Photograph by Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0. All photo credits
The summit walk inside Diamond Head (Lēʻahi) State Monument. State Parks says it is 0.8 miles from the trailhead to the summit, with 560 feet of gain, stairs, and a tunnel. Non-residents need a reservation.
- Access
- Reservation or ticket
- Cost
- Mixed resident / visitor cost
- Difficulty
- Strenuous, from the write-up
- Effort
- Strenuous
- Audience tags
- Visitors, Adults
Effort follows the agency difficulty when one was published: easy is gentle, moderate and easy-to-moderate are steady, and moderate-to-difficult or an agency description of a strenuous climb is strenuous. It is a sorting aid, not a safety rating.
Access and permission
Non-resident entry and parking reservations are required. The reservation site says reservations may be made up to 30 days ahead, visitors should arrive in the first 30 minutes of the reserved period, and people without a reservation will be turned away. Residents still need to show a Hawaiʻi ID. Out-of-state guests traveling with a resident are not exempt.
State Parks lists non-resident entry at $5 and non-resident parking at $10 per vehicle, credit card only. Hawaiʻi residents with a Hawaiʻi ID or driver's license are listed as free and, on the reservation site, exempt from the reservation. Children 3 and under are listed as free. Commercial vehicle fees are also posted.
Conditions, separate from permission
State Parks calls the walk steep and strenuous and says the summit trail is not ADA accessible. The last tenth of a mile is stairs. That description is not a judgment that the trail is safe. The monument has closed for storms; an Aug. 27, 2026 note on the park page discussed refunds for a storm closure. Check the park page the day you go.
Figures copied from the source
- Distance: 0.8 miles to the summit, per State Parks
- Elevation gain: 560 feet, per State Parks
- Agency word: Steep and strenuous
What to bring
- State Parks says to wear good walking shoes, bring water, and wear a hat and sunscreen.
- A reusable bottle is relevant because this is a hot crater walk. The linked bottle is one verified product, not a park requirement.
Logistics
- Hours posted on the park page: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Last entry 4:30 p.m. for the 4:00 p.m. reservation. Gates close at 6:00 p.m. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
- Allow 1.5 to 2 hours, per State Parks.
- No pets except service animals.
- Book at the state parks reservation site linked below, not through a tour reseller unless you are on a licensed PUC vehicle.
- Map pin: OpenStreetMap geocode of Diamond Head State Monument. Not a surveyed trailhead pin.
Related gear
These are exact Amazon listings checked on 2026-11-07. They are optional. As an Amazon Associate, purchases through these links can earn a commission. The tag is toa03-20. Stock and formulas change. Affiliate disclosure.
- Thinksport Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+, 3 fl oz
For exposed walks and shoreline time. The Amazon listing checked on Nov 7, 2026 is titled Thinksport Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ Zinc Oxide, 3 fl oz. That listing text says the formula uses zinc oxide (it states 24.25%) and lists oxybenzone among ingredients it does not contain. It did not explicitly say octinoxate in the text reviewed. Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes §342D-21 makes it unlawful to sell or distribute sunscreen containing oxybenzone or octinoxate in the state without a prescription. Read the current tube before you buy. Listing text changes.
- Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle, Cadet, 32 oz
For trails whose managing agency says there is no drinking water, or that stream water should not be drunk. The Amazon listing checked on Nov 7, 2026 is titled Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle, Cadet with Cadet cap, 32 oz. The listing describes a BPA-free Tritan bottle. This is one colorway, not a claim that every Nalgene bottle is the same product.
Sources and verification
Checked 2026-11-07. If a source disagrees with this page, use the source.