I just finalized a trip to the big Hawaiian island this coming October. Aside from knocking out a National Park and hiking Waipio Valley Road I don't have much of an itinerary of "must do" road stuff. Thoughts from the board on what other roads are notable enough to prioritize?
Worth noting, I'm not looking for a full island clinch. I "probably" won't have a high clearance rental, but more to come on that.
Great plans! We rented a small 4X4 just to get down into Waipio Valley Road, but we loved it so much that my son and I ended up hiking it later the same day. Note that much of the property in the valley is private, so it generally takes some outside help to get access to Waipio Falls. We went on the cheap and couldn't go that far. You might want to take a tour bus.
The Big Island is really not so big. If you like to drive all day, the Hawaii Belt Road (H-11/H-19) is only 260 miles all the way around. We split it up into two trips: one on the southern part of the Belt and the other on the northern part of the Belt, then returning over Saddle Road (H-200). I wasn't trying to clinch the Big Island routes, but came very close catching all but H-132, H-137, H-250 and the northeastern spur of H-260. The new route of Saddle Road bypassing Kaumana Homesteads was under construction, so H-200 is now "unclinched".
If you are into waterfalls, you will want to catch all of the parks that have them. The one at Akaka Falls State Park requires a 1/2-mile hike; you can drive right up to Rainbow Falls in Hilo, but you'll also want to keep going a couple miles upstream to catch Peʻepeʻe Falls. The parks often have a small entrance fee, but Rainbow is a freebie.
If you want to catch the local culture and exotic fruits/veggies, make sure you spend time at the "Farmer's Markets" in both Hilo and Kilua-Kona. I recommend that you try everything you can afford to eat. The "Farmers Market" in Waimea was more oriented towards transplants and tourists, but had a lot of fancy local arts and crafts. We're cheap, and didn't get much there (but it was worth the visit, as well).
Everything at Volcanoes National Park is now gobbled up by Kiluea, and I'm assuming have now been replaced. But while you are in the area, head down to Punaluʻu Black Beach. We are not known as good swimmers, but we took swim gear everywhere and went snorkeling everywhere that we could get in the water.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 02:14:46 PMI just finalized a trip to the big Hawaiian island this coming October. Aside from knocking out a National Park and hiking Waipio Valley Road I don't have much of an itinerary of "must do" road stuff. Thoughts from the board on what other roads are notable enough to prioritize?
Worth noting, I'm not looking for a full island clinch. I "probably" won't have a high clearance rental, but more to come on that.
No Unimogs for rent?
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on June 22, 2024, 03:51:42 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 02:14:46 PMI just finalized a trip to the big Hawaiian island this coming October. Aside from knocking out a National Park and hiking Waipio Valley Road I don't have much of an itinerary of "must do" road stuff. Thoughts from the board on what other roads are notable enough to prioritize?
Worth noting, I'm not looking for a full island clinch. I "probably" won't have a high clearance rental, but more to come on that.
No Unimogs for rent?
Haven't even looked for a rental in general. Usually the rental part isn't a big deal for me given I have a family member at Enterprise. I'm only interested in high clearance if I'm going to actually use it.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 03:59:10 PMQuote from: Plutonic Panda on June 22, 2024, 03:51:42 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 02:14:46 PMI just finalized a trip to the big Hawaiian island this coming October. Aside from knocking out a National Park and hiking Waipio Valley Road I don't have much of an itinerary of "must do" road stuff. Thoughts from the board on what other roads are notable enough to prioritize?
Worth noting, I'm not looking for a full island clinch. I "probably" won't have a high clearance rental, but more to come on that.
No Unimogs for rent?
Haven't even looked for a rental in general. Usually the rental part isn't a big deal for me given I have a family member at Enterprise. I'm only interested in high clearance if I'm going to actually use it.
