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Waipio Valley to Waimanu Valley

by Leah Moran

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10 October 2021

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Waipio Valley to Waimanu Valley

 

If you’re looking to be far away from the crowds of Waipio Valley and experience the untouched beauty of Hawaii, then Waimanu Valley should be on your bucket list! Before the tsunami of 1949, Waimanu Valley was a thriving community of fishermen and farmers who lived off the land.  Today, it is the most remote part of the island and is only accessible by foot or boat. This beautiful black sand beach is a must see for all those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life.

What to expect:

 

Immerse yourself in the magic that is the Waimanu Valley at this incredibly beautiful beachfront camping oasis. Before you begin you want to make sure you secure a campsite reservation at Hawaii Camping. You’ll need to create an account and bring a copy of the permit reservation with you. (A screenshot on your phone is okay too!) A campsite will cost $18 a night and there is a primitive toilet at the site. 

This hike technically starts at the top of the Waipio Valley.  We planned on driving to the bottom of the hill and starting our hike at the beach, but the security guard cautioned us on leaving our car at the beach overnight saying it would be “asking for trouble”.  We decided tacking on the extra 3 miles both ways was better than getting broken into and parked on the road before the Waipio Valley Overlook. We also heard that you can pay a fee to leave your car at the Waipio Valley Artworks for a few days, but since we found parking on the street we didn't need to pay. 

If there’s anything you take from this post it's to bring hiking poles on this trip! By starting at the top of Waipio Valley you will be hiking a total of 19 miles with three 3,500 foot climbs.  So be prepared!  Hopefully some kind soul will drive you up to the top on your way back out, but you can’t count on it.  Luckily, someone picked us up 3/4th of the way back up the hill, and I don’t think I have ever been so thankful for a ride in my life! Check out our Backpacking guide here to know exactly what to pack for this overnight hike!

To start the Muliwai Trail hike you will go down the paved road for 3 miles into Waipio valley.  Here you will cross over your first river crossing and continue on to the trail through the woods to the other cliff side.  Once you reach the other side you will immediately start your 3500 ft climb over 1 mile to the top.  This climb isn’t so bad because it is well maintained, but it is a very tight, steep path.  Stop about halfway up at the turn in the switch back for a stunning view of Waipio Valley. Don’t get too close to the edge, but enjoy the views here and take some pictures! This is the most you’ll be seeing of the coast for the next few hours. I was hoping that once you make it up the cliff it would flatten out and the hardest part would be over.  Unfortunately, this is not really the case as you will be going up and down valleys and over small waterfall crossings for miles.  Be extra cautious when crossing streams or waterfalls as these are all areas where flash floods can happen at any moment.

We safely made it down the mountain and into camp with one last obstacle in our way.  You have one more river crossing to make.  You can cross through the middle which is deep but has a rope tied across to help, or you can do what we did and cross at the rocks.  There is about a 30 foot Crossing in-between the two rock walls that is fairly easy to cross.  Just go slow because the water is moving quickly and the rocks are slippery under your feet.  Poles come in handy at this point to help stabilize yourself!

The campsite

You have made it to the gorgeous Waimanu Valley!  Take it all in, it truly is breathtaking.  There are 9 campsites spread out along the beach.  We arrived later in the day, so most of the campsites had been taken, so we chose spot #5.  It was probably not the best campsite out of all of them, but it's close to the toilets and honestly any spot on this beach is a good one! Spot #2 has a gorgeous view of the valley and is a large campsite suitable for larger groups.  Our favorite campsite was #8 because it was like someone had made it their own personal oasis.  It comes with a rock lounger, swing and path out to the beach! 

Once you are at the campsite you will probably be in need of a water refill.  Refrain from taking water from the stream, and instead take a five minute walk to some clean(er) water.  To get to the water source follow the path to campsite 9.  At this point there will be a sign telling you not to go any further, but we were instructed by other people at camp to continue past it onto the rock path along the cliffside.  It is a pretty easy to follow, worn path and there are orange ties on trees to keep you from getting lost.  Follow this path for a few minutes until you reach a stream.  Cross the stream and follow it all the way up until you see some pipes in a waterfall.  You can collect your water here, although we recommend still purifying or using iodine tablets just to be safe.

If you’re feeling up to another hike, there is also a waterfall that you can hike to. Since we were only there overnight and we were tired from the hike in, we didn’t go in search of the waterfall. We decided to relax and enjoy the sunset and sunrise from the beach.

We definitely recommend spending 2-3 days in the valley.  We only had time for an overnight trip and we wished we had more time in the valley to relax and recoup before we climbed back out! Enjoy your time in this secluded oasis, and remember to always pack out what you brought in!