Waipi‘o Valley

Waipio Valley is a valley on Hawaii Island, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is located in Hāmākua District, in the northeast of the island. Wai piʻo means "bent water" in Hawaiian.

The valley floor, at sea level, is nearly  below the surrounding plateau. The valley was formed by water erosion of the weak basaltic lava from the Kohala volcano.

The valley's coast is a black (lava) sand beach popular with surfers. There are several taro farms in the valley. 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.

Waipio 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 puuhonua (place of asylum), where those who broke kapu were protected.

Access is difficult. Only one road leads there from the south. It climbs  in , 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 and possibly the steepest in the world, compared to 35% for Baldwin Street in New Zealand. The road is only accessible to 4x4 vehicles.

The 2006 Hawaii earthquake caused a cliff at the entrance to Waipio Valley to collapse and slide into the sea, and also caused rocks to fall on the access road leading to the valley.

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.

 Image gallery 

References

 Other websites 

 Getty Images Waipio Pictures

Category:Geography of Hawaii
Category:Valleys of the United States