I'm not even too familiar about the topography or terrain on the big island. I know you can get around Maui in Oahu for the most part and a lot of different types of vehicles. The Unimog was a. Though I do wonder if it is possible to rent one there. I think I've seen maybe two of those in my entire life and both of them were in California. They weren't off-road either. They were on interstates.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 03:59:10 PMHaven't even looked for a rental in general. Usually the rental part isn't a big deal for me given I have a family member at Enterprise. I'm only interested in high clearance if I'm going to actually use it.
The only significant roads where you need 4-wheel-drive, you'll also need low range. Waipio Valley Road is one of those roads (low range is crucial on that steep paved road), but is hikeable for people in good shape. The steep access road to the Mauna Kea observatories (and Hawaii's high point) also requires 4wd and low range. It isn't really hikeable, though I've heard the local Army base marches troops on that road as part of their high-altitude training.
I've rented 4x4s from Harper's. Pricey, but worth it if you need it (don't know if there are any alternatives).
^^^
I'll be staying close to Waipio Valley Road. Given that low range is necessary my thought is that is just better to hike it.
I'll have to look into the Mauna Kea observatory. I haven't kept a good account on what has been going with that since the recent eruptions.
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on June 22, 2024, 04:35:14 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 03:59:10 PMQuote from: Plutonic Panda on June 22, 2024, 03:51:42 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 02:14:46 PMI just finalized a trip to the big Hawaiian island this coming October. Aside from knocking out a National Park and hiking Waipio Valley Road I don't have much of an itinerary of "must do" road stuff. Thoughts from the board on what other roads are notable enough to prioritize?
Worth noting, I'm not looking for a full island clinch. I "probably" won't have a high clearance rental, but more to come on that.
No Unimogs for rent?
Haven't even looked for a rental in general. Usually the rental part isn't a big deal for me given I have a family member at Enterprise. I'm only interested in high clearance if I'm going to actually use it.
I'm not even too familiar about the topography or terrain on the big island. I know you can get around Maui in Oahu for the most part and a lot of different types of vehicles. The Unimog was a. Though I do wonder if it is possible to rent one there. I think I've seen maybe two of those in my entire life and both of them were in California. They weren't off-road either. They were on interstates.
The only road I was interested in on Maui which may have required 4WD and high clearance was Piilani Highway. Trouble was the dirt segment was closed due to a mudslide when I visited. Had it been open I was going to make an attempt.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 04:46:57 PMI'll be staying close to Waipio Valley Road. Given that low range is necessary my thought is that is just better to hike it.
I'll have to look into the Mauna Kea observatory. I haven't kept a good account on what has been going with that since the recent eruptions.
Mauna Kea is a long-dormant volcano. Mauna Loa, on the other side of the Big Island, is still active (and occasionally threatens the cross-island HI 200, from which the Mauna Kea access road branches), as is the really-active but more distant Kilauea volcano.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 04:46:57 PMI'll have to look into the Mauna Kea observatory. I haven't kept a good account on what has been going with that since the recent eruptions.
Quote from: oscar on June 22, 2024, 04:56:23 PMMauna Kea is a long-dormant volcano. Mauna Loa, on the other side of the Big Island, is still active (and occasionally threatens the cross-island HI 200, from which the Mauna Kea access road branches), as is the really-active but more distant Kilauea volcano.
Things may have changed, but access to Mauna Kea Observatory is restricted. The 4X4 tours to the top apparently take months to get on the list. But the Visitor Center is easily accessible, and is still at a high enough elevation that it is worth the trip. My first try, we got stuck in the clouds so we came back again. If you go on the right night, there are dozens of volunteers with high-powered telescopes helping you look at various parts of the sky. Amazing find. Note that the Visitor Center is subject to occasional boycotts from groups trying to shut down the observatories (and get tourists off of the mountain).
