The hike at Pololu down to the beach is shorter than the one at Waipio, but it's on a hiking trail, vs. Waipio where you'll be hiking on a poorly maintained, very steep road shared with. Rips, sharky. It is not an all day thing unless you want it to be. [deleted] 2 yr. ago Either way make sure you're respectful. On your way through Hawi if it's lunch time or close try Bamboo- i love the ambience,, and their fish is good. I hear Waipio may be closed to non-residents, so a moot point. The Mauna Kea had some major damage, so they brought over some guests from there for the rest of their stays. Pololu Valley is one of the great coastal valleys on the north side of the Big Island. With a population of less than 75,000, Kauai is truly a small-town island, littered with open space, protected preserves, and old plantation history. Same, Pololu valley all the way. The highway ends at the picturesque lookout for this valley. Waipio is a sacred area, we have never gone down it, because it seems disrespectful to go "touring" there. Photo-centric trip reports of the Big Island? How can I visit Mauna Kea summit and/or the Visitor Information Station? Aerial overview of Waipio Valley. The hike wasn't bad, and we are not hikers. Pololu Valley to Honokane Iki Valley. Hwy 250 ends close to Waimea, intersecting with Hwy 19. chi_dave - Thank you for the detailed reply! Waipio Valley Residents Still Seek A Deal Limiting Foot Traffic On While it may seem crowded with (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? was not the summit of mount Everest as shown in this (alternative?) The leeward side of the Kohala volcano is one of the best places on the Big Island to see whales from the shore. Couldn't cook in the restaurant kitchens, so they set up BBQs outside and they cooked/baked/roasted whatever they could. 10/10 would do again. Answer 1 of 2: We are traveling to the BI next week - very excited! Walk back along the beach and prepare for a tricky trek along boulders battered by the waves and a constant spray of salty water. The town of Honokaa near Waipio is worth a stop if you go to Waipio - I think Hawi has more character, but Honokaa is an interesting town as well. You wouldnt have time to hike down. Forgot to mention - when you're on the #270, if skies are clear you'll be able to see Maui wonderful views! It's a very well maintained trail and the views at every point are just beautiful. I would highly recommend making time to see them both if possible. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. To this day, the memory of Waipio Valley fills me with joy and dreams of going back. Dont worry, there is plenty of time on the beach to take a breather! Pololu is a relatively easy walk down and up for the healthy, albeit with some challenging footing. Please stay on the public road when hiking in Waipio valley. Need info on backpacking and wilderness camping, Resort Fees on Big Island & Other Islands, Browse all 30,517 Island of Hawaii topics . ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-93723305', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Kohala Mountains, then hike down to Pololu Valley along the beach, then back up for dinner in Hawi, and maybe depending on time of year back around to one of the South Kohala area beaches for sundown. The views are amazing as you take the steep access road into the valley. They get to share Polols great historical and cultural values, along with the and significance the area has for those living in and visiting Kohala. THE famous Big Island Hawaii valleys - Flashpacking America The Waipio Valley - What You Need to Know | Big Island Guide ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-93727428', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Hilo, so you wouldnt stop by en route. Answer 1 of 2: We are traveling to the BI next week - very excited! The Hiilawe falls (center left) are visible from many points in the valley. This 22 mile network of flumes and ditches is essential for the water supply of a part of the island but also made sure that there are no permanent residents anymore in Pololu Valley. Quan forgot her jacket upon checking out of Waimea Country Lodge. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park near Halemaumau Crater. And, KamaainaK, yeah maybe we'll skip these. In Pololu Valley, a lush tropical forest surrounds 500-foot-high cliffs and fronts, an ocean that often has high surf and rough waves. I've been reading this forum for months and it has been extremely helpful. Yeah, it was, interesting I had been through the Northridge 'quake in SoCa, too, with some other lesser quakes. Fortunately, they only had some cosmetic cracks, even though some of them were pretty scary-looking. Also, I keep hearing about the traffic in Kona, how bad is it. Good idea to get the car at the King Kam hotel to eliminate the extra time needed for shuttles. The views are incredible. Go slow going down. For Waipio Valley, you walk on a two land road so do have to dodge traffic, plus I think it's a much steeper and longer walk). The path washes away, so you have to do it on a dry day, and when you get down, its a bit anticlimactic. The Mauna Kea had some major damage, so they brought over some guests from there for the rest of their stays. Privacy Policy. We have never been to HI an you are really helping us out. Hi'ilawe Falls Hi'ilawe Falls Re: Pololu Valley vs Waipi'o Valley 4 years ago Save Sustainable Travel guide and itineraries for the Big Island of Hawaii. