We only had time to do the East Nounou Trail and the Nounou Shelter Trail so this review is based off of those. The East Nounou Trail was our second hike of the day and did not disappointed. It is 2 miles with no steep ascent and a bit of coverage with breezes coming near the 1.75 to 2 mile markers. The views are spectacular as you overlook the east side of the island and south of the island as you get further up. There is one hurdle which you have to climb a rock, but it wasnt bad. You can hurl yourself up or take a bit of a path on the left to slowly get yourself up it. It is a ascending, descending, and straight way hike path. Eventually you will hit a T-intersection and decide whether to continue the Nounou trail to the right or go to the Shelter trail on the left. The Shelter trail feels like only mere steps away from the T-intersection and the view is covered a bit by bushes. The best view is near the 1.75 mile mark as there is a hill you can get on for a better elevated view of the ocean. I think if you want a better valley view, you would have to continue the Nounou trail. There werent many people on this hike when we went (around 1:30 pm) but when we left (around 3:30 pm), more people were arriving. Overall, an somewhat of an easy for intermediate hikers. read more

Nounou Trail - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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We took the approximately 3.4 mile Nounou trail east and then went all the way to the summit (maybe only a half mile or so but taxing) and then back down to the street where we walked to our car. The Nounou trail is pretty level although it does get a little muddy in spots and has a few minor obstacles such as felled trees along the way. Beginner to low intermediate. Very green very Kauai trail. read more

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. read more

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Such a great hike!!!!! You can see a 360 view of the island at the top. 2 miles one way. Small parking lot but off-road parking is available too across from the lot. Mostly dirt trails. Two places on the trail have a short rocky climb but it's not difficult. Watch out for branch walking sticks people leave behind for each other. Worth the hike! Secret spot near the top going down leads to a small open cave. You might miss it if you don't pay attention but it's also got some nice views and photo ops. read more

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. read more

Nounou Trail - Looking south from the top - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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. read more

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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 2nd "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 2nd 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. read more

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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. YELP 365 - 239/365 read more

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My husband and I did this fun hike today and really enjoyed it. We followed the gps but if you blink you might miss the parking lot. It seems like people like doing this hike in the late morning or afternoon it we did it at 7am. We had the trail to ourselves until about 1/2 back down. Ok some suggestions: *Bring water regardless of what time you go. *Use a backpack if you're going to be carrying things because you will need to have your hands free (sometimes going up/down you'll need to grab onto the rocks/branches for some stability) *The trail is pretty good overall but because it rains regularly, it does get muddy and slippery. Don't think any type of flip flops or sandals will work. You will regret it. *The picnic area is a great place to relax a little but it's not the top so keep going if you're up for it and get a 360 degree view. *Take you're time going up and down or you'll slip and slide. (We saw several people pretty muddy) we stayed fairly clean and it took us just under 3 hours to do the round trip. *Stay on the trail. We accidentally we up then came back down a trail that probably the locals might use but was very difficult. We doubled back and found the main trail. Enjoy! read more

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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. read more

Nounou Trail - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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. read more

Great little trail! There are 3 different trails you can take up to the top of the Sleeping Giant mountain. We took the West Nounou Trail - it's supposedly the steepest but also the shortest, and it wasn't that bad at all. You get a bit tired as you go up but it's nothing crazy and very manageable. Hike time up is maybe 1.5 hours. There're lots of cool vegetation along the way, and mostly you'll be covered by tall trees which is great if you don't want to get sunburned or want to avoid getting hit by the rain. Be careful at one point in the woods when you can choose to go left (and up) or straight - you need to go left (and up) here. Otherwise you'll end up on another Kuamoo Trail like we did at first and get lost a bit :) Views at the top are incredible, you can see so far out into the city and mountains! Very very beautiful and manageable hike :) read more

