Diamond Head State Monument Reviews (Honolulu, Oahu)

Oahu 360

Leesburg, Virginia

August 24, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo The next stop on our Honolulu outing was Diamond Head State Monument. Diamond Head is the prominent mountain that often appears in advertisements for Waikiki Beach. Visitors can walk to the summit. This was our objective.We drove through a ...Read more The next stop on our Honolulu outing was Diamond Head State Monument. Diamond Head is the prominent mountain that often appears in advertisements for Waikiki Beach. Visitors can walk to the summit. This was our objective.

We drove through a residential neighborhood to get to the entrance of Diamond Head State Monument. We paid $5 to park which turned out to be one of the least expensive activities we did during our stay on the island. I had been hyping up the hike to my family ever since we landed by pointing out the mountain whenever I saw it. Most of the reviews and trip reports I read before our vacation indicated the walk was not too difficult. I really hoped this was the case because as soon as we started on the trail, I saw a lady grimacing as she was being helped back to the parking lot by two young men. From the way they were supporting her, it looked as if maybe she had injured her leg. The sight of this had me wondering what I had gotten my family into.

It is 0.8 miles from the parking lot to the summit. The trail starts off as pavement and then transitions to dirt and rocks. Although you are constantly ascending, no climbing, scrambling, or any other technical skills are needed. The biggest challenge for most of the walk is the intense sunlight. It is a good idea to be prepared with sunscreen, a hat, and cold water. If you did not bring water, you can purchase some from the vendor truck or from the vending machine in the parking lot before you begin your trek.

We encountered people of all ages on the trail. We needed to exert more energy as we got higher into the mountain. There is a stairway of 74 steps followed by a dimly-lit tunnel. This took quite a bit out of us physically but it was what we saw after emerging from the tunnel that almost wiped us out psychologically. We emerged from the tunnel to see a stairway that seemed to go off into infinity. We actually had a choice at this point to either take the path to the left that was not as steep or to take the 99 steps to the right. We chose the steps which were cruelly followed by a spiral staircase. There were more steps to get to the summit but nowhere near as many as the stairs we had just conquered.

We were told it normally takes about 45 minutes to reach the top from the parking lot. My brother-in-law, who is goal-oriented, made it to the summit in less than 20 minutes. My sister and my nephew joined him a little later. It took almost 45 minutes for my wife and me since we took our time occasionally stopping to take pictures.

There is an observation deck at the top of Diamond Head that provides a great 360-degree view that includes Honolulu, the ocean, and even other Hawaiian islands. It was not until I arrived at the summit that I realized Diamond Head is not a single mountain. It is actually one of the peaks of a crater rim. The parking lot from where we started is located at the floor of the crater.

It was starting to get crowded on the observation deck so we started our trek back to the car. We were pretty wiped out and sweaty when we reached the parking lot. Despite this, we were really happy with our accomplishment. Furthermore, it was a fun way to burn off some of the calories from lunch at Waikiki earlier. Diamond Head turned out to be one of our favorite activities during our stay on Oahu. Close

From journal The Hunt for Pineapple Syrup

Diamond Head State Monument

by smilingtraveller

London, Ontario

February 18, 2008

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Sweating, sunshine, awesome view and perserverence…If you’re a hiker, enjoy toning your leg muscles and enjoy the beautiful scenes that Nature can present then Diamond Head on the island of Oahu, Hawaii is the hiking trail for you and your ...Read more

From journal Oahu, Hawaii: The Way to Make Memories Happen...

Diamond Head State Monument

by RoBoNC

Indianapolis, Indiana

October 22, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo If you want to get a great view of the island of Oahu and the pristine blue waters surrounding it, try hiking to the top of Diamond Head State Monument. The monument is the most recognized landmark in Hawaii and has been designated a National ...Read more If you want to get a great view of the island of Oahu and the pristine blue waters surrounding it, try hiking to the top of Diamond Head State Monument. The monument is the most recognized landmark in Hawaii and has been designated a National Natural Landmark. Diamond Head was formed from a single eruption creating a saucer shaped crater that covers 350 acres. The width of the crater is greater than the height of the mountain. To this day, it is an excellent example of a tuff cone.

Because of the panoramic view of the island, the federal government purchased it and designated it for military use. The military began to build tunnels and gun emplacements at the top of the crater to protect the island. When the military left the crater, it was converted to a state monument for the public to experience the natural wonder and absorb the beautiful views of Waikiki and the surrounding areas.

Diamond Head is about a fifteen minute drive from Waikiki and Diamond Head Road leads you through the Kahala Tunnel to the parking area where your visit will begin. Before you start on the hike to the top of the summit, bring water, a flashlight for the unlit tunnels, and most importantly, comfortable shoes. My first visit to the top of Diamond Head was done in sandals which I learned very quickly never to do again. The information center is located at the start of the trail where bathrooms and drink machines are located for your convenience. The first part of the trail is on a concrete surface which was installed to reduce erosion and leads to the dirt portion of the trail. The dirt trail maintains the same alignment as in 1908 when the military formed the trail leading to the top of the summit. There are numerous switchbacks on the trail and do not attempt to take shortcuts or climb the side of the mountain as falling rocks are common.

