Nounou Trail

Jun 11, 2007 7:42PM

This is a great hike to do right in town. Gives you perspective on all of East Kauai. Feels great to go jump in the water at Lydgate afterwards.

Jun 15, 2007 6:58AM

AWESOME addition (trails) and thank you! :) This is a great hike. Can get VERY slippery during/after rains. Would recommend to do this is the earlier part of day (hot!). For those of you brave (or foolish) you can hike past the picnic benches, and traverse the neck of the giant, up the chin. VERY STEEP DROP and a slip most likely will result in DEATH. A NO WAY for kids~ but for an adult with good balance (can be windy) and guts...... unparalleled beauty! (Neither myself nor anyone associated with this site will be held accountable if you choose to go beyond picnic benches and sustain any injury/death. Proceed solely at your own risk).

Jun 16, 2007 2:46PM

My apologies. I thought the later part of the trail was marked & a human trail~ that's why I continued on. Maybe a sign should be erected stating that people should not continue on? (I am not implying liability, just a suggestion since it appears to be a continuation of the trail). I sincerely did not mean to offend. Mahalo! -Karen

Jun 17, 2007 8:42AM

I did this hike last Dec. '06 with my father. It was a puffer all the way up, easy to come down. We both went across the neck and I continued up the chin part, not my father. How far up does it go? It was to slippery for me as I loaned my hiking shoes to my mother and was on tennis shoes. She quit about halfway up anyway. I just couldn't see continuing up when it was so slippery and steep, especially coming down those steps. Are they goat trails?

Jul 29, 2007 3:15PM

After reading the great beach reports I noticed the trails report. This is the best website for finding out exactly what I need to know.
I plan on taking this hike and staying on the marked path, thank you very much. An explanation of where to park would be helpful.

Michael

Aug 07, 2007 9:24PM

I have been trail running Nounou the past couple weeks (four times so far). The run up is definitely a workout as it is almost completely up hill but it is totally worth it. There are a few shortcuts that shorten the switchbacks but be careful - some dont lead back to the main trail. The very top of the mountain (past the picnic area) is neat to visit and allows you to say that you summited the mountain but it doesnt offer very good aerial views. You are better off going to the second highest point on the mountain. The passage is a little narrow but the view of Wailua Homesteads, Kapaa, and Lihue off in the distance cannot be beat. After enjoying the view at the top, the run down the mountain is excellent. You can run around the switchbacks and bank your turns as if you were mountain biking. Even when the trail is not wet, the loose rock/gravel can foul you up. Just use good footwork and you will be fine.

Sep 19, 2007 8:25PM

If you go up after 4PM then take a flashlight. It can get dark faster than you think after sunset and the last 1/4 mile at the bottom is particularly dark because of the tree canopy. My daughter was slower than I anticipated and we got caught after sunset once. The twilight was adequate in the middle of the trail but we had to feel our way by hand as we approached the bottom. It wasn't life threatening but it was frustrating. I had taken the trail dozens of times but the last 1/4 mile took over 20 minutes that evening.

It is a great trail to take on your last day after you have checked out of the hotel and you are hanging around until your 8PM flight. You can shower at Lydgate after the hike. Quick folks can do it in 2 hours round trip, slow folks may take 4 hours.

There is a deceptive switch back about half way up that many people miss. You are walking along along a moderate dirt grade to the south after you break out of the initial tree canopy, then the trail takes a steep staircase climb in the opposite direction to the north through a rocky outcropping. So many people miss this turn and continue on to the south, that there is a false continuation of the trail for a short distance to the south. If the trail looks like it is fading out then you missed the turn, BACKTRACK! A friend of mine in his 50's fell off the trail and broke his leg in this area. Luckily he had a cell phone with him or he might still be there.

Oct 24, 2007 7:12AM

My husband and I hiked this trail on 10/21/07. We started a little after 9 and finished a bit before noon. I would suggest going earlier -- maybe starting at 7 because the sun blasts down on you. Take lots of water.
The view is beautiful throughout the entire trail. Even doing half the trail would be worth it. It did get a bit long. (My husband and I are in our 30\'s and in good physical health although I personally haven\'t exercised for almost a year.) When you get to the picnic area, there is a lookout, but it\'s not 360 degrees. We enjoyed a sandwich on the picnic table and continued on the trail (we weren\'t going to because KE staff stated it was a goat trail but all the other hikers on the trail said it was part of the trail). To the head of Nounou is maybe less than 10 min and is a gorgeous 360 view.

Jan 03, 2008 8:24PM

My boyfriend did this hike the day I was flying back to Oahu. We thought it would be easy (according to some websites) but come to find out was mildly difficult. Should be done early because it does get very hot and there wasn't much cover. My favorite part of the hike was the strawberry guava (Only eat it if you know what it is) that I stored by the handful and the view from the picnic area. (The bench there is pretty cool too.) Not for weak ankles; thankfully I wore my brace on this hike. It was a lot of fun and a great workout.

Jan 20, 2008 5:09PM

just to clarify - there's multiple ways up - east side with small parking lot off Haleilio, west side with 2 separate small parking areas and south side (least used) with no real parking. At the fake top, where the shelter and picnic table, is you can then proceed to the real top (USGS marker) that isn't too difficult or scary. Nice views from a rocky outcropping before you get to the real top which is a little disappointing. Also a little trail off to the left onto the giant's chin which is the part everyone worries about. Narrow, rocky. A fall means death. Nice views. I never go up there if anyone else is there - don't trust 'em. Less scary but thin trail on west side of this knife edge to the hole in the chin. Fall=injury but not death.

Feb 28, 2008 3:53PM

We did the hike to the "secret falls" after kayaking up the Wialua River . I haven't seen anything at this site about that hike, which is one of our favorite hikes. The fun of kayaking and the fun of hiking IN the water as we crossed several streams to get to the 120ft. waterfall makes this hike very memorable.

Mar 14, 2008 1:54AM

Why is there a picture of a bikini clad blond child in the middle of the trail?

Mar 26, 2008 3:30PM

Great site for beach and trails, but which website is good for mtn biking Kauai? We arrive in a week and I'd like to rent a bike.

Jul 05, 2008 12:30PM

We hiked the East Trail of Nounou last month with our 9 year old son. We got started close to noon and it was hot but not difficult. Took us about two hours to get to the picnic table and 1.5 hours back down. There were great views of the ocean, and much of the trail was shaded. We loved the hala trees and other beautiful plants along the way. It was great to have a snack at the top! I have some photos I would be happy to send if you let me know how.