Bonus, you'll get to see this gem:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.c-Zt62vjSPnmGi8Bu3FlYwHaFj%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=ec9cf7ef305e616ba8edc8b59f5060c0104b119bb5b8bb5d9e62ee4762da0ce9&ipo=images)
Getting inside the observatories is damn near impossible, but if you just want to get up to the summit area, there are several commercial tour operators. The waiting list is not long at all; in fact, several tour operators have availability tomorrow and on most days in the next month. When I booked a tour for July (actually, a month from tomorrow (the 23rd)), the schedule was wide open and the bigger issue was finding a day with enough people already registered to guarantee the tour will happen.
As far as roads and "what exists now", I'll have a ton of up to date intel in about a month from now, as I'm spending a week on the Big Island and generally will shy away from the expensive touristy stuff in Kona.
The drive between Kona and Hilo (HI 190/200) traverses a vast difference in microclimates and elevations from what I remember. It basically cuts through the island West to East.
Quote from: cl94 on June 23, 2024, 12:51:09 AMGetting inside the observatories is damn near impossible, but if you just want to get up to the summit area, there are several commercial tour operators. The waiting list is not long at all; in fact, several tour operators have availability tomorrow and on most days in the next month. When I booked a tour for July (actually, a month from tomorrow (the 23rd)), the schedule was wide open and the bigger issue was finding a day with enough people already registered to guarantee the tour will happen.
As far as roads and "what exists now", I'll have a ton of up to date intel in about a month from now, as I'm spending a week on the Big Island and generally will shy away from the expensive touristy stuff in Kona.
I was wondering what Dirt Roads was talking about. In travel clubs I belong to, getting to Mauna Kea's summit is generally considered an easy thing to do. Glad to see my memory wasn't wrong on this.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 04:46:57 PMThe only road I was interested in on Maui which may have required 4WD and high clearance was Piilani Highway. Trouble was the dirt segment was closed due to a mudslide when I visited. Had it been open I was going to make an attempt.
The Piilani Highway in southeastern Maui doesn't require 4WD or high clearance. I saw many tourists on that road, in white rental convertibles. (But roofs are a good idea, with pebbles falling onto the road from adjacent cliffs.)
The unpaved parts of the Piilani can be impassible when wet, even with 4WD. That can happen even when the rest of the road is dry, as the unpaved part of the road is in its own microclimate. The Oheo Gulch ranger station (in the coastal part of Haleakala National Park) can report on the latest Piilani road conditions.
Are there still active cross-country ski areas at the higher elevations on the Big Island, too?
Mike
Quote from: oscar on June 23, 2024, 12:03:16 PMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on June 22, 2024, 04:46:57 PMThe only road I was interested in on Maui which may have required 4WD and high clearance was Piilani Highway. Trouble was the dirt segment was closed due to a mudslide when I visited. Had it been open I was going to make an attempt.
The Piilani Highway in southeastern Maui doesn't require 4WD or high clearance. I saw many tourists on that road, in white rental convertibles. (But roofs are a good idea, with pebbles falling onto the road from adjacent cliffs.)
The unpaved parts of the Piilani can be impassible when wet, even with 4WD. That can happen even when the rest of the road is dry, as the unpaved part of the road is in its own microclimate. The Oheo Gulch ranger station (in the coastal part of Haleakala National Park) can report on the latest Piilani road conditions.
Right, nothing in GSV suggested that would be the case but that is what is running through normal people circles. The fact that GSV was there are all with somewhat modern images alone is enough to suggest a low clearance road. The rental car prohibition wasn't true either.
Quote from: cl94 on June 23, 2024, 12:51:09 AMGetting inside the observatories is damn near impossible, but if you just want to get up to the summit area, there are several commercial tour operators. The waiting list is not long at all; in fact, several tour operators have availability tomorrow and on most days in the next month. When I booked a tour for July (actually, a month from tomorrow (the 23rd)), the schedule was wide open and the bigger issue was finding a day with enough people already registered to guarantee the tour will happen.
