Diamond Head
(Le'ahi)

Trailhead

To see this trail's topography, click map...

Description: There are representative images of every island: Na Pali Coast/Waimea Canyon for Kauai, the Volcano/Akaka Falls for Hawaii, Haleakala/Iao Needle for Maui, and so forth. Diamond Head is one of the representative images for Oahu as you see it in just about every photo and movie related to Oahu as the backdrop to Waikiki. The trail, which begins within the Diamond Head crater, involves a 540-foot climb, half via switchbacked rocky footpath and half by a combination of concrete and metal stairs. At the end of the climb, you top out at Diamond Head's highest point: the Leahi Benchmark (elev. 762 feet). What to Expect: The trail is extremely civilized: do not expect a walk in nature. Prepare yourself to see lots of concrete and metal: guard rails, staircases, bunkers, tunnels, signs, etc. You start at a paved parking lot (elev. 220 feet) on a concrete boardwalk followed by an well-graded gravel/rock path lined by heavy steel guard rails until reaching a large abandoned military complex near the top. The 4-story complex, an abandoned U.S. Army artillery fire control station, is a heavily fortified concrete and boulder combination. You enter at its lowest level, climb up the spiral staircase, then exit to the outside via the third floor observation post. Another outside staircase brings you to the top of the complex, a multi-level observation platform and shack large enough for approximately 30 people at one time. The detailed route is as follows: 1) Walk a flat concrete boardwalk, 2) gently ascend up dirt path, 3) turn left, begin switchbacking up a little more steeply, 4) climb up the first set of concrete stairs, 5) pass through a lighted tunnel (approx 120 feet), 6) emerge at second set of concrete stairs (99 steps), 7) enter bunker through unlit tunnel (approx 40 feet), 8) climb up spiral, metal staircase to 3rd level, 9) walk through and climb out of concrete observation post, 10) walk around exterior of bunker to last set of stairs, 11) climb stairs to the lookout point. The trail's gentle inclination steepens gradually as you close in to the top, but at no time does this trail ever require any four-point, hand-over-hand climbing (save the spiral staircase, maybe?). In fact, this trail is do-able by anyone of any age provided they can walk. Finally, no other trail on the island receives the amount of foot traffic as this one. Expect a constant stream of hikers in both directions. Update:Lights were installed in the tunnel and spiral staircase within the concrete bunker in Sept 2003. Trailhead Location: The trailhead is on the eastern end of the Diamond Head State Monument. Accessing the Trail: With few exceptions, the park is open year-round and is accessible via a vehicular tunnel entrance located on Diamond Head Road near 18th Ave (vicinity of Kapiolani Community College). City bus routes 3, 22, and 58 pass bus stops near the entrance. Official parking, designated for trail visitors, is available within the crater and is operated by a private contractor. Space can be limited especially on popular hiking days. Some choose to park outside of the crater and walk through the tunnel (instead of waiting for parking stalls to open up) but beware: parking immediately outside of the crater entrance tunnel (which is a viewpoint of East Honolulu) is restricted to 20 minutes under penalty of tow away. Beware of the high rate of theft at both parking locations. The state currently charges $1 per person for entry for walk-in and $5 per private vehicles. There is no exception or discount for Hawaii residents. Larger vehicles (with higher seating capacities) are subject to higher fares. Property/Access: Official state park trail Government-owned and maintained, public access Dangers/Other Considerations: This trail is designed and maintained to be hiker-friendly. As with all trails, use caution when hiking. Warning: As posted in the Honolulu Advertiser (July 30, 2004), "HFD Capt. Kenison Tejada said the fire department routinely gets at least a dozen rescue calls to Diamond Head trail each year. But he suspects most of those fall short of a heart attack. Rescuers find people suffering dizziness and twisted ankles as well as cardiac conditions." Do not underestimate the difficulty of this trail! The park is open to the public at 6:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m. daily. There is no overnight stay allowed. During all other hours, the crater is restricted to members of the State's Department of Defense (Hawaii Army National Guard) on official business only. There are "illegal" options to reaching the crater rim which involve ascending ridges either internal or external to the crater and/or circumnavigating the rim. This is unwise as there are many witnesses and just as many authorities within the crater which will get you cited and/or fined. Also, there are several stretches of private property skirting the crater's external slopes.	Trailhead (Park entrance)
	Trail - Concrete Boardwalk (First 0.25-mile)
	Trail - Dirt Switchbacks (Ascent to 1st set of stairs)
	Looking Back on Switchbacks (View from 1st set of stairs)
	Second Set of Stairs (99 steps to Bunker)
	Final Set of Stairs (Climb to Lookout)
	View Across Crater to East Oahu (Honolulu through Hawaii Kai)