Wailua River and Sleeping Giant, Wailua

Sleeping Giant, an odd formation on a mountain ridge between Wailua and Kapaa, is a landmark that's accessible with a pair of hiking shoes and a bottle of water. If you squint and use a little imagination, you can make out what looks like a human figure lying on his back. That's the Sleeping Giant, a quirk of nature that has given rise to a heap of myths and legends. Some say he was tricked into eating rocks and fell asleep on a full tummy never to wake again. Others say he nodded off -- for eternity -- after he ate too much at a celebration. Folklore aside, the view from the Sleeping Giant's belly is stunning and it's not hard to get there. Mount Nounou Trail is a less than 2-mile hike to the top of Sleeping Giant mountain. The trail head is on Halelilo Road in Wailua.

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