After spending the last nine months closed, Diamond Head State Monument reopens to visitors. The iconic mountain, known as Leahi in Olelo Hawaii, along with its famous hiking trail, is one of Hawaii’s top attractions. And while it has reopened, things won’t be the same, at least for now.
The Diamond Head State Monument closed on March 17 as the rest of the state shutdown to protect Hawaii from the coronavirus. But, after nine months exactly, the Hawaii icon is finally reopening to the public. Things, however, won’t be quite the same, at least for now.
What to Expect as Diamond Head State Monument Reopens
In what should come as no surprise to anyone, Diamond Head State Monument reopened with capacity controls in place. Officials didn’t define any capacity limits set at the park. However, they did say they’ll actively monitor the number of people in the park – particularly the parking lot. As a result, officials caution that you could be turned away at the park’s entry tunnel. This restriction applies to all visitors regardless if you’re driving, biking, or walking in.
In addition to restricting entry to the park, officials want to ensure proper social distancing on the trail. What’s more, they want to avoid creating a big backlog of visitors waiting to enter too. As a result, officials ask that visitors not congregate at the summit. In fact, they’re asking hikers to quickly move on from the area if possible. Congregating at the start of the hike is also being discouraged. Further, officials ask that hikers move quickly through choke points, such as the tunnel near the summit as quickly as possible.
Because social distancing is not possible or is very difficult on certain parts of the hike, masks are required in the park.
Revised Entry Fees
Upon reopening, a new fee structure went into place at Diamond Head State Monument. Previously, walk-in rates were $1 per person, while drive-in rates came in at $5. Now, those fees are $5 and $10, respectively. Commercial rates are also going up, though officials didn’t disclose that change. Due to the pandemic, commercial activity within the park remains prohibited.
Hawaii residents now enjoy free access to Diamond Head.
Hours of Operation
Diamond Head State Monument is open Wednesday through Sunday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Be advised, though, that the last group of hikers entering the park for the day must do so by 4:00 pm. Anyone trying to enter after that will be turned away. All visitors must also leave the park by 6:00 pm. And while Diamond Head is open nearly year-round, the park does close on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Diamond Head State Monument Reopens, Final Thoughts
It’s great that yet another attraction, one that’s popular with residents and visitors alike, has reopened. I do think, though, that controlling capacities and ensuring proper social distancing will be exceedingly difficult at best. Especially since using the occupancy of the parking lot, at least in my opinion, won’t work well. What if a lot of visitors walked in early on and hadn’t left yet? How do you keep people from hanging around the summit of the trail? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
If you have your heart set on climbing Leahi, I suggest you go as early as you can. If the situation here ends up anything as it has been at Hanauma Bay, it’ll get hectic.
I climbed on Friday the 18th of December. There was a decent amount on the trail, they had three people stationed at various points on the trail counting and enforcing mask wearing. You are required to wear a mask throughout our hike. They weren’t really moving people along at the summit.
We had a great time even with the “restrictions.”
Aloha Jeremy, thanks for sharing your experience. It’s good to hear that they’re doing more than they stated in their news release, and I’m glad you had a great time!