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Waimanu Valley beach

Even with a stop at Waipio Valley, the trip to Waimanu—especially that last drop down into the valley—is exhausting. Plan to spend at least a day relaxing and enjoying Waimanu! Under sunny skies, the gray-sand beach at Waimanu is a lovely place to stretch out. Unfortunately, the bay is too dangerous for swimming. Need anything more to do? The next trip, ssss1, is a side trip to the nearest of Waimanu’s many waterfalls.

Day 3 (8½ miles): Retrace your steps.

Camping midway to/from Waimanu

What can you do if you can’t make it all the way to or from Waimanu in one day? The shelter at 4⅔ miles is, as I said, uninviting. Possible campsites between Waipio and Waimanu valleys are the flat areas under the dry forests of the ridge noses. Just be certain you observe this caution: don’t have any kind of open flame while you’re camped there! The ironwood needles that thickly carpet these flat spots are extremely flammable. I wouldn’t even light a match or use a backpacker’s stove there. There’s no way you could escape a forest fire if—perish the thought—you started one. So eat a cold meal and enjoy a sound sleep on the soft mattress of ironwood needles. I did, and it was one of the most comfortable campsites I’ve yet enjoyed on the islands.