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-112302825', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Pololu Valley Lookout. Polol Valley Lookout or Waipio Valley Lookout - Tripadvisor (driving directions using google maps). Both valleys were heavily farmed historically, but today there no more loi kalo (taro ponds) in Polol, unlike Waipio, which is still home to many Native Hawaiian kalo farmers. Better to go down to the next spot at Hapuna State Park. For this reason it is both referred to at the Polol Trail and the wini trail. The waterfalls that you can see in the final scenes are the Kaluahine Falls which you can only see on rainy days from the ocean or the valley floor. Powered by Invision Community. No matter what else you do, go to the valley!. This valley is one of the most beautiful and secluded places to go to for a hike on the Big Island. Bring enough water with you and keep in mind that there are no restroom facilities in the valley or at the lookout. Image credit: Georgios Tsiminis. Now that we have answered some FAQs, lets talk about the best places to watch the sunrise on the Big Island. The sign says it's 1.2 miles and over 800' of elevation gain. This beach is known for its rip currents and high surf, making it a dangerous place to go swimming especially during the winter months. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 39 min to complete. for parking (not a deal breaker if you can't get a spot at MK, then worth paying at Hapuna and/or Waialea.). Dont venture too far inland to avoid trespassing and disturbing sites that shouldnt be disturbed. Please treatt hem with aloha and follow their directions. Park your car in the small parking lot that is literally at the . Beautiful view at the end and cool rocky beach! Coming from Waimea, head east on Hwy 19 until you reach Honokaa and follow the signs for Highway 240. There are no oceanfront resorts. I checked the map, packed my backpack, and off I went early in the morning. If you take the time to drive all the way to Pololu Valley at the end of Highway 270, don't settle for the view from the overlook! Cookie Notice Right around 400 feet. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. Just be sure not to poach any of the loungers that are there for hotel guests, When I visit the Big Island, I always have to make the drive all the way up to the Pololu Lookout. More information at the Keokea beach park website. Level Contributor 1,672 posts During or after rains the trail can be slippery and because of the relatively steep average grade of the trail (13%) we rate the difficulty as moderate. Turn right once you reach the valley floor to get to this beautiful black sand beach. From Hilo, take 19 going west until Honokaa and take Highway 240, looking for signs for Waipi'o Valley. Its a 90 minute adventure if you hang out for a while in the valley. It can get especially hot and sweaty during the hike up! This is a very popular area for birding, hiking, and running, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Not at all. When you backtrack on Hwy 270 from Pololu, you can take Hwy 250 (from Hawi) which is a very interesting drive, you ascend up to 3,600 feet so you get great views of the coast and island, gives you a real feel for its size. The report outlines an immediate need to mitigate rockfall and address slope instability and erosion for everyones safety. Waipio Valley is basically the one end of this Hilo Hamakua Heritage Coast, with the town of Hilo being the other end! Wear good shoes for the descent/ascent part. That must have been quite the experience! Not to say Waipio isn't great because it is, but there's something truly special about Pololu and feels more secluded with no cars down there Alarmed-Marketing616 2 yr. ago Loved it.very tranquil when I was there this morningthank you for the advice! There are several levels of visiting Pololu valley. Pololu is the northwestern most of those valleys. Again, we sat on a log bench looking at the waves and soaked in being misted by an onshore breeze. We share our favorite tips and images on Instagram, click here to go to our instagram account. Ditto the above re swimming. Savor the Black Sand Beach. Waipio is longer and harder but on a road. These hikes, however, are not easy. here's an even better photo (a 360 degree panorama) of the trail at Pololu beach. I included a couple of beaches on the route (Hapuna and Waialea) that would be worth checking out on the Kohala Coast. Waipi'o Valley: How to visit and What to see - Love Big Island Dont let AllTrails fool you, its actually closer to a 900 foot elevation gain! Couldn't cook in the restaurant kitchens, so they set up BBQs outside and they cooked/baked/roasted whatever they could. Well worth the walk. Wai'pio Valley vs. Pololu Valley - Island of Hawaii Forum The lookout is great for taking pictures so make sure not to forget to bring a camera. Snorkeling & diving on the Big Island - Kona Coast & Kohala Coast options. There also are some pretty cool things to do close to Pololu valley to make your visit into a small road trip. We walked past all different age groups and everyone was doing just fine Its a quick hike down - 10 ish minutes and coming back up was a solid 20 ish minutes. Waipio is longer and harder but on a road. Day 6: Big Island Road Trip Itinerary (Waipi'o Valley and Polol Valley) Lush green forests covering every hillside and a beckoning black beach made for a timeless landscape. Its an incredibly sacred place so you always want to be sure that youre respectful of what theyre asking (dont cross the lake at the bottom, leave certain plants alone, etc). Waipio and Pololu are at either end of a series of valleys Waipio overlook has more 'wow factor' for the view, but Pololu has some great views as well. