because it was where the helicopter landed and took off from in Jurassic Park. The site is located on a private property but booking a tour with one of the helicopter companies, such as Island Helicopters will give you direct access to recreate the scene.

18 - THE BOWMANS HAD ISSUES IN KIPU KAI

Hawaiian Ocean Project and Pinterest

Most of The Lost World: Jurassic Park was filmed in California, but the opening scene where the rich Bowman family stop off on Isla Sorna was shot on one of Kauai's beaches, Kipu Kai. It's located on the southeastern side of Kauai near Moleuhu. It's difficult to access by foot so boating over is the best way to see it. Taking the Kipu Kai Ranch tour is your best bet.

17 - ISLA NUBLAR'S BOATS ARRIVED AT MAKAI RESEARCH PIER

Pinterest and Jurassic park Fandom

Kauai wasn't the only Hawaiian island that was used in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. At the beginning of Jurassic World, the Makai Research Pier on Oahu can be seen. In the movie, this is where the luxurious ferries landed. The actual site is open to the public. You can even book a whale watching tour that leaves from this beautiful pier.

16 - "IT WAS ALL A LIE!" ON HALONA BEACH, OAHU

Just Jared and Travel Big

The beach that Owen, Claire, and Franklin wash up on in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is actually a major tourist destination on the island of Oahu. Halona Beach is particularly special since it's at the bottom of a steep, rocky trail and features stunning volcanic rock. It's also a spectacular place to take a dip.

15 - GRAY AND ZACH ESCAPED THE IDOMINUS REX AT MANOA FALLS, OAHU

Jurassic World and Simple Most

Just about 9 kilometers northeast of Honolulu is the picturesque Manoa Falls. The serene swimming hole, which can be accessed on foot, was featured in Jurassic World when Gray and Zach were forced to jump off the falls to avoid the Indominus Rex. But jumping off these falls is not recommended. Instead, focus on swimming or chatting up the gorgeous visitors.

14 - DR. GRANT WAS RESCUED ON KAUAI'S PILAA BEACH

Youtube and Simple Most

Pilaa Beach isn't particularly easy to access, nor does it present good swimming opportunities due to the rocky ocean bottom and rip tides. But it was the location used to film the rescue scene at the end of Jurassic Park 3. The beach is located east of Kilauea on the northeast shore of the tropical island of Kauai.

13 - "IT'S A DINOSAUR"... WAS UTTERED AT JURASSIC KAHILI RANCH

Costume Wall and Movie Wall

You may not see a dinosaur, but you'll definitely be transported into a different world if you visit the Jurassic Kahili Ranch. This picturesque location was used near the beginning of the first Jurassic Park film when our main characters first saw the brachiosaurus. It was also used in multiple other Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films. The park can be found on Kauai about 16 km east of Princeville.

12 - MULDOON FED THE RAPTORS AT THE LIMAHULI GARDEN

Costume Wall and Pinterest

Back when velociraptors were scary and not freaking pets they were housed in a highly secure paddock on Isla Nublar. This location was found on Kauai in the Limahuli Garden which is part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden. What a coincidence since Kauai is also known as "the garden isle". You won't see any raptors here, thankfully, but you will see endangered flora and fauna.

11 - THE GATES NO LONGER STAND AT THE BASE OF MOUNT WAI’ALE’ALE

Jurassic World and Simple Most

Two poles can be found at the base of Mount Wai’ale’ale where the original Jurassic Park gates were constructed. The filmmakers left these poles on the island of Kauai to commemorate the filming and they've since become a major tourist attraction. The area was also used in several other shots from the movies but they are only accessible if you're a brave hiker.

10 - HO’OPI’I FALLS ON KAPA’A STREAM IN KAUI STOOD IN FOR THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Youtube and Costume Wall

In Jurassic Park, there's a scene where the lawyer, Genero, visited the amber mines. It was supposed to take place in the Dominican Republic. But the filmmakers chose a location on Kauai that they made look like the Dominican Republic. It can be found on the Kapa'a Stream. These falls are relatively unknown to tourists but you can hike up to the falls by following the Kapa’a Stream.