Quote from: Rothman on June 23, 2024, 09:10:20 AMI was wondering what Dirt Roads was talking about. In travel clubs I belong to, getting to Mauna Kea's summit is generally considered an easy thing to do. Glad to see my memory wasn't wrong on this.
We were on the Big Island in early June back in 2016. We couldn't get a tour operator to the Mauna Kea summit with two weeks notice. Not sure why, but I understood that the climate then was perfect for visibility. Often the climate will having you look down on dense clouds to the east and north. ...Which would still be a really great view.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on June 23, 2024, 01:05:07 PMQuote from: cl94 on June 23, 2024, 12:51:09 AMGetting inside the observatories is damn near impossible, but if you just want to get up to the summit area, there are several commercial tour operators. The waiting list is not long at all; in fact, several tour operators have availability tomorrow and on most days in the next month. When I booked a tour for July (actually, a month from tomorrow (the 23rd)), the schedule was wide open and the bigger issue was finding a day with enough people already registered to guarantee the tour will happen.
Quote from: Rothman on June 23, 2024, 09:10:20 AMI was wondering what Dirt Roads was talking about. In travel clubs I belong to, getting to Mauna Kea's summit is generally considered an easy thing to do. Glad to see my memory wasn't wrong on this.
We were on the Big Island in early June back in 2016. We couldn't get a tour operator to the Mauna Kea summit with two weeks notice. Not sure why, but I understood that the climate then was perfect for visibility. Often the climate will having you look down on dense clouds to the east and north. ...Which would still be a really great view.
Weird. The mentality of it being easier to get up there has existed amongst my travel clubs since before my trip to Hawaii in 2012.
I did all the Big Island roads in a matter of a few days (even going in on the roads off the belt). The Waipo Valley road was closed to all but residents at the time I was there. Drive to the southernmost point. I did it in a Camaro convertible without issue. October is best because the Hilo side has less of a chance of being in constant rain. I was able to get the "family portrait" of the volcanoes (Kia, Loa and the two lesser known ones) from Waikola's resort area.
Fair chance I might hit you up for gaps I have in photo stock when the time comes to start creating highway blogs. Seems the Waipio Valley Road issue might be a thing still unless you are on a guided tour. If that is the case I'll probably just grab some photos from the overlook and the accompanying signs. Being stuck on a vehicle I don't control seems lame compared to hiking the grade.
I did have an entire day to sit down and kind of plot out in my head what I want to do. 3.5 days seems like plenty of time to see everything I'm interested in.
Yeah, I've done some rough planning and I should be easily able to grab everything on the island in my week there, even with doing stuff. It's a remarkably sparse system. Of course, it helps that I'm basing out of two different locations.
Alrighty, I'm almost done with a Big Island trip, so here's the intel I have:
- Waipio Valley is only doable as part of a guided tour. No pedestrians, no visitors who aren't Hawai'i County residents. So unless you're interested in doing a tour, take that off your list.
- Mauna Kea is totally worth it, whether part of a tour or with a vehicle from the one rental agency that lets you go up there. 4WD low is definitely needed to save your brakes and the road is rough. Average grade is 17%.
- Some of the island state routes and major roads are not in great physical shape. Wouldn't say they're San Benito County bad, but the worst roads I personally drove this trip were "paved".
- Most, possibly all, of the state highways are worthy drives, either because they're scenic or lead somewhere worth visiting.
- Old Mamahaloa Highway (old HI 19) north of Hilo has several disjointed segments, but many are worth seeing. One of them contains a very good tropical botanical garden. Several have old one-lane bridges. Modern HI 19 is along the old railroad grade through there and many of the old railroad bridges were reused for 19.
- HI 270 has some one-lane bridges east of Hawi. The hike along the old mule trail at the northeast end of 270 is 100% worth it.
- South Point is reachable with paved roads and a short-ish hike, but it's a longer hike or high-clearance 4WD to get to Green Sands Beach.
