Waipiʻo Valley
Valley · Kukuihaele, Hawaii
A valley in the Hāmākua District of Hawaii Island, whose name means curved water in Hawaiian. It is a deep amphitheatre of cliffs opening onto a black sand beach, taro is still farmed on its floor, and it holds a central place in Hawaiian history as the boyhood home of Kamehameha I. The lookout at the top is free and open; the descent into the valley is restricted, and that restriction is the thing to understand before coming.
Waipio Valley Road, Kukuihaele, Hawaii, United States
⚠ THE LOOKOUT IS OPEN IN DAYLIGHT AND IS FREE. ACCESS DOWN INTO THE VALLEY IS RESTRICTED AND HAS BEEN FOR SOME TIME - the road has been closed to non-residents, and the arrangement has changed more than once. ⚠ CHECK THE COUNTY POSITION BEFORE PLANNING ANY DESCENT, and treat every guidebook, blog and tour description as potentially out of date. The lookout car park is small and fills.