Awa'awapuhi is a fairly easy hike with one of the best payoffs on the island. While theres basically nothing to look at for 95% of the hike as you wind through the forest, the hike spits you out at an insane panoramic view with 2,500-foot vertical drops on either side. For the best views, you're going to have to be okay with heights. There is a pretty thin rock bridge (3ish ft) to get to where most of these photos are taken. If you think you don't have a fear of heights, this will probably be a good barometer to if you're telling yourself the truth. Go at your own risk and be aware those rocks can crumble at any point. Also as an added bonus, this one’s free AND legal—rare combo on Kauaʻi these days. No permits or reservations needed.
We ended up doing this hike twice. The first attempt we chanced it with some low clouds and drizzle in the parking lot and made it to the viewpoint completely socked in with clouds. Didn't see anything but a group of goats. We 100% botched the timing and showed up pretty late in the day and didn't have much time to hang around and hope for the clouds to break. On the Napali side of the island, the clouds and weather are way more unpredictable. Since the mountains are so vertical, they seem to catch a lot of the weather patterns rolling through. If you show up in the trailhead parking lot and the clouds are looking iffy, then be sure you have enough time to hang out at the viewpoint and let the clouds roll through. If the sky is mostly clear in the parking lot then you should be good to go.
You start in thick high-elevation forest—lush, green, and usually wet. First mile is super mellow, with little dips and small climbs. By mile two, you’ll start noticing breaks in the trees and maybe even glimpses of the coast if it’s clear. The trail also starts to narrow out and get a little more rutted. If it’s been raining (which is often), this section gets slick. Roots and red clay make a perfect little slip-and-fall cocktail. At the “end” of the trail, you’ll hit a wide lookout with a wooden bench and a small fenced-off platform. This is where most people stop. It’s safe, stable, and has an epic view. But if you’re feeling brave—and not afraid of heights—go past the bench. There’s a faint trail that keeps going along the ridge. It gets sketchier the farther you go (narrow, loose dirt, steep drop-offs), but the views become absolutely unhinged if you can get past the 20ft rock bridge with death drops on either side. If you can get through here, then you can get to where all the pics above where taken (coordinates here).
That 1,800-foot descent you enjoyed? Time to pay for it. The climb out is a calf-burner. There's no dramatic incline, just a steady grind through humid jungle. Zero breeze, full sweat. Save most of your water on the way down, becuase you'll be burning through it on the way up.
If you have the time (and endurance), you can link Awaʻawapuhi to the Nualolo Trail via the Nualolo Cliff Trail. It's gonna be a mission (around 10–11 miles round trip), but it basically connects the two neighboring ridges in the area. Nualolo Ridge has some amazing views as well so if you're interested in both, maybe you're gnarly enough to kill both birds with one stone. Trail junctions are clearly marked—just don’t start this loop too late or you’ll be hiking back in the dark with zero visibility and maybe some wild boar. We spotted a pretty big group close to the Awa'awapuhi parking lot as we came back after dark the second time.
Payoff to effort ratio makes this one a no-brainer in our book. The Napali Coast is obvi the main attraction of Kauai and this hike gets you one of the best views of it on the island. If there are low clouds or drizzle in the parking lot, you might get skunked. Clouds move fast in Kauai so you never know, but you're likely to get better conditions in the morning. Not much to see for the majority of the hike until you reach the exposed ridge line. To get the best views, you're going to have to get across a pretty thin rock bridge. Save your water on the way down, you'll probably kill 80% of it on the way back up.