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A few old-timers, as well as a few newcomers looking for Eden, still live in Waipio Valley. Waipio has no electricity, so people who want a modern lifestyle must move away, even if it’s just “topside” to the villages on the cliffs above the valley. Finally, even with modern 4WD vehicles, getting in and out of Waipio is an adventure—one that draws visitors but discourages dwellers. What will become of Waipio Valley during the twenty-first century? It’s difficult to determine yet.

Trip 2

Waimanu Valley Backpack

Distance: 17 miles

Elevation gain: 4400 feet

Hiking time: 11 hours

Topos: Kukuihaele, Honokane 7½

Difficulty: Strenuous, hiking boots mandatory

Highlights: Waimanu Valley is famed for much of the same kind of beauty as is Waipio Valley. Smaller Waimanu Valley was once well-populated and fertile, too. But Waimanu is now utterly uninhabited and wild. It’s preserved as the Waimanu National Estuarine Research Reserve. Take this trip only during the “dry” season (roughly May through October) because of the large number of potentially dangerous stream crossings involved. Trail closures are frequent; check first.