‘If a guy limping can do it, then I can hike it’: Hawaiʻi hikes

HONOLULU (KHON2) — On Wednesday, July 3, KHON2.com’s Unfit Adventurer decided to hike one of Hawaii’s most iconic volcanic mountains, Lēʻahi. Most everyone knows this place as Diamond Head.

Lēʻahi (Diamond Head) is a volcanic tuff cone, and it’s a famous landmark in Waikīkī. The volcanic hike offers a historic hiking trail leading to stunning panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and Honolulu.

Formed over 300,000 years ago, it served as a strategic military lookout in the early 1900s. Today, it’s a popular tourist attraction and draws visitors for its natural beauty and historical significance.

The trail is approximately 1.6 miles round trip and has an elevation gain of about 560 feet. Hikers will encounter 175 steps (stairs) along the trail. On average, the hike takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, depending on your pace and how long you spend enjoying the views at the summit.

After the Kuliʻouʻou Ridge Trail hike, this one was a pleasant surprise.

As we set off on the trail, we met Amir from Orange County California. He was putting on his hiking shoes and excited about his impending adventure.

“I’m really looking forward to this hike,” said Amir. “I’ve read about how beautiful it is. And since it’s convenient to Waikiki, I came over.”

He said he’s a novice hiker and was expecting a crater bowl filled with beautiful vegetation.

We me Mooka and Mao who are visiting from Japan. They had just finished the hike as we were setting out on the trail.

“Moa has never been on a hike before; so, we came out here to see all the beauty,” Mooka said as she hugged Moa.

“This place is so pretty,” added Moa.

And with that, we began the hike.

The Li family who is visiting from California for the first time and decided to do the hike because of its iconic reputation.

“We heard this is one of the most beautiful hikes in the world; so, we are really excited about seeing all the views,” said Mr. Li.

The Sanders family was finishing up their hike as we met them. They’re visiting from Virginia since Mrs. Sanders’s sister lives in Kailua.

“It is totally worth the effort it takes to make this climb,” said Mr. Sanders. “The views are breathtaking and really puts Waikīkī into the island context in ways I hadn’t expected.”

Khiem is visiting from Southern California with his wife and son. He said that he’s not a fit person but decided to do it anyway.

“I saw this guy limping doing it; so, I decided If a guy limping can do it, then I can hike it,” said Khiem.

One of the coolest things about this hike is the tunnel that we traveled through to get to the summit. There are approximately four sets of stairs to get to the tunnel, and it winds around and put us out near the summit.

This is where we met Fred, Lindsay and Christian who are visiting from Atlanta, Georgia.

“The locals said this is an amazing hike, and they were not wrong,” said Christian. “It’s pretty easy and the views are absolutely gorgeous. We are really glad we decided to take this hike.”

The Yiam family were making their way to the summit at the same time we were.

“You feel this amazing sense of accomplishment when getting up here,” said Mrs. Yiam.

On the summit we encountered a group of young men visiting from Jersey City, New Jersey and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Their concensus?

“The views up here look just like we’re in GTA [Grand Theft Auto],” said Glerp. Mason Gordon and Jayden Scherr agreed and said the hike is “an awesome experience; it’s nothing like we’ve ever seen before.”

The Lēʻahi (Diamond Head) trail is quite spectacular; and whether you’re a local or visitor, you are going to love this hike.

One word of advice, it is hot this summer, so be sure to stay hydrated while hiking.

The Unfit Adventurer Rating for this hiking trail is: (ratings are out of a possible five hiking boots.)

Ease of hike for unfit folks

Views offered

Friendliness of fellow hikers

Worth the struggle

Feeling of accomplishment

So, if you decide to hike Lēʻahi (Diamond Head Crater Trail), then be aware that the experience for everyone who does it is different. You’ll need to rely on your own physical skills to determine whether this is the right hike for you.