*This story was originally published on Jan. 25, 2020, and updated in October 2025. What’s in an outdoor name? Many people know the story of how Diamond Head got its English-language name—19th-century British sailors initially mistook calcite crystals on its slopes for the precious stone. The Oʻahu volcanic crater’s original name, however, was Lēʻahi, […]
I had a lot of questions. How cold is the water? How long is the drive? Am I going to freak out in the tunnels? Our guide answered all of my questions—“not very,” “not far,” “no worries”—before I hopped in the open-air, four-wheel-drive vehicle with my 6-year-old son to ride inner tubes down an old
What’s in an outdoor name? Many people know the story of how Diamond Head got its English-language name—19th-century British sailors initially mistook calcite crystals on its slopes for the precious stone. The Oahu volcanic crater’s original name, however, was Leahi, bestowed by Hawaiians who thought the crater’s shape resembled the dorsal fin of a tuna.