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises. Hiking shoes encouraged, but not impossible in tennis shoes. Not only will you beat most of the crowds but you will also benefit from more pleasant temperatures. Keokea Beach Park is a short drive off the highway, past the towns of Hawi and Kapaau (both towns worth a stop to window shop or grab a snack). Note ancient cobble stones still embedded in sections of the trail. Subscribe to receive 5 emails in 5 days: Call us for advice! The hike at Pololu down to the beach is shorter than the one at Waipio, but it's on a hiking trail, vs. Waipio where you'll be hiking on a poorly maintained, very steep road shared with vehicles. We spent the last day on the Big Island valley hopping and checking out a remote cabin on a private beach. Dont waste your time on this one, the view is gorgeous but I would never classify this as a hike its simply a walk down a hill to a beach youre not allowed to touch anything on.. skip it and go somewhere else for the day. The black sand beach at Pololu Valley can be rocky if a storm has washed away the black sand. The vista that greeted me when I arrived to the valley outlook was breathtaking. The simplest is driving to the lookout for the views, but you can also make a small (but steep) hike to the valley floor to check out the beach. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Your options to get down to the valley floor with a tour range from: Explore majestic Waipio Valley, the lush and tropical Hamakua Coast, and multiple stunning waterfalls on the east side of the Big Island of Hawaii on this day full of fun and exciting adventure. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. Pololu has more rocks on the shoreline and not a place I would swim. 1 here. At the end of Pololu valley lies a picturesque black sand beach. Most people only drive to the end of Hwy. We did the hike down into Pololu Valley to the black sand beach. The beach itself is made out of a mix of black sand and large boulders. The trail gets slick when it has rained, but is not terribly difficult. The cliffs of the Kohala coastline were formed during a catastrophic landslide between 250.000 and 300.000 years ago during which a large part of the volcano slipped into the ocean. We were incredibly disappointed. The Kaluahine falls are visible towards to east from the black sand beach on the bottom of Waipio valley. Pololu Valley Trail, from the lookout down to the valley takes less than 30 mins to walk. While the falls didn't look all that tall from the ground, we were fortunate to see the falls from a helicopter. Black sand, trees down to the water and huge waves barreling onto the beach make for an experience that is hard to describe. This is not the actual address of the spot, but it wouldn't let me enter the correct spot since there really isn't an address. This is a good spot for a picnic and a shower after hiking down into Pololu valley. north to south or vice versa. There are very, very few public access parking spots at Mauna Kea. We list below a few things to do / places to see close to Pololu: Keokea beach park is a quiet beach park with a shower, restrooms, and picnic tables close to Hawi and Pololu Valley (2.5 miles, about 10 minutes by car). I think Pololu Valley has more to offer on your way to / from it, than Waipio. I think you'll really enjoy having rental cars very easy to drive in Hawaii (except for Honolulu which is more of a challenge) and it's so nice to just go at your own pace. We have also gone down for a horse back ride, and I have twice hiked down, across the beach and up the other side about half way. Last time I was there, he kept a "tick" list and wouldn't let anyone through once he ticked off enough cars to take up the public access parking. Powered by Invision Community. Wai'pio Valley vs. Pololu Valley - Island of Hawaii - Tripadvisor Please have a chat with them when you arrive to learn more about the area and treat them kindly. more, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Island of Hawaii, Get answers to your questions about Island of Hawaii. You can see this now as a series of 7 valleys (a valley has a flood plane at the valley floor) of which Polol Valley is the most northern one. We're staying at Fairmont Orchid. The vertical distance from the overlook point down to the valley floor is 490ft (150m). If you're staying a bit further north in one of the Waikoloa resorts on the Kohala coast, it's a bit closer and might take around an hour. Very steep and is not for people who have a hard time climbing stairs. Polol Valley: the Lookout, the Hike, and the Black Sand Beach Good idea to get the car at the King Kam hotel to eliminate the extra time needed for shuttles. The two ahupua'a Polol and Waipio offer different perspectives on the island, and each has a unique sense of grandeur and history. Which one? Thanks! Voting Is Now Open for the 2021 FlyerTalk Awards! I think you'll really enjoy having rental cars very easy to drive in Hawaii (except for Honolulu which is more of a challenge) and it's so nice to just go at your own pace. Can anyone confirm the closure. Fortunately there are enough people with this issue to sustain a lively business of Waipio Valley tours that take people down to the valley floor. Pololu Trail: 956 Reviews, 1,404 Photos, Map - Hawaii, Hawaii | AllTrails

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