Diamond Head is located on the Southern part of Oahu Island in Hawaii, just south of Honolulu. This is a prominent volcanic crater easily visible from parts of Honolulu and area beaches. It received its name from British Sailors who mistakenly thought they had discovered diamonds inside the crater when in fact the stones they found were calcite crystals in the lava. Today this is a very dry part of Oahu but in the past standing water was found at times in the bottom of the crater.
A well maintained trail leads to the 760 foot peak of the rim. Allow at least an hour to reach this point – its almost all uphill to the top. The highest part of this crater was formed by wind blown ash which piled up until it solidified. The first part of the trail is paved and the rest of the trail is dirt. There is one tunnel but you can easily make your way through this without the need of a flashlight. Parts of the trail are quite steep towards the end with a 99 step section. Towards the top, the trail proceeds through a very low hanging bunker – but when you reach this part you know you are almost to the summit! The summit affords one great views of Honolulu looking all the way to Pearl Harbor in the distance.
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