How to Hike Diamond Head

I’m the first to admit that I’m not a morning person, nor am I a nature person. So when you combine the two, it makes for a very cranky Caroline. I thought my family had learned their lesson when we decided to go hiking in Maine, but apparently not. So when I was told we would be up at 6 a.m. to hike Diamond Head State Monument in Honolulu, I wasn’t psyched. *I should note that I was also dragged on a hike of Waimea Canyon. Two hikes in one trip.*

But as it was a quintessential Honolulu experience, I decided to tough it out. I had seen pictures of the landmark and thought at the very least it would be a good photo op. So I packed up my Nalgene and camera gear and we hit the road.

When we arrived at the parking lot, we saw that we weren’t the first ones there, by a long shot. A whole busload of Japanese tourists, some in suits and generally inappropriate footwear, came down the hill, not looking the least bit exhausted. Were we climbing the same crater? Speaking of the crater, it was created by a volcanic eruption some 300,000 years ago.

For most of the hike, it’s a curved slope up the top of the crater. It’s not terrible strenuous for most of it (I’ll get to that later), and I saw a guy do the entire hike in less than 10 minutes. You can see for miles before you’ve even reach the top.

But when it gets intense, it really gets intense. First, you have to go through a cave. We had flashlights with us and it wasn’t terribly dark if we hadn’t had it, but if you’re the slightest bit claustrophobic, I would bring one. And then there’s the stairs from hell.

They aren’t wide enough for people to go up or down at a time, so you may have to wait your turn. But don’t slow down because there are people right behind you. Also, a kind stranger on the way up warned me that the railings turn your hands orange, but I couldn’t not hold onto them.

At least the view compensates for the pain your legs are currently in. Then there’s more stairs on the spiral staircase up to the Fire Service lookout. You have to crawl under this odd ledge in order to get out to the rest of the lookout point, but this is the final hurdle in your climb.

I was sweaty and disgusting by the time I got to the top, but I was met with this amazing view of the crater and downtown Honolulu.

Getting There

Location: Off Diamond Head Road Between Makapu’u Avenue and 18th Avenue, Honolulu.
Hours: Daily 6 am to 6 pm, Every day of the year including holidays.
Entrance Fee: $5.00 per car or $1 per person for pedestrians. Commercial vehicles fees: $10.00 cars/vans, $20 mini-buses, $40 buses

Be Sure to Bring

Hawaii rain can come out of nowhere, so I was glad I brought a jacket. Bottled water is also a must-have, because although we went when it was early and not yet hot, climbing a couple thousand stairs can sure make you thirsty.

To learn more about Honolulu’s history and culture, check out Urban Adventures’ tours of Waikiki and beyond.