Diamond Head Lighthouse

I saw the Diamond Head lighthouse from the lookout from above and took some pictures and thought that the lighthouse looked cool.
I intentionally made a trip then to the lighthouse but was disappointed that you really can’t see much from the street and the lighthouse is not open to the public.

Gotta see it!

My friends and I decided to do this hike to try something different. We have been doing all the ones that got our shoes muddy and climbing through trees.
This one is straight up in the hot Hawaii sun so make sure you bring couple bottles of water to hydrate along the way. The view up top is absolutely beautiful. Not as crowded as other hikes which is great.
The lighthouse itself is closed off so you can’t see it but there are other stuff to look at once we get to the top. On a clear day you can see the outline of the neighbor island.

My boyfriend and I wanted to grab some poke from Foodland and eat it by the beach but parking was insane. We ended up driving up to the lighthouse and sitting near it and eating our poke. Really pretty area and a lot less people. There are also some cool trails to hike on if you want to get closer to the water =)

A beautiful and historical location. Generally closed to the public due to it being the private residence of the 14^th Coast Guard District Commander, I was fortunate enough to tour the grounds while attending a private function. Previously, I’d only been able to view the lighthouse from above, at the vista point while hiking Diamond Head crater, or from below at Diamond Head Beach, both offering lovely views. I have heard that on occasion, passersby may find the gate open and be allowed entrance by the residents to tour the lighthouse. The base of the lighthouse houses much information about the history of the site and how it has changed with renovations over the years. The steep spiraling staircase leads to a balcony offering an incredible 108 degree view of the coast and Diamond Head. Be sure to wave for photographs ;)

For Brian S — who got me looking at lighthouses in a new way.
You would think that the islands of Hawaii, being surrounded by oceans would have a lot more lighthouses.
Oahu had six lighthouses in all, but one of them has sadly been toppled over and marred with graffiti (Kaena Point Light). The other five are Aloha Tower, Makapu’u Point Lighthouse, Barber’s Point Light, Pyramid Rock Light (on the Marine Corps base) and Diamond Head Light. Diamond Head Light was honored on the US Post Office stamp in 2007 for their American Lighthouse series.
Diamond Head Light is the newest lighthouse on the island. It was built back in 1899 and rebuilt in 1917 after an inspection in 1916 found cracks in the structure. What you see today is not the original structure. The older structure was dismantled and the newer structure built over it, which strongly resembles the older structure. The tower stands 55 ft tall, 147 feet above sea level. It sports a third-​order Fresnel lens which is still in use today. It is interesting to note that Makapu’u Point Lighthouse has the largest Fresnel Lens in the US, called the Hyperradiant Lens; it is also the only one in operation. If you compare Diamond Head’s third order Fresnel lens with a focal lens length of 19 inches, that is small compared to Makapu’u’s focal lens length of 52 inches! Can you imagine the power these lighthouses pack if the third order Fresnel lens at Diamond Head can project light 18 miles out to sea?
The lighthouse had become a necessity due to ships running aground in the same area. Prior to the lighthouse being constructed, there was only one man named John Charles Petersen, from Sweden, or «Lighthouse Charlie» who sat in a 40-​ft tall steel tower; «Charlie’s Lookout». Apparently he was on duty for 17 hours a day armed with a telescope on the slopes of Diamond Head to locate and report incoming vessels. He was paid $ 50 a month for his services and according to historical documents, worked the job for 30 years until his death in 1907.
After Charlie, there had been three other lighthouse keepers on the national historical register until the lighthouse was handed over to the Coast Guard in 1939. Today it is home to the 14^th District Coast Guard Commander and closed to the public but that shouldn’t stop you from checking it out. You can view the lighthouse from Diamond Head Lookout; simply park your car at the lookout and snap some photos. I took some pictures that didn’t come out very well because I wasn’t able to get close enough (I was down at the beach). You can also get great aerial photos from Diamond Head crater if you want to pay to hike up to the top. Another great view will be from the ocean, if you have a waterproof camera.
There are so many stories packed behind the walls of these majestic pieces of history… if only walls could speak.