Waimanu Valley is a remote valley on the northeast coast of

Hawaii island Hawaii is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii, the southernmost state in the union. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of ...

. 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 critically endangered Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family, originating in and native to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the native language of the Hawaiian people. Hawaiian, along with English, is an offi ...

. During the time of

Ancient Hawaii Ancient Hawaii is the period of Hawaiian history preceding the establishment in 1795 of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great. Traditionally, researchers estimated the first settlement of the Hawaiian islands as having occurred sporad ...

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 Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

at sea level. A system of

dikes Dyke or dike may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), formations of magma or sediment that cut through and across the layering of adjacent rocks * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess ...

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

tradewinds The trade winds or easterlies are 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 Hemisphere ...

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 any 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 seve ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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) ...

. 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