- Do NOT rely on Chain of Craters Road being open. That closed due to an impending eruption when I was on it and it still has not reopened. Similarly, don't rely on some of the other more-remote roads in the national park being open due to fire danger.
- HI 130 has a half-assed reversible lane for a couple of miles between Kea'au and Pahoa. Morning rush hour only, cones delineate most of it, there are a couple of signs that are normally covered.
- The stub end of HI 130 and 132 have some cool apocalyptic stuff from the 2018 eruptions.
We'll see if I can talk myself into one of these tours. I was prepared for it with Mauna Kea. All the same, not being allowed to hike Waipio Valley Road fucking sucks. I'll probably just get a grade pic of the latter and move on.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 26, 2024, 06:06:47 PMWe'll see if I can talk myself into one of these tours. I was prepared for it with Mauna Kea. All the same, not being allowed to hike Waipio Valley Road fucking sucks. I'll probably just get a grade pic of the latter and move on.
Ugh that really does suck. Led me to read a bit about this - the official reasoning is worries about rocks falling onto the road from above, but I don't know how much that holds water. I made it to Waipio Valley (on foot) in 2021, and the Pololu Valley to the west had some similarities if you are interested.
I do have that on my list. One lane bridges beyond Hawi alone was enough of a selling point.
Pololu Valley is entirely undeveloped (unlike Waipio Valley). You want to get there relatively early to ensure you can get somewhere to park, but there's a decent amount of turnover. If you just want to grab a pic from the top, there are spots reserved just for that, but you want to make the trip to the bottom. The road there is half of the fun with those bridges.
Waipio Valley being closed is NIMBYs more than anything. Courts forced county residents to be allowed down there, but rural parts of the Big Island have a LOT of people who hate outsiders. And, well, a lot of people are idiots and killed themselves by taking 2WD cars down there. The 4WD requirement is entirely due to the steep grade.
I'm one day into this trip. Most of yesterday was spent on the northwest side of the island. HI 250 and HI 270 were the show stealers:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/5ahWV7j269
Today we are following HI 11 towards Hilo and back. My wife has a broken foot which negates really any hiking I may have planned previously. She ended up getting a temporary handicap placard which has come in handy a couple times already.
Small world. My brother was on the Big Island this weekend in advance of a business trip to Honolulu. I sent him a message about something on Saturday night Eastern Time and he sent back a photo from the foot of the Mauna Kea access road.
My wife and I visited the Big Island almost 2 years ago. I didn't get to do much roadgeek related due to a stomach bug nasty enough to earn my wife an ambulance ride, but the day that we flew home, as part of testing whether we could fly without risking a biohazard incident, I had the opportunity to drive a surviving bit of the Saddle Road, as we drove from Kamuela (Waimea) to Hilo. It's not as rough as the Saddle Road was reported to be before it was upgraded / realigned / bypassed...but it was still a good drive in terms of scenery, watching the change in microclimates, and road attributes.
Spent a couple of days on the Big Island over ten years ago. Lava flow wreaked havoc near Kalapana.
I have a few photos from 2008 for HI 19, 250, 270: https://www.flickr.com/photos/therealkurumi/albums/72157607027949871/
Just finished HI 11, I'm presently sitting waiting for lunch in downtown Hilo. I ended up getting a couple County Route clinches, in particular the new segment of CR 187 in south Kona. I also checked out HI 1970 at the airport in Hilo, still no signage. Chain of Craters Road was in pretty bad shape today. I was surprised my wife was willing to hike a bit in a boot.
I'm to under my wife wants to see Punaluu Black Sand Beach the last full day we are here. That will give me another crack at trying out CR 160. Very likely at this point that I won't be bothering with the 130 range highways.
Chain of Craters Road wasn't great back in July on the first day of the earthquake sequence. I can only imagine how bad it has gotten with 3 months of earthquakes and eruptions. You aren't missing much with the 130s, though 132 does let you drive through the neighborhood destroyed by the 2018 eruption.
