Diamond Head

It's renown silhouette is as synonymous with Waikiki as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.

It is said that Hi'aka, sister of the fire goddess Pele, gave Le'ahi it's name because the summit resembles the forhead (lae) of the 'ahi (tuna) fish. Another translation is fire headland and refers to the navigational fires that were lit at the summit to assist canoes travelling along the shoreline. The heiau (temple) built on the summit was dedicated to the god of wind as protection against strong updrafts that could put out these navigational fires. Today the Diamond Head Light, built in 1917, provides a visual aid for navigation.

In the late 1700's, Western explorers and traders visited Le'ahi and mistook the calcite crystals in the rocks on the slope of the crater for diamonds. Thus the name Diamond Head.

The pronounced seaward summit, deeply eroded ridges, and saucer-shaped crater are evidence of Le'ahi's very dynamic geological history. The creation of O'ahu began around 2.5 to 3 million years ago with volcanic eruptions from 2 shield volcanoes. A period of extensive erosion followed, leaving the Ko'olau and Wai'anae Mountain Ranges as remnants of these very eroded volcanoes.

After about 2 million years of volcanic inactivity, the southeastern end of Ko'olau Range erupted. These eruptions occurred near the ocean where the magma was broken down into ash and fine particles by the water and steam. Blown into the air, these particles were cemented together into a rock called tuff which created tuff cones, such as Le'ahi.

Le'ahi is believed to have been created about 300,000 years ago during a single, brief eruption. The broad, saucer-shaped crater covers 350 acres with its width being greater than it's height. The southwestern rim is highest because winds were blowing ash in this direction during the eruption. Since the eruption, the slopes of the crater have been eroded and weathered by rain, wind and pounding of the sea. A coral reef now protects the seaward slopes of the crater.

Today, Diamond Head (Le'ahi) is the most recognized landmark in Hawai'i. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968 as an excellent example of tuff cone.

The Diamond Head trail is a about a .7 mile hike one way that takes about a hour to climb and half the time to get back down. The trail climbs gently from the parking lot to a platform with a view of Koko Head. From here a set of 66 steps leads up to a tunnel, which in turn leads to another staircase 99 steps long.


Finally there is a spiral staircase in a four-level bunker which was built in the early 1900's and used in both world wars as a military observation post. At the third level the trail leads you to the last set of stairs (enough stairs to last us a couple of months). These ascend to the summit where you are treated to panoramic views of Waikiki and the coastline.