Nounou Trail

Also known as the Sleeping Giant hike because from far away the mountains look like a giant human sleeping facing up. It’s a hotter hike compared to the ones by Koke’e State Park or the northeast side of the island.
There’s a bunch of trails to get to the top and they start on different sides of the mountain and they fork often. So remember where you came from because we ran into a few people that were lost on the trail.
The view during the hike from the south side is mostly of Kapaa but the view at the very top is a 360 view and its worth the effort from the picnic tables. When you’re at the very top you’re actually standing on the face of the «sleeping giant».
It’s not strenuous, or difficult, it’s easy for the most part. Until you get to the picnic tables… Some people with little kids decided to stop at the picnic tables. It’s a cool hike but it’s not a favorite.

Nounou Trail, better known as Sleeping Giant Trail, is the classic example of little work, but huge reward.
You know the saying the harder you work, the better the pay off? I guess it could be used for hiking trails too. I mean the harder trails probably have the better views at the top, right? Well, Nounou Trail is the exception. It’s like a kinda (ish) leisurely hike up, with breathtaking 360 degree views from the top. It really is beautiful!
My friend and I really wanted to go hiking for our week-​long working school trip in Kauai, and after clinic one day, we went hiking up this trail at about 4 PM. We even made it down before sun-​down. We actually started from the Nounou East Trail, as there is a Nounou West Trail as we found out in the middle of the hike when we came to a fork in the trail. Let’s just say no matter if you start from the East or the West Trail, just take the trail that looks like it goes more up when you get to the fork. When you reach a bunch of chairs and tables that looks like its the end of the trail, it’s not! You can (and should!) keep going, cause that’s where the amazing views are!
After taking the 500 bajillion pictures, and being scared because I’m afraid of heights, we made it down back to the bottom in less than 2 hours.
Nounou Trail is exactly my type of hike. It’s perfect to do any time of the day, and relatively easy!

This is a difficult hike. Rocks, branches, steep elevation. It is not a leisurely stroll. That being said the views are gorgeous!

Fun hike with beautiful views. Can be a bit tiring for beginning hikers, but definitely doable if you take your time.
We did the East Trail Head, which starts from the parking lot off of Haleilio Road. It’s about a 4-​mile round trip. It took us 3.5 hours, which included ample breaks on the way up, plus time at the picnic area at the top.
There are only a couple of tricky parts. The first is when you get to the 2^nd «Stay on the Designated Trail Sign». Do not go on the trail behind the sign, which curves around the mountain. Go to your immediate right. It looks like you’ve taken a wrong turn because you face a short rock ledge, which doesn’t seem to go anywhere. But once you climb this ledge, you’ll continue on the trail to your right. It feels like you’re going the wrong direction because the path starts to head downward again. But keep following the trail, and eventually it will head up again.
The second tricky part is when you get near the top at the picnic table. You can stop here or continue up a bit.
When you face the picnic table, coming up from the East Trail Head, the view of the ocean will be to your left (9 o’clock), where the bench is.
In front of you, a bit to your right, (about 1 o’clock and on the other side of the picnic area), will be a small path that takes you even further up. It’s about another 8 – 10 minute hike to the top. The trail is narrow, but there is a lot of brush on the sides.
You’ll pass a sign that warns you not to go past the end of the designated trail. Once you pass this sign, you’ll end up at a vertical wall again. This is the 2^nd tricky part. You’ll have to climb this again to make it to the very top. At the top of the wall, head left for a beautiful 360 view from the Sleeping Giant.
This last part can be dangerous and is not part of the designated trail, so it is not for everyone. Be careful if you decide to do it. I would say the hard part is not the dirt trail to the top, but the rock wall that you have to scale.

