Landmark· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Waipio Valley
20° 7.1′ N · 155° 35.8′ W
The largest of the windward Kohala valleys - a sheer-walled, taro-growing cleft with 2,000-foot cliffs, a black-sand beach and Hiilawe Falls at the back - and the most dramatic sight from the sea along the Hamakua coast.
Practical
Coordinate from to-hawaii's map. ACCESS: the 25 percent (up to 45 percent) road down is open only to 4WD vehicles, and under county emergency rules only Big Island residents, permitted tour operators and people exercising Native Hawaiian traditional rights may go down; most visitors see it from the Waipio Valley Lookout. The beach has rips and high surf, especially in winter. A sea cliff at the valley entrance collapsed during the 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake. Hiilawe Falls (20.11047, -155.59512) is reduced by upstream diversions and often a trickle.
Best for
The lookout, or the valley seen from the sea
Nearby
- Waipio Bay Anchorage (fair weather)0.6 NM away
- Kukuihaele Point Light2.3 NM away
- Waimanu Bay Anchorage (fair weather)2.9 NM away
- Hamakua Music Festival (October)7.6 NM away
- Pololu Valley Lookout and Trail9.3 NM away
- Kalopa State Recreation Area10.1 NM away
- Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site13.8 NM away
- Pelekane and Hale o Kapuni Shark Heiau13.9 NM away