Sleeping Giant, also known as Nounou Mountain, is a mountain ridge located west of the towns
Wailua and
Kapaa
Kapaa (Kauai dialect: Tapaa) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. It is the most populous town in the island of Kauai, with a population of 11,652 as of the 2020 census, up from ...
in the
Nounou Forest Reserve on the
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
an island of
Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
. The formation received its common English name both from its resemblance to a reclining human figure, and from a Native Hawaiian legend about a giant who, after great labor or overeating, lay to rest and is yet to awaken. Today Sleeping Giant is a major landmark for tourists visiting Kauai. Hiking trails lead to the highest point of the ridge, or what resembles a forehead. It is located at .
References
Landforms of Kauai
Mountains of Hawaii
Tourist attractions in Kauai County, Hawaii
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