From the first lookout, you approach the first stairway which contains 74 steps that leads to the first tunnel. The tunnel is 225 feet long and unlit. At the end of the tunnel begins the second stairway consisting of 99 steps, which I nicknamed "Stairway to Heaven." After climbing the 99 steps, you enter the Fire Control Station which once housed the observation equipment for Fort DeRussy. There is a spiral staircase which leads to the exterior of the crater. There are 54 more steps which lead to the summit of the crater. From the summit of the crater, you can see all of Waikiki and Honolulu.

The hike is 1.6 miles roundtrip and 560 feet in elevation from the parking lot to the summit. The weather here is always hot and humid so dress appropriately. The hike takes about 1 ½ to 2 hours. The gates open at 6am and close at 6pm. Make sure that you do not get locked in as you may be camping out.
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From journal Oahu - The Gathering Place

Diamond Head

by Phil P

Bronx, New York

August 13, 2007

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One morning, we decided to take the 45 minute (each way) hike up to the top of Diamond Head Crater. We parked the car for $5 at the entrance on Diamond Head Road and started to walk. The early part of the walk is a winding dirt path up the side of ...Read more

From journal Hawaii in Style

Diamond Head State Monument

by AgedToPerfection

Irvine, California

May 29, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo When I’m on vacation, I’m not much for physical activity. On this trip to Oahu, I felt it was time to change that by hiking up Diamond Head. Diamond Head State Monument provides a backdrop to Waikiki scenery. As such, we drove for about 15 minutes ...Read more When I’m on vacation, I’m not much for physical activity. On this trip to Oahu, I felt it was time to change that by hiking up Diamond Head. Diamond Head State Monument provides a backdrop to Waikiki scenery. As such, we drove for about 15 minutes to the Diamond Head parking lot. Get there early for parking and for cooler temperatures. Gates open from 6am to 6pm. If you cannot find parking in the lot, you have to exit the tunnel, park outside of the crater’s rim, and walk back about 10 minutes to the start of the trail.

A refreshment truck, at the beginning of the trail, sells drinks and shave ice at inflated prices. Bring plenty of your own water. I drank practically 64 ounces on the hike alone. Bathrooms are found at the trail’s start.

The trail begins on a gently sloping, paved walkway, with trees providing spotty shade. After about 15 minutes, the walkway gives way to a dirt path. At this point, the incline grows and rails appear to mark the edge of the trail. Some of the steps are steep and with the rocks, your footing must be sure. Hats and loose articles should be safely secured, lest you have to retrace your steps.

After about an hour of climbing, we came to a lookout point that allowed us to catch a glimpse of the view. I needed this motivation to help me tackle the toughest part of the ascent: the 99 steps.

We arrived at a seemingly endless stairway. I craned my neck to see a dark hole at the top. Not much for motivation. Our friends ran all the way up. I, fully aware of my physical limitations, took a deep breath and plodded along at a slow but steady pace. When I felt the lactic acid burn in my thighs, I rested.

At the top, our eyes had to adjust to an almost pitch-black tunnel, with dim lighting near the feet. We had a flashlight with us but it had not rained in a while and I did not encounter any surprise puddles. Use the flashlight to ward against any unwelcome surprises.

Once we reached the end of the tunnel, a spiral staircase greeted us. We climbed the staircase to the pillbox. A man selling $5 commemoration certificates sat at a small desk. But we had not yet reached the summit. We carefully climbed a small ladder and climbed out the pillbox hold on our hands and knees. The view that greeted us stunned us into silence. Don’t stop there, continue on the path and up the stairs to the observation deck at the highest point of the crater’s rim. I cannot adequately describe the view so please let our pictures do the talking.

After the hour trek back to the car, the exhaustion kicked in but I could honestly check off “hiking” from my vacation list of things to do. What an accomplishment! Close

From journal A Haole Hanging in Oahu...With Locals

Diamond Head State Monument

by britalo

Salt Lake City, Utah

May 14, 2007

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Best of IgoUgo On our first morning on Oahu we took advantage of the 3 hour time difference and woke up early to hike Diamond Head before sunrise.I looked up the sunrise schedule before we got to Hawaii and we made sure to give ourselves enough time to hike to the ...Read more

From journal Oahu for Two

Diamond Head

by megankayd

Hope, Kansas

May 7, 2007

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This is a pretty tough hike to get to the top, but well worth it. It says the hike is not even a mile long, but it sure feels longer than that. Make sure you take some cash with you. At the top they have t-shirts and certificates, stating that ...Read more

From journal 10 Days in Oahu

Diamond Head Crater Hike

by Limburger

Oakdale, Minnesota

March 18, 2007

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The hike up Diamond Head is for sure something you want to do and you'll have absolutely stunning views of the island of Oahu and the city of Honolulu. Even if you are an inexperienced hiker, it is worth doing the hike, but make sure to do it slowly ...Read more

From journal HGVClub Hilton Hawaiian Village

Hiking to Diamond Head

by SunnyRD

Fairfax, Virginia

October 20, 2006

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You can see the crater and a nice view of Waikiki beach from the top. Definitely bring water, and even though I went in January, it got pretty hot up there. The steps were pretty tough but if you take your time, you can do it.

From journal Highlights of Oahu, Hawaii

Diamond Head

by civicdidex

San jose, California

September 1, 2006

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Are you ready for some hiking? Diamond Head has a great view from the top...once you get there. It is a moderate-long hike, I'd say about 2 to 3 miles. The path was rocky and was only paved on some parts. It was wet that day, so the ascent was ...Read more

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