Few hundred feet further, the magnificent Nu’aolo Aina Valley starts to come into view. Continue to the left towards Lola Vista, the trail endpoint. At the 3.5 mile point, there’s an intersection with the earlier mentioned Nu’aolo Cliff Trail that connects with Awa’awapuhi Trail, however it remains closed due to erosion for an undisclosed period of time. For this reason, the closer you move towards the ocean, the drier it gets and the surrounding flora is dominated by semi-arid plants. The moist, warm air is being forced up the Na Pali Cliffs and starts moving towards the interior of the island to form rain producing clouds that make Koke’e State Park so lush and beautiful. Around three quarters distance into the hike, landscape begins to change and with it, the vegetation. There are few open areas on the trail, where trees give away to tall grasses and low lying shrubs. The forest is dominated by introduced birds, like the below Red Crested Cardinal, nevertheless it’s also one of the last sanctuaries for native birds, some of them endemic to the island of Kaua’i. As with other hikes overlooking Na Pali valleys, Nu’aolo trail is a great place for bird watching. You will be surrounded by tropical jungle and an abundance of birds hiding amongst tree branches.
When you reach the top of the ridge, it’s downhill for the next ¼ mile, after which the trail levels and continues so for the next 1.5 miles (2.4 km). The path is steep and somewhat unmaintained, adding to the already difficult start. You will enter a dense forest dominated by moisture loving vegetation. The trail begins at 3,660 ft (116 m) and climbs the ridge for the first ¼ mile (0.4 km). Nu’aolo Valley Trail is a good 4 hours hike, pack your lunch and consume it in front of a million dollar view at the half point mark. It may reopen by the time you visit Kaua’i, that would make up for one awesome (and really hard) hike. You can always check the current status of all hikes in Koke’e State Park by visiting Koke'e State Park website. There is no information when this trail reopens, but I assume it won’t be anytime soon when even in the official trail map it is dashed and described as closed. There used to be a way to combine Nu’aolo Valley trail with Awa’awa'puhi trail into one 11-mile loop hike, but the trail that connects them together, called Nu’aolo Cliff Trail, is temporarily closed due to erosion. The trail may be closed at times when it’s too dangerous to go out. During and after a passing rain shower, the path may be extremely slippery, therefore we suggest to check with a ranger at Koke’e Lodge and Museum and ask about current trail conditions. It’s rated as moderate to strenuous, given the fact some parts are steep and eroded, as well as for the total elevation change. Total elevation change is around 1600 ft (488 m), the trail going downhill most of the way towards the viewpoint (the trailhead is at 3,660 ft or 1116 m and the viewpoint at 2,234 ft or 681 m). The 7.6 miles (12.2 km) round trip (our GPS tracked the total distance at 7.8 miles), out and back hike ends with an amazing vista point overlooking Nu’aolo Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Nu’aolo Valley Trail is one of the most popular half day hikes in the park. An ongoing archeological work is being conducted at Nu'aolo Kai that can shed some light on the way Hawaiians were able to live a sustainable lives in such remote areas of Kaua'i. Locals used it to transport water and food between the valleys, as they were both occupied till the early 20th Century.
There used to be a system ladders overhanging the cliff that separates Nu'aolo Aina from Nu'aolo Kai valleys. Nu'aolo Aina Valley is famous for its visible remains of manmade terraces Hawaiians built to grow taro, a staple crop for the civilization that ruled this land before Europeans arrival. The views from Pu'u O Kila vista, overlooking Kalalau Valley, truly are breathtaking, although iking to one of the other valleys allows for a closer look on how diversified they are. We think everyone who visits Koke’e State Park and has enough time should take at least one trail to get a close view of one of Na Pali gorgeous valleys. The hike presented in this guide leads to one of the well known and picturesque parts of Na Pali- Nu’aolo Aina Valley.
#AWA AWAPUHI TRAIL MAP SERIES#
Beside the montane bog called Alaka’i Swamp and the Waimea Canyon, the park offers magnificent views of Na Pali Coast, complete with its characteristic cliffs and valleys, through a series of roadside viewpoints, unpaved hunter roads and foot trails. Koke’e State Park in the northwestern part of the island of Kaua’i is an amazing place filled with natural beauty and interesting geological formations.
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