Sleeping Giant: Nounou East Trailhead — Attraction in Kauai

Trail Report Friday, June 15, 2018

Beautiful hike! Definitely worth the 4 mi round trip and 1000 ft in elevation gain (my gps recorded 1.75 mi, so I think it was a bit off) Took me 45 min to get to the top at a brisk pace with no breaks. An hour or so back down going slowly and taking my time to enjoy the view. It hadn't rained in a couple days, so tennis shoes were fine. The parking lot was half full by 8AM. Parking lot was completely full at 10AM.

The hardest part in my opinion was the 20 ft scramble up some rocks between mile marker .5 and .75. There is more scrambling to get up to the top (after the picnic clearing, about 1.75 miles in), but it isn't as steep as the first scramble section. Totally doable if you're in decent shape/aren't afraid of heights.

Some tips:

Don't hike in flip-flops or barefeet. The trail can be muddy and filled with rocks and roots. I saw 7 people in bare feet (presumably because they had worn flimsy sandals or flip flops?) and 2 people in flipflops...it looked like a horrible hiking experience! Tennis and sturdy sandals seemed okay for today since it was relatively dry, but hiking boots would be best for a muddy day.

Bring enough water-- one liter minimum! It gets really humid and hot. Several people didn't have any water...didn't look like fun :p

Bug spray or pants unless you want red itchy bites all over your legs.

Leave early -- I wish I had started the trail at 7AM instead of 8AM to avoid more of the sun and a crowded trail. You could do Nounou West Trail instead to hike with fewer people and on the shady side of the mountain, but you wouldn't get any ocean views until you got to the top.

Remember to practice Leave No Trace ethics, like not cutting switchbacks. Looked like parts of the trail were eroding because people did this.

No bathroom at the trailhead, so go before you start hiking.

Bring a summit beer and...

If you are new to Kauai and you came because you like doing outdoorsy things, like hiking or surfing, the East Trailhead of Sleeping Giant (Nounou) should be your level 1 experience. It's like the first level of the video game that is your Kauai trip. A perfect primer.

The hike itself, I would say, is moderately difficult. I run about 15-20 miles per week and there were points where I was panting, albeit I was hiking up this trail pretty quickly. Make sure to bring water, the humidity and the exertion will suck the life-fluid from you faster than you expect. My shirt was completely drenched by the time that I reached the top.

The East trail head offers a few very beautiful panoramas of the island. The first one happens at around .6 miles in. You will come to this outcropping of rock where you get this unbelievable wide shot of the island, it's incredible. Right about this point, you'll be happy with your decision to visit the island. Keep hiking up and you'll eventually reach the "top," where there is this pagoda/rest area sort of thing. Beyond the rest area, there is a small path. Follow that path to reach the "True Top" of Sleeping Giant. There will be a point where you have to climb up some rocks that are about 10 feet high. It can be pretty dangerous so be careful. You are almost having to scale these rocks vertically. Most people should be able to handle this, but if you have a Bum Knee from taking an arrow or from that incident in the summer of 1974 where a tackle went wrong, you might be out of luck.

Once you get to the top top, you'll be greeted by a 360 degree view of the island. The perfect introduction to your Kauai...

Trailhead was quiet and mostly empty when I arrived before 8am on a Friday morning... The lot is small and was packed on my return, however. I am an experienced but out-of-shape hiker, and it took me a little over an hour to reach the top. The scramble/climbing portion of the trail shouldn't be a problem for most - there are some fresh ropes put up there to help you up and down if needed. It was getting real hot by the time I got back to the parking lot, so I'm glad I made this one an early morning adventure.

It is a fantastic little trail with stunning 360 degree views, lots of flowers in bloom, and birds singing. The trail was in remarkably good shape. I'm pretty sure I took a wrong turn at one point and ended up on a pig trail or something, but it reconnected with the actual trail shortly after and was a fun little side adventure.

The precarious, cliffy false summit just above the main rock scramble part is much more fun to hang out on than the actual summit, but may be intimidating for some since you have to ascend a short catwalk with a precarious drop on both sides to get there.

Time for the PSA portion of my review: There was so much trash in the parking lot when I got back to my car. It was sad. I had talked to a local guy that morning before heading up, who was actively picking up trash, and it only took a few more hours after that for people to destroy the area again?? Thanks to this man for his efforts - I'm sorry there are so many disrespectful people out there! Now tourists, PLEASE respect the beautiful place you are visiting by taking your trash...