Waipio Valley

Waipio's walls rise some six hundred metres above a valley floor at sea level with a black sand beach at its mouth, and it was the seat of many early Hawaiian aliʻi up to the time of King ʻUmi; at its peak it probably supported 10,000 people on 800 acres of taro. Taro is still farmed by a small number of families. The road down is about a kilometre long at an average grade of twenty-five percent, with sections far steeper, one of the steepest public roads in the United States, and it has been closed or restricted to residents since 2022 after safety assessments; walking access has also been limited at times. This is a residential and agricultural valley, not a park.

What's there

• Walls rising six hundred metres - above a valley floor at sea level.
• Taro terraces still farmed - by a small number of families.
• A road at twenty-five percent on average - the steepest of its length in the country.
• A royal seat - home of early Hawaiian aliʻi.

When to go

Year round; the lookout is always accessible. Half a day.

Before you go

Valley access has been restricted since 2022 and rules have changed repeatedly - check before going, and do not assume you can descend. The road is genuinely dangerous. Residents live and farm here and object to trespass. The lookout may be all you can do.

Nearby

Honokaa is south-east; the Hamakua coast runs towards Hilo.

Key facts