This trail is worth it– if you go past the end of the official trail at the top, you can get better views and check out a cave (be careful because you will be at the hill top edge). Took my husband and I about 2 ½ hours round trip

One of the best trails in Kauai, especially if you’re staying near Kapaa. The trailhead was difficult to find. It was only by chance that we were able to find it. I entered the GPS coordinates in and the trailhead was just a bit further up.
The trailhead is located at the end of a roadway near some houses. There is limited parking available (8 cars max?) but we were able to find several spots.
The trail is of moderate difficulty, and only about 3 miles roundtrip. The first clearing at the top has two picnic tables if you want to bring lunch. But don’t stop there. The path continues a little to the left of that clearing and leads you to the top where there is a 360 degree view of the island. You have to climb some rocks to reach the top, but it’s well worth it.

Excellent hike! Fairly taxing, good length of 4ish miles round trip (we only did the eastern leg of the three trails, a loop doesn’t make logistical sense unfortunately), pretty panoramic views at the top. I would recommend not doing this if it is raining; it was already a bit slimy and slippery in parts despite it being a sunny day. Easily one of the nicest hikes in the area. We met a few people, both locals and non-​locals, on the trail and everyone is so pleasant and friendly!
Make sure you go all the way to the lookout point at the giant’s «chin» if you feel that you have solid footing and are not particularly vertiginous. There are also some hidden little caves near the very top on a tiny side trail.
Nice views throughout the entire hike but often you are walking through rainforests, which in and of themselves are pretty but they also obscure the view for most of the hike except the lookout points. Also, there was some sort of small little vagrant camp set up near the bottom of the hike; there was a rottweiler and some other very aggressive looking dog mating in the middle of the trail and they were understandably very mad when we turned the corner and they were there. Fortunately they ran away to their owners at the little camp within ten minutes and we continued on.

A nice day hike definitely worth doing. Great views along the trail, and awesome panoramic scenery from the top. Brig plenty of water. Trail conditions are a bit rough in a few spots.

This is the best trail to start early morning and finish right as it gets warm. It is uphill most of the time and not always week marked but everyone was helpful and nice to chat with along the way. A little muddy in the upper areas, but not too bad. I’d say this is intermediate and should be done in cool temps.

Hiked this beauty today! There are lots of pretend trails that make you want to get off the path so beware. Your best bet is the wider trail if you come to a fork. If you have kids with lots of energy, bring it on. There are only a couple relatively tricky parts. Beautiful views and not too far into the wilderness.

Beautiful ocean, valley and the mountains view! Limited parking but a very easy and worthwhile hike! Mahalo

Wonderful for a quick hike. Not overly difficult. A big time trail enthusiast could finish it in an hour and a half; a rugged terrain jogger could probably finish it in less. We chose to take a slightly slower pace pausing here and there. Not for you if you don’t want to hear the hum of construction from below. We also got there right at sunrise and were the first people there. The trail was pretty much to ourselves until the way down– go early! Lovely view that kept getting better! A rain jacket isn’t a bad idea if you dislike a little rain.

Atop the Sleeping Giant you’ll find the best views possible if east and south Kauai. Strenuous at times, especially when the sun is beating down on you, the two mile eastern trail is manageable by moderate to experienced hikers with little trouble. And the payoff at the top, if you’ve got the stomach for the final ascent, is well worth the effort. A great Kauai trail.

My wife and I hiked this trail on our honeymoon, and it was awesome. It’s challenging at times, but the views are well worth the effort. Definitely check this trail out when you get the chance!

Easy hike with beautiful views at the top. I come here often when I’m home because of that reason. It usually isn’t too too crowded. Good hike for kids — again, easy hike. I’ve only ever been up the back way, but there are different ways to get up. I should try another one. ?? Anyway, fun. Go.