Punalu'u Black Sand Beach may not be the "best" black sand beach on the island, but it is the most accessible by far. I'd argue Kiholo Bay is better, albeit lacking in services, and the road to Kiholo is meh dirt. Make sure you visit South Point if you're down by Punalu'u- not only is the paved road there great for views, it is a geographic extreme point. Relatively easy walk from paved road parking to the actual southernmost point, which lies next to an ancient burial mound and a coral beach.
Re: 160, the national historical park near the end of state maintenance is worth a visit if you haven't been yet. Short interpretive trail, lots of tropical fish hang out in the cove there.
Quote from: cl94 on October 21, 2024, 11:31:47 PMChain of Craters Road wasn't great back in July on the first day of the earthquake sequence. I can only imagine how bad it has gotten with 3 months of earthquakes and eruptions. You aren't missing much with the 130s, though 132 does let you drive through the neighborhood destroyed by the 2018 eruption.
Punalu'u Black Sand Beach may not be the "best" black sand beach on the island, but it is the most accessible by far. I'd argue Kiholo Bay is better, albeit lacking in services, and the road to Kiholo is meh dirt. Make sure you visit South Point if you're down by Punalu'u- not only is the paved road there great for views, it is a geographic extreme point. Relatively easy walk from paved road parking to the actual southernmost point, which lies next to an ancient burial mound and a coral beach.
Re: 160, the national historical park near the end of state maintenance is worth a visit if you haven't been yet. Short interpretive trail, lots of tropical fish hang out in the cove there.
I have some of the photos of the damage on Chain of Craters in the photo album for today:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBP2fz
I did check out a couple Hawaii County Routes that I don't think I've seen anyone else cover. CR 180 in particular was a very winding roadway which I'm not really seeing much utility in having a Sign Route on. That seems be getting by on the fact that it was HI 18 a long time ago.
Fair chance I'll revisit going to South Point given it seems that we are heading back that way. Today was a monster and really pushing could be done in one day. A lot of the stuff in Hilo took up more time than I thought it would.
Stuff from Day 3:
https://flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/sets/72177720321443553
Hawaii Route 19 and 240 were both far more chill than I anticipated them being. I think that I've figured out the traffic patterns coming/going from the Kona area. I ended up finishing CR 182 avoiding the rush hour coming into Kona on northbound HI 11.
We lucked out with getting a spot right away at Akaka Falls State Park. Jessica had a hard enough time dragging her foot in a boot from the main parking lot at the end of HI 220. A lot of people were just parking in the travel lanes of the highway and walking to the trailhead.
All and all this is the most chill of the three Hawaiian Islands I've been to. I haven't found myself really fighting much for parking spots or getting stuck behind nervous drivers for more than just a couple minutes. The locals drive on the slower side which makes them relatively easy to pass when opportunities open up.
Oh yeah, I never had problems finding parking on the big island, even in Kona. Tourists get a late start, not a ton of people. Very laid back, not much traffic so easy to pass. And not all THAT expensive if you plan ahead.
HI 19 is a nice drive. Very clear that it's an old railroad ROW. Many of the bridges are reused railroad structures.
Interestingly for some reason Hawai'i County Route 160 is signed as 161 on mile markers beginning at 7 on Napoopoo Road. There weren't any reassurance shields, so effectively it is still signed fully as 160 from both sides of HI 11.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54088416832_6d2af85b5b_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2qpBgUU)IMG_3131 (https://flic.kr/p/2qpBgUU) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr
Speaking of today, there wasn't new ground given Jessica wasn't up for South Point:
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBPg3J
Speaking of CR 160, the 2.5 miles on Puuhonua Road north of Pu'uhonua O Honauhau National Historical Park are super narrow. Much of the grade had no curbs but rather ditches which for some reason were full of trash appliances and even one half of a car.
