Diamond Head is easily one of Hawaii’s most recognizable landmarks. Known for its historic trail, beautiful coastal views, and military history, the state monument encompasses more than 745 acres, including the entire crater.
We had plans to try to get to Diamond Head earlier in the week, but our schedule ended up not allowing for it. That’s how we found ourselves getting up early the day our plane left to squeeze this hike in as our farewell to Oahu.
Although this is a relatively moderate hike, it is steep and uneven in areas, and the last 1/10 of a mile is ALL stairs. Hawaii’s Division of State Parks recommends allowing 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the hike. If you’re an avid hiker and on a time-crunch, like us, you can do it less. We were up and down within 45-50 minutes.
The Fire Control Station at the summit, built in 1911, directed artillery fire from batteries in Waikiki and Fort Ruger outside Diamond Head crater. Also at the summit are bunkers and a huge navigational lighthouse built in 1917. Diamond Head offers beautiful 360-degree views.
Even though it meant getting up early, practically sprinting up the trail and back down, and rushing “home” to shower and take care of last-minute packing before our flight back to SoCal, we’re really glad we decided to squeeze this in.
NITTY GRITTY
Distance: 1.5 miles, roundtrip (2.4 km.)
Elevation: 560 ft. gain (52 m.) // 762 ft. total (70 m.)
Terrain: Somewhat steep; includes many switchbacks, a steep staircase, and a lighted tunnel
Difficulty Level: Moderate, suitable for most ages
We didn’t arrive on Oahu with an itinerary in hand. After months of wedding planning and seemingly endless to-do lists we were looking forward to a relaxing, tropical vacation. Visiting Pearl Harbor was pretty much the only “touristy” must-do activity we wanted to be sure to fit in on our weeklong stay on the island.
The U.S.S. Bowfin is a WWII-era submarine that sank 44 enemy ships during World War II. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and museum that offers a peek into what it was like to live and work aboard a sub at that time. We actually didn’t get a chance to go into the museum, but read that it contains more than 4,000 submarine-related artifacts.
Touring the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial includes a short documentary on the history of Pearl Harbor before a short boat ride to the memorial. We recommend doing the narrated tour, which provides a headset and control to punch in the number posted at various places at the memorial. This was definitely the most sobering and introspective part of our Pearl Harbor excursion as we remembered the many lives lost while we literally stood above their watery grave.
The Pacific Aviation Museum consists of two World War II hangars, which still bear marks and bullet holes in the windows from the attacks on Pearl Harbor. This is a great museum for aviation enthusiasts, as it includes not just World War II-era planes (Japanese Zero, Stearman N2S-3), but also other vintage aircraft, including a Cobra attack helicopter, a Soviet-designed MiG-15 and “MiG Alley Exhibit,” an F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, P-40 Warhawk, “Flying Tigers” Exhibit, and more.
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