AKA Sleeping Giant, 1200 feet high, with coastal and inland views. According to a guide book, there are 3 ways to approach. We did the shortest way, mountain side trail (shortest): Take Hwy. 580, kuamoo Rd., mauka from Wailua Bay at the Coco Palms. Nice elevation, nice view, totally satisfied. 1 hour up, 1 hour down. Nice evening little hike. Will do this again.
Unilocal 365 — ²³⁹⁄₃₆₅

Commonly known among the locals & frequent visitors as, the «Sleeping Giant». This is because if you look at the mountain from afar it resembles just that!
I’ve hiked this trail twice or maybe three times, I can’t really keep track anymore. The topic of the Sleeping Giant brings back bad memories for me. I flashback to a time back in high school when I hiked this trail with my PE class during summer school & as we were all going back down the mountain, certain areas were a little steep & slippery. The teacher helped a few of us one by one & as he was helping me, I slipped on wet mud stepping off a rock… he caught me, but he also sorta lost his footing in the process. Long story short… we both could have fallen off the edge of the mountain if he hadn’t miraculously caught himself.
That memory haunts me til this day every time hiking this trail comes up! With that said, I have definitely hiked it since (at least once more).
Don’t let my rather traumatizing story influence your decision though, as it is one of the coolest hikes on the island. It is definitely a trail worth hiking! Just be careful, that’s all.
P. S. probably not suited for the novice hiker.

The beginning of the hike starts in the middle of a neighborhood and as you climb all you see is the town below; thus it looses its sense of nature. However, the real treat comes at the last ½ mile.
It’s a thin ridge that climbs to a breathtaking 360 degree view. My stomach danced with vertigo up there.
This is an awesome hike that is worth every step up the trail.

I love nature, and I love hiking. My friends and I hiked the «Sleeping Giant» aka Nou Nou trail yesterday morning and had a lot of fun.
It took us about 6 miles and 5 hours round trip to do the whole trail because we started the hike from the hotel.
If anyone wants to try this trail, the hike is about 2 miles long from the parking lot, and it is totally worth it!
When you reach the top, you will love the breathtaking views of the coastal areas of Kapa’a, Makahela Mountain, and Mt. Wai’ale’ale.
It is a fairly easy hike if the person is in decent shape, but there are parts of the trail that are not suitable for the inexperienced. I also do not recommend bringing little children.
I tripped a few times, and it could be dangerous when it is wet and muddy.
I would only suggest going on a dry day and only if you are confident.
It was nice and breezy yesterday, so it was the perfect day for hiking.
On our way to the top, we picked some strawberry guavas from the trees. They were tart, sweet and quite edible.
There’s a lovely little picnic area near the top, but be careful if you want to go up to the «chin.»
I took a picture of a guy standing on top of it (see my photos). We went up there and checked out the view. Totally spectacular and I have never felt more at peace.
However, it is a little scary if you are bothered by heights. We stood near the edge. However, I do not recommend it because it is too dangerous.
If anyone wants to try this hike, be sure to prepare yourself. Pack a little plastic bag if you plan on bringing your camera. The weather in Lihue is unpredictable, so it does not get wet in case it rains.
Also, pack you gear, a bottled water, and a little snack in case you get hungry.

Sleeping Giant is right behind my house so I hike this trail often. Things to know: there are 3 different ways to access the top of the mountain: from the East (aka Houselots side) there’s a parking lot at the far end of Haleilio Street and the trail heads up from the right side of the parking area. From the West, there’s 2 ways to access the trail, but only one really goes up towards the top. The other is more of a loop trail around the perimeter of Sleeping Giant. The parking lot for the trail that heads up is at the far end of Lokelani Street. Park and walk thru the gate and up the hill to the left. This trail joins up with the East trail about ¼ mile from the picnic tables at the top.
The access for the ‘perimeter’ trail is located off of Kuumo’o Rd about ½m above Opaeka’a Falls — look for the yellow gate. It loops around and eventually meets up with the other west-​side trail, but it’s kinda a boring hike compared to the other two.
With ALL that info you should be set! The trails are all dog-​friendly safe and pretty well marked. PLEASE do not cut the switchback corners as larger and larger sections of the east trail are washing away… it’s only a few extra steps to save the trail. You can hike up to the picnic tables a the top and sit on the RESPECT bench ^=^ or if you continue up «the chin» to the very very top you can explore the cool cave that goes through the entire mountain… awesome stuff. This last bit is semi-​hairy — not for little kids, older folks, people scared of heights, etc. But for most people it’s more exhilarating that sketchy.