| Diamond Head | |
|---|---|
 Diamond Head cone seen fromTantalus-Round Top Road | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 762 ft (232 m)[1] |
| Prominence | 596 ft (182 m)[2] |
| Coordinates | 21°15′43″N157°48′20″W / 21.26194°N 157.80556°W /21.26194; -157.80556 |
| Geography | |
  Diamond Head  Diamond Head | |
| Location | Honolulu, Hawaii, US |
| Parent range | Hawaiian Islands |
| Topo map | USGS Honolulu |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | 200,000 years |
| Mountain type | Volcanic cone |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Trail |
| Designated | 1968 |
Diamond Head is a volcanictuff cone on theHawaiian island ofOʻahu. It is known toHawaiians asLēʻahi (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.[3] Its English name was given by British sailors in the 19th century, who named it for thecalcite crystals on the adjacent beach.
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 Volcano that 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.[4]
Known asLēʻahi in Hawaiian, the mountain was given the nameDiamond Hill in 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, withhead being shortened fromheadland.[5]
The interior and adjacent exterior areas were the home toFort Ruger,[6] the first United States military reservation onHawaii.[7] 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.[7] AnFAA air traffic control center was in operation from 1963 to 2002.[8]
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.
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.[6] 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.[9]
TheDiamond Head Lighthouse, a navigational lighthouse built in 1917 is directly adjacent to the crater's slopes.[6] In addition, a fewpillboxes are on Diamond Head's summit.[6]
Diamond Head appears on an 80-centair mail stamp issued in 1952 to pay for shippingorchids to the U.S. mainland.[10]
Charlton Heston stars in the 1963 filmDiamond Head, in a role thatClark Gable was supposed to play.
"Diamond Head" an instrumental song byDanny Hamilton recorded in 1964 byThe Ventures, was an international hit. The song was especially popular in Japan where it became the firstsingle to sell a million copies.[11]
A 1975 televisedgame show,The Diamond Head Game, was set at Diamond Head.[12]
Several television shows set in Hawaii feature episodes filmed on or near Diamond Head and include frequent shots of the crater as a scenic backdrop.[13] These include the original 1968Hawaii Five-O and2010 reboot, as well as the original 1980Magnum, P.I. and2018 reboot.
The Crater was the location of several concerts in the 1960s and 1970s.[14] 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 & Kapono and theMackey Feary Band.[14][15][16][17] The one-day festivals became two-day events in 1976 and 1977, but were canceled by theHawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources because of community noise and environmental impact concerns.[16] Many items from the bands were brought into and out of the Crater byhelicopter.[16]
Geographic data related toDiamond Head, Hawaii atOpenStreetMap| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
