HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources is reminding the public that it will close the historic summit trail at Diamond Head State Monument, for one month beginning Monday, Oct. 20, to conduct maintenance of the slopes and rock scaling of potential rockfall hazards along the trail.

"To ensure public safety, we will be closing the summit trail to the public for an entire month of work – hiking will not be allowed on any part of the trail," said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairwoman. "We are asking for the public's cooperation not to access the summit trail by any means while the project is under way."

The park area inside the crater — including the parking lot and adjacent fields, the restroom, and information booth — will remain open to the public during most of the work.

During this same month-long period, DLNR will also carry out rock scaling work above the Kahala Tunnel, which serves as the only entrance into the Monument.

The tunnel will be closed for this work approximately Nov. 13-20, and the entire park will have to be closed in the interest of public safety. Notice of the tunnel closure will be announced in the news media before work begins.

The Diamond Head State Monument summit trail attracts more than 600,000 residents and visitors annually. Despite continued trail maintenance efforts, the summit trail has deteriorated due to increases in visitor numbers and the natural effects of erosion.

DLNR is working with the Office of State Tourism Liaison, Hawai'i Tourism Authority and other visitor industry organizations to inform hotels, taxi, bus and rental car transportation companies, and other visitor industry businesses of the closure.

The department has worked with the Diamond Head Citizens' Advisory Committee, and is also notifying TheBus, and other community and user organizations, and will post notices at the park entrance and distribute flyers to frequent park users at the park information booth.

The maintenance of these areas is the first phase of the state's planned upgrades to the historic summit trail at Diamond Head State Monument.

Subsequent phases will include the Diamond Head Trail Improvements Project, now currently in design, which will improve sections of the trail that have deteriorated due to usage, age and weathering. Improvements will address the narrow corridors and other trail sections that have deteriorated; and install safer stairways and wider walkways, install slope stabilization and rockfall mitigation measures, and construct a loop trail connecting the Summit Lookout and the rest-stop landing at the top of the pedestrian tunnel.

Future phases of the Trail Improvement Project will also decrease hiker congestion on the Summit Trail by expanding the existing trail for safer walkways, stairways, and lookouts.

Future phases of the rockfall mitigation and slope stabilization project will include work along Diamond Head Road and Poka Place.

For more information, please contact the Division of State Parks at 587-0300 or 587-0294, or visit the State Parks Web site at www.hawaiistateparks.org and check the "Announcements" section.