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At last you negotiate the final ridge nose and begin your descent to Waimanu—hard to tell for sure because of the heavy growth. Take your time here, as the trail not only pitches very steeply down but becomes much worse: narrow, exposed, and debris-filled. (It would be almost impassable when wet.) Small landslides cut across it at inconvenient spots. Lower down, the track is also filled with slippery hala leaves. Arrival at the valley floor comes as a relief. Bear right, toward the beach and toward one of the two composting toilets for campers in Waimanu. There is a campsite here on the east side of Waimanu Stream, but it is for use only in an emergency, such as when the stream is unfordable.

Carefully ford Waimanu Stream and, once across, pause to take in the view of the valley from here. It’s one of the best viewpoints of this deep, dramatic valley, which has more waterfalls plunging over its sides than Waipio has. Most of the “beach” at Waimanu is boulders, so you veer away from the boulders and follow a path under ironwoods past the first few campsites as far as the other composting toilet. Your campsite is assigned to you when you get your permit. Not all of the campsites are marked with their numbers, but the map you get with your permit will help you identify your site. If your campsite is farther on, turn seaward and continue on the boulders, and eventually on the sand, to your site. Water is available from a stream, fed by Keawewai Springs, on the west side of the valley: follow a muddy track from the end of the beach back into the valley to a running stream. Be sure to purify the water before drinking it.