Awesome hike! I would agree that this hike is leisurely....but only on a dry sunny day. We hiked this when it was pouring rain and boy was it a slippery mess! It was actually pretty challenging and we had all the right foot gear, etc. But we found that to be the case along many of the trails on Kauai. The mud is a game changer. Anyway....this hike is really fun and offers some nice views. I can't even begin to offer details instruction as many other yelpers have....because I honestly don't remember which route we took. I especially enjoyed this hike because it offered some climbing, views and some amazing forested areas. Definitely worth doing if you're on the island for over a week. read more

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 1/4 mile from the picnic tables at the top. The access for the 'perimeter' trail is located off of Kuumo'o Rd about 1/2m 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. read more

Nounou Trail - View of wailua from sleeping giant - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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Short (about 1 mi each way) trail that took us almost two hours round trip. We did the West approach. There are two ways to start from the West- the trailhead off of Kamalu Rd, or by parking at the end of Lokelani Rd. As previous Yelpers reviewed, I would rate this as moderate or strenuous, given that the trail is straight up almost the entire way. Would not attempt to do this trail if it recently rained, given concern for mud and falls. Beautiful, mostly shaded, and the views are worth the effort, but would exercise extreme caution if you are considering continuing past the picnic area. read more

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Excellent, fun hike with great views at the top. My husband and I did this hike on our honeymoon. I'm not sure I'd call this hike easy by any means. This hiking trail is just shorter than most other hikes on the island. It's basically two miles uphill with rocks that you have to climb on top of and maneuver through mud if it's just rained or raining - like it was on the day of our hike. We'd stop for water breaks and have amazing views. We are both in shape and I did think it was a good workout. Great views and it was so fun! read more

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. read more

Nounou Trail - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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. read more

Nounou Trail - I made it to the top. - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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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. read more

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

Nounou Trail - Along the trail - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

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 1/2 hours round trip read more

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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 1/2 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. read more

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. read more

Nounou Trail - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

The view from the top of this trail is amazing. Here's some advice though because you might get confused when you see 2 different trails after .75 miles... go to the left side because that will take up to the rocks. You will have to climb up some rocks more than ones that u climbed up in the beginnin of the trail. BRING HIKING BOOTS AND WATER BECAUSE 90% is WALKING UPHILL TO THE TOP! read more

I thoroughly enjoyed the semi strenuous hike to the top of the sleeping giant. At some levels of the trail your marching to the jungle, and it others you're walking along cliff edge as well along catching occasional glimpses of the beautiful Kawai coast. Make sure to wear footwear that you don't mind getting muddy. read more

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. read more

Nounou Trail - Hiking Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

Sleeping Giant is an excellent hike on the east side of Kauai. It is 2 miles up and 2 miles down. It provides awesome views of the east side of the island. The Nounou, East Trail, is the easier of the trails up Sleeping Giant. Stay on the marked trails. The official trail is easy to hike on. My biggest issue was the heat and humidity even though there are trees for some cover. Near the beginning of the hike, there is some minor scrambling over one boulder. You take a sharp right. Initially, I was confused whether I was going in the right direction. However, the trail goes down only for a little bit before going back up. Trust the signs and the direction they are pointing you in. Near the top, there is a right turn that brings you on the north trail. Make sure you stay left. There is a picnic table at the top. There are also various lookout points near and at the top of the trail. At the end of the trail, there is a sign telling you to not go any further. I saw plenty of hikers, including more senior ones, making their way up Sleeping Giant. It requires rock scrambling. When I was reading about that section, I read that the rock is not granite so it is not as stable. I also read warnings online to not to go past the sign. Although I was not overly concerned about proceeding and saw a lot of hikers doing it, I did a quick cost-benefit analysis. I was at my last full day of a two week trip to Hawaii and had already seen Kauai from the air. I am sure the views from the top of Sleeping Giant are amazing but it would not top the views from the helicopter. Even if the risk of falling on Sleeping Giant seemed remote, any possibility of it steered me away from passing that sign. It is just not worth the chance of falling. I was also more concerned about coming down than going up. If you are visiting Kauai and looking for recommendations, feel free to message me through Yelp and I can share my itinerary, which includes my Yelp reviews. The information for an electronic copy can also be found in the link via my Yelp profile. read more

