The Awa’awapuhi Trail is a beautiful hike in Koke’e State Park that leads you to a breathtaking view of Kauai’s Napali Coast. The trail is 3.2 miles each way (~6.4miles roundtrip) and takes 3-4 hours to go in and out. Depending on the condition of the trail, I would say this trail ranks from moderately difficult to difficult. Even on dry days the trail is quite slippery and sometimes muddy. I hiked on a dry day and I lost count of how many times I slipped on the trail. I recommend bringing hiking sticks to help with the slippery downhills that you will encounter.
Getting to the trailhead is pretty straightforward. In Google Maps go to the trailhead parking lot. You will find a dirt parking lot and then a clearly marked trailhead.
Throughout the trail you will be hiking through a forest so most of the hike was shaded which helps on hot days. You descend quite a bit on the way down, so make sure you save your energy for the way back up. The trail is really popular so it is pretty straightforward and there are mile markers along the way. Unless you purposely take a detour, it shouldn’t be too hard to find your way.
When you see the 3 mile marker, you are almost there. Go past the 3 mile marker and you will have a choice of 2 vistas. The first one is where you will get the money shot of the sweeping views of the Napali Coast and the valley below. Some may choose to hike outside the railing (at your own risk!) to a ledge that gives you a beautiful view of the valley.
