Diamond Head Summit Trail- Oahu, HI

Diamond Head is without a doubt one of the most recognizable volcanic cones in the world. Visible from any point on Waikiki Beach, it’s profile is the very image of paradise. As scenic as it is from the beach, it only gets better from the summit. You must however get to the trailhead by dawn; any later, the trail transforms into a slow moving mass of humanity, and is just about as fun as a subway at rush hour.

The trail to the summit was constructed in 1908, for the practical purpose of coastal defense. Batteries were placed along the summit, some with a 360 degree field of fire, to defend Honolulu from both sea and ground based attacks. Following World War I, anti-aircraft batteries were added along the rim of the crater.

The distance to the summit is less than a mile, but the trail is steep, with an elevation gain of 560 feet. The hike includes several switchbacks, 327 stairs, and a trip through a 225 foot tunnel; toward the summit, there is a steep metal spiral staircase that leads to a concrete 1908 fire control station, built to help triangulate artillery fire on enemy ships. Squeeze out of one of the station’s narrow slots to access the summit. Its not a particularly difficult trail, but it does have a lot going on.

The views from the summit are outstanding. Directly below is the quaint 1917 Diamond Head Lighthouse, while to the west, the hotels of Waikiki crowd the coast. The Royal Hawaiian does an excellent job of standing out from the crowd, in all of its pink glory. Enjoy the breeze and the view, as this is about as good as it gets.

Gravity does most of the work on the way down, allowing you to take in all the surrounding geology. Relatively young compared to the creation of Oahu itself, Diamond Head is estimated to only be about 300,000 years old. Which is ridiculously young in geologic time. The vents are now extinct, and the volcano has sat dormant for over 150,000 years, so you can be sure your hike will be uneventful, unless you fall down the stairs on the way back to the parking lot.