Waimanu Valley is a remote valley on the northeast coast of

Hawaii island Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of t ...

. Besides the main Waimanu Stream, it includes Waihīlau Falls on a tributary.

Description

''Wai manu'' literally means "bird water" or "river of birds" in the

Hawaiian language Hawaiian (', ) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language o ...

. During the time of

Ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the unification in 1810 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporadicall ...

it was an '' ahupuaa'', or ancient land division with a small village. Most of the area is state forest land, with a few campsites available with reservations. It is located in the Hāmākua district of Hawaii island. The Waimanu Stream watershed includes many smaller flows from Kohala Mountain to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

at sea level. A system of

dikes Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes ...

of hard lava rock force large amounts of ground water dropped from the

tradewinds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

into this valley, making it very different from the smaller shallow valleys directly to the west. This ridge is administered as the Puu O Umi Natural State Area Reserve. Tributary Waihīlau Stream starts at about elevation at and flows into Waimanu Stream in the valley. Waihīlau Falls is one of the tallest single drops of a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It descends from about at to about elevation. The name comes from ''wai hī lau'' which means "many trickling waters" since during heavy rains the stream splits into many smaller streams overflowing the cliff. Waimanu Stream empties into Waimanu Bay at sea level at . Other streams with waterfalls in the valley include Waiilikahi Falls and Lahomene Falls. The valley is not accessible by automobile. A foot trail called Waimanu or Muliwai Trail leads down a steep path from the

Waipio Valley Waipio Valley is a valley located in the Hamakua District of the Big Island of Hawaii. "Waipio" means "curved water" in the Hawaiian language. The valley was the capital and permanent residence of many early Hawaiian Aliʻi (chiefs/kings) up ...

. At the south end of the valley, Waimanu Gap at elevation leads to the upper end of Waipio Valley.

References

External links

* Canyons and gorges of Hawaii Valleys of Hawaii Landforms of Hawaii (island) Beaches of Hawaii (island) {{Hawaii-geo-stub