HONOLULU (KHON2 ) — A popular place for tourists and locals will be closed starting in March for renovations. If you’re planning a trip, you’ll want to double the dates first.

Diamond Head State Park is an iconic monument that attracts thousands of visitors each day.

“Whenever I come to Oahu, I always make sure to set aside time to do the Diamond Head hike,” stated Ryan Tymkow, a visitor from the mainland. “One of the highlights of the island for me.”

The popular hiking destination will have weekly closures in March and April as well as adjusted hours while state crews work on major renovations.

Full Park Closures:

• March 4, to March 7 (Tuesday to Friday)
• March 11, to March 14 (Tuesday to Friday)
• Spring Break (March 17 to March 28) – No Full Closure
• April 1 to April 4 (Tuesday to Friday)
• April 8 to April 11 (Tuesday to Friday)
• April 14, to April 17 (Monday to Thursday)

Access to the park will be restricted, and no visitors will be allowed entry during full closures. The park will remain open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Spring Break.

Partial Park Closures (the park will close early, at 2 p.m.):

• Monday, March 3
• Monday, March 10
• Monday, March 31
• Monday, April 7
• Monday, April 14
• Friday, April 18

“Periodically, we have to stabilize the interior and exterior slopes. We were noticing increasing rockfall. So, in terms of stabilizing the rock, it’ll be a sculpted concrete that hopefully over time will kind of age and patina and look more natural,” stated Curt Cottrell, Hawaii Division of State Parks Administrator for the Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR).

The state’s $5.8 million rockfall mitigation project is expected to be completed by the summer. Additional work inside the park will include stabilizing trails and improving visitor experiences.

“The goal is to have two separate food trucks. A bid will be awarded the opportunity to have what I would consider a very lucrative food service market in one of our most visited state monuments,” said Cottrell.

Officials are also in the process of opening the Kapahulu Tunnel for pedestrian and bike access into Diamond Head.

“The goal would be to reduce human traffic and offer a new experience where you can walk through a similar-sized tunnel but have no vehicles to contend with. It’ll be pretty remarkable, and as you exit that tunnel, you get a stunning panoramic view of the crater,” stated Cottrell.