Nonou or The Sleeping Giant is a small mountain overlooking the east shore of Kauai near Wailua.   It is a popular hike near the population centers of Kapa’a, Wailua, and Lihue.   There are 3 trailheads –  from the southwest (longest),  from the west, or from the east.   All 3 trails join up on the ridge.   We chose the east side trailhead on a warm, but cloudy day.   I had a bad cold so a bit of a fever slowed me down and I struggled up the steep lower slopes to the summit 1000 vertical feet above.

The trail wound up to viewpoints on the top of the ridge.   Wailua lay below Nonou to the east.

The shoreline of Kapa’a lay to the northeast.

The east side trail to the top is 3.5 miles round trip.   With a 2 car system it is possible to hike through to one of the other trailheads.   We had hope to have had some views into the Waialeale Crater to the west but the mountain was shrouded in cloud, as it almost always is at the wettest spot on the planet.

The Sleeping Giant hike is a pleasant 2 hour return route, suitable for a half day morning hike followed by a swim at one of the beaches nearby.