Waipi‘o Valley

Waipiʻo Valley
View from the Waipiʻo Valley lookout.
Waipiʻo Valley
Location on Hawaiʻi Island in Hawaii.
Long-axis directionSouthwest-Northeast
Geography
Coordinates20°07′11″N 155°35′35″W / 20.11972°N 155.59306°W / 20.11972; -155.59306 

Waipiʻo Valley is a valley on Hawaiʻi Island, in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It is located in Hāmākua District, in the northeast of the island. Wai piʻo means "bent water" in Hawaiian.[1]

The valley floor, at sea level, is nearly 2,000 feet (610 m) below the surrounding plateau. The valley was formed by water erosion of the weak basaltic lava from the Kohala volcano.[2]

The valley's coast is a black (lava) sand beach popular with surfers. There are several taro farms in the valley.[3] Several large waterfalls plunge into the valley and feed the river, which flows from the foot of the largest waterfall at the back of the valley to the sea.[4]

Waipiʻo Valley plays an important role in Hawaiian religion, as it is the gateway to Lua-o-Milu (the underworld), hidden by the sand. The valley was also considered a puʻuhonua (place of asylum), where those who broke kapu were protected.[5]

Access is difficult. Only one road leads there from the south. It climbs 800 feet (240 m) in 0.6 miles (1.0 km), with an average gradient of 25%, sometimes considerably steeper. Some sections can reach gradients of up to 45%, making it the steepest road in the United States[6] and possibly the steepest in the world, compared to 35% for Baldwin Street in New Zealand.[7][8][9] The road is only accessible to 4x4 vehicles.[1]

The 2006 Hawaiʻi earthquake caused a cliff at the entrance to Waipiʻo Valley to collapse and slide into the sea, and also caused rocks to fall on the access road leading to the valley.[10]

The valley is the setting for the final scene of the science fiction movie Waterworld (1995), in which the main characters find Dryland, the mainland.[1]

  • View of the back of Waipiʻo Valley.
  • View of the back of Waipiʻo Valley.
  • Hiʻilawe Waterfall at the back of Waipiʻo Valley.
  • Waipiʻo Valley cliff falling in during the 2006 Hawaiʻi earthquake.
  • Waipiʻo Valley seen from the access road, which has an average gradient of 25%.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Waipi'o Valley: How to visit and what to see". Lovebigisland.com. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  2. ↑ "Four Stages showing the development of Waipi'o and Waimanu Valley" (PDF). Bishop Museum. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  3. ↑ Christine Hitt (2019-04-21). "Learning Hawaii's history may be key to avoiding cultural insensitivity". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  4. ↑ "History of the Waipi'o Valley". Gohawaii.com. Archived from the original on 2017-04-01. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  5. ↑ Thomas Thrum (1907). Hawaiian Folk Tales. A. C. McClurg. p. 12.
  6. ↑ Russell Subiono; Savannah Harriman-Pote; Emily Tom; Krista Rados (2023-07-14). "The dispute over Waipiʻo Valley raises questions of belonging in Hawaiʻi". Hawai'i Public Radio. Retrieved 2024-07-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Carla Herreria Russo (2014-02-28). "The 10 Steepest Streets In America". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  8. ↑ Ken Jennings (2014-10-20). "Is This Hawaiian Street the World's Steepest Road?". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  9. ↑ "Waipio Valley Road in HI is the steepest road in the USA". Dangerousroads.org. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  10. ↑ Edmund W. Medley (2006-12-15). "Geological engineering reconnaissance of damage resulting from the October 15, 2006 earthquakes, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii, USA" (PDF). Geo-Engineering Earthquake Reconnaissance (GEER) Association. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of California at Berkeley. Retrieved 2024-07-28.

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