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Diamond Head State Monument, Honolulu, HI

Photo: mar1865, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicOutdoor Adventure

Diamond Head State Monument

Inside Diamond Head crater, near Waikiki · Honolulu, HI

Why you should go…

Diamond Head, called Lēʻahi in Hawaiian, is a volcanic tuff cone beside Waikiki. The summit trail is 0.8 miles one way and climbs 560 feet, starting on a concrete walkway and moving on to switchbacks, steep stairs and a lighted 225-foot tunnel. The path was built in 1908 as part of the Army's coastal defense, and at the top you reach the bunkers of a Fire Control Station finished in 1911. Visitors from outside Hawaii need an advance reservation for entry and parking.

  • #summit hike
  • #volcanic crater
  • #state monument
  • #waikiki
  • #scenic views

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Diamond Head State Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Honolulu Zoo

    Under $25

    See black rhinos, giraffes, elephants and native Hawaiian birds across 42 acres at the edge of Kapiolani Park in Waikiki.

    1.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Waikiki Beach

    Free

    Swim, take a surf lesson and stroll Honolulu's resort beach with the Diamond Head crater in view down the shore.

    1.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Shopping
    Free

    International Market Place

    Free

    Shop and eat beneath a preserved banyan tree at an open-air shopping center on Kalakaua Avenue in the heart of Waikiki.

    1.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Shopping
    Rainy-Day Pick

    Ala Moana Center

    Free

    Browse more than 350 shops and restaurants at an open-air Honolulu mall, with hula performances on Centerstage.

    3.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

    $25–$50

    Snorkel over a coral reef inside a flooded volcanic crater on Oahu's southeast coast, a protected nature preserve.

    7.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lanikai Beach

    Free

    Swim in calm, shallow turquoise water off a half-mile of sand facing the twin Mokulua Islands offshore.

    11 mi awayMore like this