Maybe it was not a diamond like you would think, but let me explain. No, first I will narrate the day here in Waikiki, Hawaii.

For my first full day in Oahu, I started out early . I wanted to do a very scenic hike nearby. The people at the hostel where I was staying assured me I would need to take a city bus. It was just too far to walk. Another backpacker confirmed this and I got the bus number I should take and was on my way. The bus made a few turns and 10 or 15 minutes later I was at my stop.

I am ready to take the one and a half mile hike up this volcanic crater on the eastern edge of Waikiki coast. It's the Diamond Head Volcanic Crater. This is Hawaii's most recognized landmark. The views from the summit are just amazing. There is a lot of military history associated with the hike. I see World War II bunkers used by the military once I reach the top. Diamond Head is a State Monument and consists of over 475 acres, including the interior and outer slopes of the crater.

The volcano is called Diamond Head. It's ridge-line resembles the shape of a tuna's dorsal fin. In the 19th century, sailors gave it the name of Diamond Head because they mistook the calcite crystals that they found embedded in the rock for diamonds .

Once off the bus I start toward the entrance to the trail. There is a steep uphill climb along the paved road until you reach a tunnel. Once through the tunnel the volcanic crater can be seen.


I get some photos of the information boards that describe things to be seen on the hike. The sign says the hike is not a casual one. It winds in switchbacks over mostly unpaved trail. It is mostly over uneven rocks.

The information boards say the saucer-shaped crater was formed about 300,000 years ago during a single, explosive eruption that sent ash and fine particles into the air. The materials cemented together into a rock called tuff. This is how the crater was formed. Most of the vegetation and birds were introduced in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The crater is more than 3,500 feet in diameter with a 760-foot summit.

The boards say this is The World’s Most Recognized Volcanic Crater . Visitors travel thousands of miles to get a first-hand glimpse of Diamond Head crater, one of Hawaii’s most recognized icons.

The trail was built in 1908 as part of Oahu's coastal defense system. Then, you head up another steep 99 steps. A spiral staircase ascends 43 steps. You gain 560 feet as you climb.

The trail climbs 74 steps before leading you through a 225 foot tunnel. Once though the tunnel, you are in the Fire Control Station completed in 1911. The station, built on the summit, directed artillery fire from batteries in Waikiki and Fort Ruger just outside Diamond Head Crater.

At the summit, I crawl through the narrow exit of the bunker. I got a nice photo once outside of the bunkers viewed from the ocean.

There is something special to me knowing I am walking up the side of this extinct volcano. The 3/4 mile hike puts me on the edge of the crater.

Once on the platform at the top I can see Waikiki and the beautiful Pacific Ocean for as far as the eye can see. I can feel the trade winds blowing against me and I hear the crashing waves far below. This panoramic view is one not to be missed if you visit Waikiki. The 3/4 mile hike each way was interesting with a lot of views on the way up.

Now that I have made the trip from the hostel to the crater, I know it is NOT too far to walk. why do people always tell me that?

As I walk back into town I pass a university with beautiful landscaping. I take a short detour though the campus because of the landscaping. Then, later, I walk past a garden along the beach. It also is worth a side trip and some photos. I would have missed these if I had taken the bus back. I walk along the ocean and watch all the activity. As I sit on the beach I make a couple of phone calls to family back in Arkansas. They are not on the beach. It is early in the night there and they are mostly thinking about bedtime. Here, though, there is a lot of daylight left that I will take advantage of.

The walk along the Waikiki beach makes the walk back into town go quickly. Take a look at my photos and see if you agree.

I conclude, it's not too far to walk.