Nounou trail, also known as sleeping giant, is a great trail! about 2 miles from the parking lot which is on the right up toward the end of haleilio road (next to the "new" brick oven pizza). trail tops out at about 1000 foot elevation. steady climb most of the way, lots of switchbacks and shortcuts. a couple spots where the trail has worn away leaving you to watch your step! covered picnic tables at the top. trail continues on but gets a little steep. Views of wailua, coastline and central kauai are awesome. It was fairly dry the day we went but would be a much tougher hike if it was muddy. An excellent website for kauai trails and beaches is kauaiexplorer.com lots of good info. read more

Excellent Hike 4 miles round trip... Conquer the top then finish the hike w/ a beverage and burger at Street Burger down the road....

Not sure why this hike has been called "easy" and "moderate" by previous reviewers because it is neither. There are two ascent points so maybe one is easier than the other? I started the hike from Haleilio Road and though I hike regularly the hike was a leg burner from the get go. The elevation gain is 1300ft , the trail is single track and only maintained by the foot traffic of other hikers. There is rock scrambling, and parts of the trail look carved out by water and can only we walked by straight line (one foot in front of the other). I would say at least half of the hike is along a shear drop off so if scared of heights this is not the hike for you. It rains frequently so it gets muddy and slippery; I took a spill myself. Also though people had children with them I would NOT consider this family friendly and would ONLY bring teenagers or older along. With that said all the hard work is TOTALLY worth it! The views are spectacular, I made it within a 1/4 mile of the top but turned around due to rain and the "red dirt" getting harder to navigate, but I was not disappointed and satisfied with what I did accomplish. Note: Great views can be had at the at around the 1/2 mile mark, so no need to go all the way to the top unless you just want to :) (Hiked 12/30/11) read more

Took the east trail, a hike with lots of really great vantage points in every direction. 2 miles one way to get to the picnic area (where most recommend that you stop- so do I). Was very dry when we hiked, I can see if the trail is muddier or wet that it would be very difficult. Was hot, even in the morning, but very few bugs there- was surprised by that. I would highly recommend this hike to people who are moderately fit, and like to have very nice, varied views of Kauai. read more

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. read more

Nice moderate hike that will work your calves and lungs out with amazing views of Kauai at different parts of the hike. There are also parts where it is kinda narrow and scary if you look down...you don't have to go to this part bu I hiked this alone, and I got lost twice so maybe a good idea to do it in the daytime if you're not familiar. Had so much fun running down the trail like a guerrilla. There are three ways/pathways. I took the one near Kamalu road (Nounou West Trail) read more

This was the best hike I did on Kauai. It has the biggest bang for the hike. When you get to the top, you have a breath taking view of the island. It's less than 2 miles long, and as long as it's not wet- I think it's a moderate, maybe moderate to strenuous hike. There really is only one or two spots where you may need to do a little rocking climbing, but that really is only about 5-10 feet of elevation for each. Otherwise, it is smooth walking/hiking. read more

This trail is also called the Sleeping Giant Trail. One of my roomies decided she wanted to hike this trail to see the sunrise. We started out around 515am, and the trail in the dark was treacherous so we didn't quite make it to the top by sunrise. We did stop before the top to watch the sunrise, which was neat. The views of Kapaa at night were cool -- and so were the views at the very top. It was a fun hike, but I will say it was mostly uphill and not well marked. read more

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! read more

Phew, this trail gets pretty steep and muddy at certain parts. It certainly is good for the glutes and calves. Took about 45 minutes going up. Way more fun going back down, especially in my Vibram Five Fingers. Nice ocean views and photo opps. There were a wide range of people on the trail from couples to families with kids and dogs! Fun for everyone. read more

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! read more

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

I liked this hike. I would say this is a pretty easy trail for the first mile, with the exception of one part where you have to climb 6-8ft or so up some rocks to the next part of the trail. I was able to go a mile up the rail with my wife and 2 year old daughter, so the trail itself is not bad. I didn't have any issues with bugs in Feb and trail was dry with no mud. Overall, not difficult. read more