Diamond Head, Hawaii

For other uses, seeDiamond Head.

Diamond Head
Diamond Head cone seen fromTantalus-Round Top Road
Highest point
Elevation	762 ft (232 m)
Prominence	596 ft (182 m)
Coordinates	21°15′43″N157°48′20″W
Geography
Diamond Head
Location	Honolulu,Hawaii,US
Parent range	Hawaiian Islands
Topo map	USGSHonolulu
Geology
Age of rock	200,000 years
Mountain type	Volcanic cone
Last eruption	Unknown
Climbing
Easiest route	Trail
U.S. National Natural Landmark
Designated	1968

Diamond Headis a volcanictuff coneon theHawaiian islandofOʻahu.It is known toHawaiiansasLēʻahi(pronounced[leːˈʔɐhi]), which is most likely derived fromlae(browridge, promontory) plusʻahi(tuna) because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of atuna's dorsal fin.Its English name was given byBritishsailors in the 19th century, who named it for thecalcitecrystals on the adjacent beach.

Geology

Diamond Head is part of the system of cones, vents, and their associated eruption flows that are collectively known to geologists as theHonolulu Volcanic Series,formed by renewed eruptions from theKoʻolau Volcanothat took place long after the volcano formed and had gone dormant. These eruptive events created many of Oʻahu's well-known landmarks, includingPunchbowl Crater,Hanauma Bay,Koko Head,andMānana Island.

Like the rest of the Honolulu Volcanic Series, Diamond Head is much younger than the main mass of the Koʻolau Mountain Range. While the Koʻolau Range is about 2.6 million years old, Diamond Head is estimated to be about 400,000 to 500,000 years old.

View from the rim showing the Waikiki neighborhood (left), the cone (right), and thepillboxat the peak (middle)

History

Known asLēʻahiinHawaiian,the mountain was given the nameDiamond Hillin 1825 by British sailors who discovered sparkling volcanic calcite crystals in the sand and mistook them for diamonds. This is reflected in another local name,Kaimana Hila.The name later becameDiamond Head,withheadbeing shortened fromheadland.

The interior and adjacent exterior areas were the home toFort Ruger,the first United States military reservation onHawaii.Only Battery 407, a National Guard emergency operations center, and Birkhimer Tunnel, the Hawaii State Civil Defense Headquarters (HI-EMA), remain in use in the crater.AnFAAair traffic control center was in operation from 1963 to 2002.

Tourism

Park Brochure: Diamond Head State Monument

Diamond Head is a defining feature of the view known to residents and tourists ofWaikiki,and also a U.S. National Natural Monument. The volcanic tuff cone is a State Monument. While part of it is closed to the public and serves as a platform for antennas used by the U.S. government, the crater's proximity to Honolulu's resort hotels and beaches makes the rest of it a popular destination.

National Natural Landmark

In 1968, Diamond Head was declared a National Natural Landmark. The crater, also called Diamond Head Lookout, was used as a strategic military lookout in the early 1900s.Spanning over 475 acres (190 ha) (including the crater's interior and outer slopes), it served as an effective defensive lookout because it provides panoramic views of Waikiki and the south shore of Oahu.

TheDiamond Head Lighthouse,a navigational lighthouse built in 1917 is directly adjacent to the crater's slopes.In addition, a fewpillboxesare on Diamond Head's summit.

In popular culture

Diamond Head appears on an 80-centair mailstamp issued in 1952 to pay for shippingorchidsto the U.S. mainland.

Charlton Hestonstars in the 1963 filmDiamond Head.,in a role thatClark Gablewas supposed to play.

"Diamond Head"an instrumental song byDanny Hamiltonrecorded in 1964 byThe Ventures,was an international hit. The song was especially popular in Japan where it became the firstsingleto sell a million copies.

A 1975 televisedgame show,The Diamond Head Game,was set at Diamond Head.

The Crater was the location of several concerts in the 1960s and 1970s.First held on New Year's Day 1969, and often known asHawaiianWoodstock,Diamond Head Crater Festivals,sometimes calledSunshine Festivals,were all-day music celebrations held in the 1960s and '70s, attracting over 75,000 attendees for performances of theGrateful Dead,Santana,America,Styx,Journey,War,andTower of Power,alongside Hawaiian talent likeCecilio & Kaponoand theMackey Feary Band.The one-day festivals became two-day events in 1976 and 1977, but were canceled by theHawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resourcesbecause of community noise and environmental impact concerns.Many items from the bands were brought into and out of the Crater byhelicopter.

• Various views of Diamond Head
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  A view from the ocean of Diamond Head
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  Diamond Head cone seen from the coast off Waikiki
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  View from Rocky Hill, which resides overPunahou School
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  Diamond Head peak fromKapiolani Park
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  Diamond Head seen from Waikiki in the 1800s
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  Waikiki Beachfacing Diamond Head, 1958
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  Aerial view of the cone, and theKahalaandKaimukineighborhoods
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  Aerial view of the Diamond Head
• 
  A view from the south, including Diamond Head Lighthouse

See also

• Diamond Head Lighthouse
• Diamond Head Theatre
• Kapiolani Community College

External links

• Official websiteHawaii State Parks - Diamond Head State Monument
• Geographic data related toDiamond Head, HawaiiatOpenStreetMap
• Satellite image of Diamond Head (Google Maps)