Waipio Valley from the Archives – With the onset of bitterly cold weather in Texas, I figured we all needed a little tropical influence. Below is a photo taken in Waipio Valley about 2 miles inland from the black sand beach that forms the seaward boundary of the valley. The valley has historical and cultural importance to the Hawaiians.
Located along the Hamakua Coast on the northeast shore of the Big Island of Hawaii, the Waipio Valley is the largest and most southern of the seven valleys on the windward side of the Kohala Mountains. It is a big valley – a mile wide at the black sand beach and almost six miles from the beach to the head of the valley.There is a ridiculously steep road down into the valley that starts from a parking lot lookout. From this lookout, the road drops about 800 feet in about 1/2 mile into the valley. This is a paved public road but has a warning sign that it is a 4 wheel drive only road. It is one of the steepest roads in the United States. Driving up and down is daunting even over the very short distance. I’m not sure it could be done in wet weather, even with 4WD and good tires. It’s really steep!
Waipio Valley can be explored on foot or on horseback and it is a truly beautiful place. I highly recommend a visit if you are on the Big Island. It is well worth the time and effort.
