Lēʻahi is the crater behind Waikīkī, formed about 300,000 years ago in a single explosive eruption. A trail built in 1908 for Oʻahu’s coastal defense climbs from the crater floor to the summit fire control station, finished in 1911.
Why we love it
It’s a short, real climb with a payoff that explains Honolulu at a glance: Waikīkī’s shoreline on one side, the Koko Head coast on the other.
What to expect
You start inside the crater and climb 560 feet in 0.8 mile to the rim. The trail is steep, exposed and hot by midmorning. The last stretch is all stairs, and you pass through a lighted 225-foot tunnel before the bunkers and the 1911 fire control station at the top. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours round trip. Early slots are cooler and sell out first. Arrive within 30 minutes of your slot start, and if you booked parking, be out by the end of your window. The trail is not ADA accessible.
Know before you go
- Reservations
- Non-residents must reserve entry, and parking if driving, at gostateparks.hawaii.gov/diamondhead, up to 30 days ahead. People without a reservation are turned away.
- Arrival window
- Arrive within the first 30 minutes of your reservation period. Late arrivals may be refused, with no refund.
- Changes
- Refunds are available up to 3 days before your date, and changes until midnight Hawaiʻi time the day before, if space allows. A $5 cancellation fee and service fees may apply.
- Residents
- Hawaiʻi residents are exempt from fees and reservations with proof of residency, but visitors with them still need entry tickets.
- Trail
- 0.8 mile to the summit with 560 feet of gain. Steep, with stairs at the top. No pets except service animals.
Photo: Eric Tessmer via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
