DIAMOND HEAD SUMMIT TRAIL / Honolulu, HI 96815 ( Map ) / Opens daily (including holidays) 6am-6pm /

Hikers familiar with the Diamond Head trail know all too well those 99 heart-pumping steps. They re the ultimate test of your willpower before going through the bunkers and reaching the very top of the crater. Luckily for your quads, there s now an easier way to get to the summit, and technically, it s about 15 steps shorter.
Less than a year ago, the state opened a new section to the trail that s wider and safer for hikers. After the tunnel and at the base of the 99 steps, it loops around the summit toward the ocean before linking up with the original trail to the lookout. I finally had the chance to test out the new route, and let me tell you on a windless day in the crater it would be a welcomed relief to any hiker! The walkway s all nicely paved with handrails on both sides. There s also a new lookout platform from which to get the best view of Koko Head.
The idea is to have visitors go up the old stairway and back down on the new pathway. I saw hikers going in both directions so it doesn t seem to be that strictly enforced (yet?). But with roughly 4,000 people conquering the crater every day, there will be less traffic jams like before. I remember there being so many people on the 99 steps at once, that it was difficult for anyone to move past each other. Needless to say, that s become a safety issue overtime, especially because of how steep the steps are.
DIAMOND HEAD SUMMIT TRAIL / Honolulu, HI 96815 ( Map ) / Opens daily (including holidays) 6am-6pm / Entrance fee: $5 per car, $1 per pedestrian / Easy-medium, marked, partially-paved trail / 808-587-0825
Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.
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