9 - YOU CAN FLY THROUGH THE HANAPEPE VALLEY JUST LIKE THE CAST DID

Costume Wall and Movie Wall

Trekking through the remote Hanapepe Valley on Kauai is basically a no-go. But there are several helicopter tours that will fly you right through it. It's the valley used in the very first Jurassic Park movie when our main characters arrived on Isla Nublar. These helicopter tours tend to also take you to see the Manawaiopuna Falls that are also featured in Jurassic Park.

8 - NO NEED TO CLIMB AN ELECTRIFIED FENCE IN THE OLOKELE VALLEY ON KAUI

Costume Wall and Movie Wall

The Olokele Valley on Kauai, located near Waimea, was featured during the harrowing scene where Dr. Grant, Lex, and Tim had to climb the electrified fence while Dr. Sattler attempted to turn the power back on. While you won't find any towering fences there, you will find breathtaking views that will make your trip to Hawaii more than worth it.

7 - LANDING ON ISLA SORNA IS A LOT LIKE LANDING AT DILLINGHAM AIRFIELD

Jurassic World and Simple Most

The magic of filmmaking. Even though the airstrip featured in Jurassic Park 3 was supposed to be located in the middle of Isla Sorna, the actual location used is right on the coast of Oahu. The filmmakers managed to hide the ocean to make it look like it was located in the middle of a lush forest. This tiny landing strip is part of Dillingham Airfield, which is a public and military airport found two miles west of Mokuleia.

6 - STAMPEDING AT KUALOA RANCH

Pinterest and Jurassic park Fandom

The iconic gallimimus stampede sequence from the first Jurassic Park, as well as from Jurassic World, was shot alongside the emerald cliffs of Kualoa Ranch. This location was also used in Lost, Kong: Skull Island, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The Oahu location is a great place to take a scenic trip. It's truly something out of this world.

5 - KUHIO HIGHWAY, KAPAA, KAUAI STOOD IN FOR SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA

Jurassic World and Simple Most

Okay, so maybe Steven Spielberg cheaped-out when he decided to film the Dennis Nedry San Jose scene on a waterfront in Kapaa, Kauai. Not because he made Hawaii look like another part of the world, but because he put San Jose on the coast... In reality, it's a landlocked city in Costa Rica. Nevertheless, you can visit the very beach where a restaurant was constructed for this early scene in Jurassic Park.

4 - ALLERTON GARDEN IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND OUT THAT DINOSAURS REPRODUCE

Costume Wall and Movie Wall

Allerton Garden on Kauai, which is part of the National Tropical Garden site, was home to two important scenes from the first Jurassic Park. Firstly, it's a beautiful setting where Dr. Grant found the dinosaur eggs that proved the all-female population of prehistoric animals was mutating in order to reproduce. Additionally, it's also the location where Muldoon met his end at the jaws of a "clever girl".

3 - HUNTING FOR BLUE IN THE HE'EIA JUNGLE

Simple Most

In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Owen Grady sets off into the abandoned park in order to find his pet velociraptor, Blue. After finding her, they are ambushed by hunters and Blue gets captured. Owen is knocked out and has to drag himself to safety and lava streams beside him. This dense location was filmed on the island of Oahu in the He'eia Jungle. It can be enjoyed by visitors although it's a bit of a hike.

2 - THE VISITOR'S CENTER WAS AT THE VALLEY HOUSE PLANTATION ESTATE ON KAUI

Pinterest and Jurassic park Fandom

The Valley House Plantation Estate on the northern island of Kauai was the location where the exterior of the Visitor's Center from Jurassic Park was built. While all of the interior scenes were filmed at a studio in L.A., this was the place where the characters first got into the cars that took them around the island. The set no longer stands, but you can visit the plantation.

1 - GOODBYE TO ISLA NUBLAR AT HE'EIA KEA HARBOR

Pinterest and Jurassic park Fandom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was certainly not a fan favorite but it did take a risk in demolishing the original island from the movies. We got our last sense of this as we saw a brachiosaurus being enveloped by smoke while on the edge of a dock. This scene was filmed at He’eia Kea Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It's a great location to visit, hope on a chartered boat, or simply take in the sights.

Sources: Express, HomeyHawaii, VisitTheUSA, Only In Your State, Legendary Trip

https://www.thetravel.com/