Bounded by 2,000-foot cliffs, the Valley of the Kings was once a favorite retreat of Hawaiian royalty. Waterfalls drop 1,200 feet from the Kohala Mountains to the valley floor, and the sheer cliff faces make access difficult. Though completely off the grid today, Waipio was once the center of Hawaiian life; somewhere between 4,000 and 20,000 people made it their home between the 13th and 17th centuries. In 1780 Kamehameha I was singled out here as a future ruler by reigning chiefs. In 1791 he fought Kahekili in his first naval battle at the mouth of the valley. In 1823 the first white visitors found 1,500 people living in this Eden-like environment amid fruit trees, banana groves, taro fields, and fishponds. The 1946 tidal wave drove most residents to higher ground.

Now, as then, waterfalls frame the landscape, but the valley has become one of the most isolated places in the state. To preserve this pristine part of the island, commercial transportation permits are limited -- only four outfits offer organized valley trips -- and Sunday the valley rests. A four-wheel-drive road leads down from the Waipio Valley Overlook (Follow Hwy. 240 8 mi northwest of Honokaa), but only four-wheel-drive vehicles should attempt the steep road. The walk down into the valley is less than a mile from here -- but keep in mind, the climb back up is strenuous in the hot sun. A crescent of black sand makes it a popular spot for surfers. Continued overuse of the beach area and lack of sanitary facilities have caused serious unhealthy conditions to persist since 2003. Until it's cleaned up we don't recommend getting into the water.

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