Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!
The Diamond Head Lighthouse was first constructed in 1899 at the foot of Diamond Head Crater after two large shipwrecks occurred on the reefs outside Honolulu. Prior to lighthouses, bonfires were used to guide ships into Honolulu’s harbor…apparently a hit or miss practice.
The original tower, constructed from coral rock, began to crack and was replaced by a concrete tower in 1917. Diamond Head Light remains an active navigational aid today and is managed by the US Coast Guard.
The lighthouse is not open to the public as the keeper’s residence is home to the Coast Guard Commander.
It can be seen from Diamond Head Road, on the way to the island’s North Shore. We got some good views of it while climbing the trail to the crater’s summit. You can read that post here.
Location: 3399 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI
Designation: National Register of Historic Places
Date established/designated: 1980
Date of my visit: April 13, 2019
