Skip to main content

Diamond Head State Monument

By

Diamond Head Crater is a volcanic tuff cone on the Hawaiian Island of O'hau located in the City of Honolulu.  The Diamond Head Crater is surrounded by several neighborhoods of Honolulu and offers a vista of the City from the top of the Summit Trail.  Diamond Head Crater in the Hawaiian language is known as Lēʻahi.

This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page.  All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below:

https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html


Part 1; the history of Diamond Head State Monument 

The formation of O'ahu began between 2.5-4 million years ago with volcanic eruptions from two shield volcanos emerging into a land mass from the Pacific Ocean.  Over time the erosion of the two shield volcanos formed the basis of the modern Ko'olau and Wai'anae Mountain Ranges.  Approximately 1.3 million years ago volcanic activity began in the Pacific Ocean at the southeastern end of the Ko'olau Range forming numerous cones.  Lēʻahi is thought to have formed approximately 300,000 years ago from a single and brief eruption.  Since erupting Lēʻahi began to erode into the state it is seen today.

In 1825 Lēʻahi was named "Diamond Hill" by British Sailors.  The British mistook the volcanic calcite crystals on Lēʻahi for diamonds.  Despite the lack of actual diamonds present on Lēʻahi the English name stuck and eventually became "Diamond Head" due to it being part of a headland.  Diamond Head/Lēʻahi can be seen on 1856 J.H. Colton Map of the Hawaiian Islands on O'ahu. 


Diamond Head can be seen in much greater detail on the 1881 Hawaiian Government Survey Map of O'ahu. 


In 1904 Diamond Head was purchased by the Federal Government of the United States and designated for military use.  Fortification of Diamond Head began in 1908 with construction of gun emplacements and the Kapahulu Tunnel on the northern rim.  Originally known as "Diamond Head Reservation" the military encampment was renamed to "Fort Ruger" during 1909.  The Fire Control Station which is now the top of the Summit Trail to the top of Diamond Head was constructed circa 1908-1910.  Coastal Batteries were added to Diamond between 1910-1916 with one additional (Battery 407) being constructed during 1943.  The construction of Battery 407 included excavation of the Kahala Tunnel through the eastern rim of Diamond Head which now is part of the State Monument entrance road.  Diamond Head and Fort Ruger as they were immediately after World War II can be seen on the 1946 Army Map of O'ahu.


The importance of Fort Ruger diminished following World War II with much of the U.S. Army infrastructure inside Diamond Head becoming obsolete.  Diamond Head Crater was declared a Hawaii State Monument in 1962 and became a National Natural Landmark in 1968.  In modern times a few military facilities such remain active at Diamond Head Crater such as; the northern Kapahulu Tunnel, Battery 407, the Hawaii State Civil Defense Headquarters and a National Guard emergency operations center.



Part 2; hiking the Summit Trail to the top of Diamond Head Crater

From flying overhead Honolulu Diamond Head Crater is an obvious geographic feature.  From the view below Diamond Head Crater can be seen towering east of Waikiki. 


Diamond Head State Monument is accessible via Diamond Head Road along the eastern rim of the Crater.  Traffic entering Diamond Head Crater must utilize the one lane Kahala Tunnel.  









Traffic emerges from the Kahala Tunnel into the center of Diamond Crater where the trailhead for the Summit Trail can be found at the Diamond Head State Monument Visitor Center.  













The Summit Trail is approximately 0.8 miles long but gains 560 feet in elevation.  The starting portion of the Summit Trail is paved but comes a rock surface approaching the Diamond Head Crater rim.  






The Summit Trail ascends through a series of rock switchbacks to an observation deck overlooking the center of Diamond Head Crater. 























The Summit Trail ascends 74 stairs to a 225 foot long tunnel.  






The Summit Trail emerges onto a second set of stairs which has 99 steps.  The second set of stairs is advertised as a spur which can be used to access a second tunnel to the interior of the Fire Control Station.  Unfortunately the spur trail to the Fire Control Station was closed when I was hiking the Summit Trail. 


The Summit Trail approaches a metal staircase with a spur which overlooks Koko Crater east of Diamond Head Crater. 








The metal staircase is 82 steps high approaching the Fire Control Station observation point.  From the top of the 82 step metal staircase the 1917 Diamond Head Lighthouse can be below.  







A final 54 step metal staircase ascends to the Fire Control Station observation point located at 761 feet above sea level.  Looking westward a full view of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu can be observed. 


The entirety of Diamond Head Crater can be seen from the Fire Control Station observation point facing east.  Much of the Ko'olau Range and Koko Crater can also be observed facing eastward. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tulare Lake returns

By
During the winter of 2023 California experienced one of the wettest seasons in recent decades.  Enough snow and water were deposited into the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the runoff was enough to partially reform Tulare Lake within San Joaquin Valley.  Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River by surface area.  Tulare Lake has been largely dried for the past century due to irrigation divisions and upstream impoundments.  This blog will examine the history of Tulare Lake and its recent return.  Pictured as the blog cover is Tulare Lake from 19th Avenue in Kings County during early May 2023.  Tulare Lake can be seen near its maximum extent below on the 1876 P.Y. Baker Map of Tulare County .   Part 1; the history of Tulare Lake Tulare Lake is the largest remnant of Lake Corcoran.  Lake Corcoran once covered much of the entire Central Valley due to being it being located at a in natural low point from where mountain run-off would accumulate.  Lake Corcoran is thou
1 comment
Read more

Former US Route 101 through Sargent

By
  Sargent is a ghost town and siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in southern Santa Clara County.  The original alignment of US Route 101 was aligned through Sargent via what is now known as Old Monterey Road.  Sargent was bypassed gradually due to shifts of the alignment of US Route 101 which occurred during 1941 and 1950.  Pictured as the blog cover is a view on Old Monterey Road which is now no longer accessible to the general public.  Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Santa Clara County which depicts the original alignment US Route 101 through Sargent.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 in Sargent Sargent lies on land which was once part of Rancho Juristac.  During 1856 James P. Sargent purchased Rancho Juristac and plotted what was known as Sargent Ranch.  By 1869 the Southern Pacific Railroad coast line reached the relocated town site of Gilroy.  The Southern Pacific Railroad coast line would be constructed through Chittenden Pass by 1871 whic
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 60/Former US Route 60/70 through the Moreno Valley Badlands west to Riverside

By
This past month I drove California State Route 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands westward towards the City of Riverside.  CA 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands was once part of the corridors of US Route 60 and US Route 70. The present route of CA 60 is a 70 mile (76 counting multiplex) slice of former US 60 between downtown Los Angeles east to I-10 near Beaumont.  The vast majority of CA 60 aside from a small section in the Moreno Valley Badlands is presently a freeway grade. For me CA 60 holds some personal history as it was the route I used most frequently accessing work sites in the Inland Empire circa 2011-2013.  Despite what many others probably would say I always really enjoyed the Moreno Valley Badlands portion of CA 60.  Considering I frequently worked on US 60 through Arizona and New Mexico the route holds even more appeal.  I even have a CA 60 shield hanging up in my garage. Part 1; History of Roadways in the Moreno Valley Badlands CA 60 between B
Post a Comment
Read more