The Kohala Volcano is the oldest of the volcanoes that make up the Big Island, and when part of this volcano slid into the ocean hundreds of thousands of years ago, it formed the sea cliffs along the Kohala Coast. Erosion has formed seven valleys along this coastline, including Pololū Valley, the most northern valley, then Honokāne Nui, Honokāne Iki, Honokeʻa, Honopue, Waimanu Valley, and Waipi’o Valley. Waipi’o Valley is the most famous, perhaps because of its daring grade or the breathtaking views through the cliffs and back into the valley. We faced Waipi’o last time we visited the Big Island (read about that hike here), but it has actually since been closed to non-locals. Since we loved Waipi’o so much, we decided to do another of the Kohala Coast hikes and settled on Pololū Valley, which is a short but steep hike down to a black sand beach.
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