Hiking to a Beach Where Wild Horses Run in Waipi‘o Valley, Hawaii
From the Waipi‘o Valley lookout, the view of verdant cliffs and waterfalls seems too paradisiacal to be real. From this vantage point, you see your destination: a black sand beach where wild horses are said to run free. The hike down takes about 30 minutes, and even longer to trek back up, which means that when you reach this stretch of soft sand, you are likely to be alone, with hopeful anticipation that an equine inhabitant will come out of its forested hideaway to greet you.
Reaching Waipio Beach may feel like a daunting task when standing on the edge of the cliff at the Waipio Lookout. After breathing in the power of this view, it is impossible not to want to completely immerse yourself in its beauty by heading down the treacherous slope to the beach below. The hike down is about a seventy-five degree angle the entire way. If it rains, and it probably will, expect to be slopping through mud puddles and tripping over loosened rocks before you hit the fresh water stream that forms a pool between a cascading waterfall and the deafening surf. Don't expect to take your rental car down this slope either - only four-wheel-drives stand a chance of a successful journey. If you happen to bump into local artist, "Abalone Marcus," who lives just steps away, he might offer to take you down, and back up again, in his pickup - but only if you make room for his feisty Jack Russell Terrier who always calls "shotgun."
From the Waipi‘o Valley lookout, the view of verdant cliffs and waterfalls seems too paradisiacal to be real. From this vantage point, you see your destination: a black sand beach where wild horses are said to run free. The hike down takes about 30 minutes, and even longer to trek back up, which means that when you reach this stretch of soft sand, you are likely to be alone, with hopeful anticipation that an equine inhabitant will come out of its forested hideaway to greet you.
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