I'm planning on seeing the constructed 1.2 miles of HI 197 on the way to the airport tomorrow. Other than that, there isn't much I can think of that I can get in with half a day left on the trip (which I edited into the now consolidated Day 4 and 5 album).
The HIDOT website on State Maintained routes on the Big Island had some interesting information:
https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/home/hawaii/state-roads-and-highways/
By Highway:
HI 19 and HI 1370: It appears 19 now ends alone at Hilo Harbor along Kuhio Street. The map indicates HI 1370 begins at Kuhio Street and extends on Kalanianaole Street to Pua Avenue. I'm not sure if this is actually different than what Oscar had on his page as the ending for 1370 was the east entrance to Hilo Harbor.
CR 160: Keala O'Keawe Road is no longer part of the State Highway System and has been turned over to the county. This might explain why there is now a CR 160 and CR 161.
HI 200: Now ends at the Hilo Urban Boundary near where it meets the recently extended HI 2000. The log map indicates Saddle Road towards Waimea is still state maintained as Old HI 200. Some of the older alignments of Saddle Road apparently are under state maintenance in Bradshaw Army Airfield.
HI 210: HIDOT has picked up has picked up maintenance of the Mauna Kea Access Road to the Visitor Information Station as an un-signed state highway.
CR 240: Hawaii Route 240 was turned over the county.
HI 1970: Is no longer part of the state highway network.
I thought this was interesting. Pjammcycling's grade profile on Waipio Valley Road has it maxing out at an incline of 24.6%. That would make that 25% sign surprisingly accurate and probably kills the conjecture about spots with 45%.
https://pjammcycling.com/climb/1170.Waipio-Road
FWIW when I was at the two overlook a modern 2WD Tacoma was driving up the grade and let out by the county guy at the closure gate.
Wow. It looks like that's the only road down into that valley.
Google Earth reports slope based on USGS data, which is worthless for this because it's resolution is too low. I think the PJ site uses the same data. You can tell more from Google Earth when 3D Buildings is available in an area, because the altitude shown at the cursor is very accurate, at least relative to nearby points. But there's not even any GSV let alone 3D Buildings on this road.
There are a bunch of roads in L.A., S.F. and Pittsburg that have slopes over 30%, so it wouldn't surprise me if this had some bits that reached 45%. But those urban streets are only a block or two long while this is 2/3 of a mile. They do an annual Fargo Street Hill Climb competition in L.A. every year, and quite a few cyclists manage it multiple times, but I doubt anyone can go up this in a continuous run without touching foot to ground. Hell, I'd be terrified to go down it.
Eh, I'm skeptical about this 45% claim. Those cyclist guys use inclinometers in their videos (a feature you now need to be a subscriber to see). I'm finding a lot of signed gradient claims even here in California are greatly exaggerated.
Observe what they have for the signed 26% segment of Sonora Pass:
https://pjammcycling.com/climb/166.Sonora%2520Pass%2520West
And for claimed 24% Ebbetts Pass:
https://pjammcycling.com/climb/464.Ebbetts%2520Pass%2520East
Interestingly Old Priest Grade is way more haggard pound for pound than the two state highways:
https://pjammcycling.com/climb/378.Old%2520Priest%2520Grade
No doubt Waipio Valley is a challenge. That said, it looks obtainable with some planning and the right vehicle. While AWD and lockers would be ideal, I don't think they would be necessary (especially in dry weather). A modern vehicle with a powerful engine, proper low gear selection (an increasingly rare item) and four wheel disc probably ought to be enough. I have one such car at home I think could do this, my rental maybe (a Jeep Grand Cherokee with 4WD). The unpaved roads at the bottom reportedly all are high clearance.
Of course the unknown factor given this is a one lane road is what other vehicles would be coming. That could certainly make a fairly clean run way more dicey than it otherwise would be. With Old Priest Grade I was caught once behind a BMW driver who rode his brakes all the way down. That smell coming from the brake system was horrid by the time that car got to the bottom of the grade at CA 120.
https://flic.kr/p/2nzZbe4
Something I noticed in my research I thought was interesting. The 1963-1995 USGS maps of Hilo show a Hawaii County Route 123 (possibly Hawaii Route 123?) on Puainako Street west of Hawaii Route 11 to Komohana Street. This of course is now part of Hawaii Route 2000, but also probably goes a long way to explain why this segment is so substandard compared to the rest of the highway.
For some reason HI 15 and HI 151 are still signed in Pahala at the intersection of Maile Street and Pikake Street. The signage used to be embossed (which is captured on Oscar's site) but some agency has put up modern Hawaii Route shields:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/urwXK4etk7b4abpr7
Interesting aside, it turns out Maile Street was once part of Mamalahoa Highway prior to the Hawaii Route System being established on the Big Island. I suspect that was why Hawaii Route 15 was signed in the first place given Mamalahoa Highway had already bypassed Pahala by 1955.
Some of the first batch of Big Island blogs on Gribblenation have already published:
Keawe-Wailuku Bridge in Hilo
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/11/keawe-wailuku-bridge-in-hilo.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 11
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/11/hawaii-route-11.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 19
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/11/hawaii-route-19.html?m=1
Former Hawaii Route 21 on Wainaku Street
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/10/former-hawaii-route-21-on-wainaku.html
The mystery of Hawaii Route 144
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/11/the-mystery-of-hawaii-route-144-and.html?m=1
Hawaii County Route 148
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/11/hawaii-county-route-148.html?m=1
Big Island stuff on GN for December:
Hawaii County Routes 160 and 161
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/12/hawaii-county-routes-160-and-161.html?m=1
Hawaii County Route 180 and former Hawaii Route 18
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/12/hawaii-county-route-180-former-hawaii.html?m=1
Hawaii County Route 182
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/12/hawaii-county-route-182.html?m=1
Hawaii County Route 185
https://www.gribblenation.org/2024/12/hawaii-county-route-185.html?m=1
January Big Island stuff I wrote on GN:
Hawaii County Route 187
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/01/hawaii-county-route-187.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 190
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/01/hawaii-route-190.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 200 and Hawaii County Route 200
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/01/hawaii-route-200-and-hawaii-county.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 220
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/01/hawaii-route-220.html?m=1
Hawaii County Route 240 and Waipio Valley Road
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/01/hawaii-county-route-240-and-waipio.html?m=1
February Big Island stuff that published on GN:
Former Hawaii Route 232
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/02/former-hawaii-route-232-old-hawaii.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 250
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/02/hawaii-route-250.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 270
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/02/hawaii-route-270.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 1370, former Hawaii Route 12 and former Hawaii Route 120
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/02/hawaii-route-1370-former-hawaii-routes.html?m=1
Former Hawaii Route 1970
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/02/former-hawaii-route-1970.html?m=1
New Big Island blogs from March on GN:
Hawaii Route 197
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/03/hawaii-route-197.html?m=1
Mauna Kea Access Road (Hidden Hawaii Route 210)
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/03/mauna-kea-access-road-hidden-hawaii.html?m=1
Former Hawaii Route 226
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/03/former-hawaii-route-226.html?m=1
Hawaii Route 2000
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/03/hawaii-route-2000.html?m=1
Crater Rim Drive in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/03/crater-rim-drive-in-hawaii-volcanoes.html?m=1
GN blogs from April:
Kalako Drive
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/kaloko-drive.html?m=1
Banyan Drive
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/banyan-drive.html?m=1
Kuakini Highway (former Hawaii Route 11 in Kailua-Kona)
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/kuakini-highway-former-hawaii-route-11.html?m=1
Ninole Loop Road and Punaluu Black Sand Beach
https://www.gribblenation.org/2025/04/ninole-loop-road-and-punaluu-black-sand.html?m=1