A nonprofit group is in early discussions with the state to beef up the visitor experience at Diamond Head State Monument, from putting docents on the trail to give hikers information on the crater's history to starting up a gift shop and helping to add greenery near the parking area.

It also wants to open up more areas of the crater to visitors.

The Diamond Head State Monument Foundation says it doesn't want to turn the popular hiking trail into a tourist trap, but it does want to add to the visitor offerings at the state park.

"We want to make it a lot more interesting," said Clark Hatch, foundation president.

The foundation met last week with state Department of Land and Natural Resources officials, who have so far been receptive to the nonprofit's proposal. A DLNR spokeswoman stressed that the discussions are in early stages.

The foundation, which already has a "kokua partnership" with DLNR to carry out improvement projects such as plantings and graffiti cleanup at Diamond Head, hopes to be in the park by mid-2010, staffing the information booth and offering souvenirs.

Any proceeds from sales would go to training for more docents, Hatch said, and for other foundation projects. He added that the improvements will also benefit residents.

"We foresee locals coming back, too," Hatch said.

The discussions come as the state is planning to kick off a long-awaited, $4.4 million improvement project at Diamond Head early next year to address deteriorated trails and rockfall hazards. A key part of the project will be the addition of a small, one-way loop at the summit for hikers headed back down. The loop is aimed at alleviating gridlock near the summit.

State officials see the project as potentially the beginning of other major work to improve Diamond Head, and are even studying the possibility of adding a new trail from the summit to the parking area.

Diamond Head is one of the most visited attractions in the Islands, and its popularity has been growing over the past three decades.

Some 800,000 people visit the park every year, up from just 40,000 in 1980.

At the crater yesterday, visitors had mixed reactions on the state of the monument.

Some said they would like to get more out of the popular spot, while others wouldn't change a thing.

David Metz of Pennsylvania said he'd like to see a gift shop at the park.

He also said the trail needs more park benches so people can take breaks.

And the idea of a docent and information booth intrigued him.

But, he added, "It's great the way it is."

Matthew and Heather Von Bargen of Cincinnati, in the Islands for their honeymoon, said they liked the trail, but were a little surprised at the amount of litter they could see along the way. They said that problem should be dealt with before the state looks to add to the park's visitor offerings.

When asked what the park needed, Matthew Von Bargen said quickly, "A garbage can."

Dan and Laurie Plowe, visiting from New York, worried that adding anything to the visitor experience at the park would mean upping the admission fee. "There's souvenir shops everywhere else," said Laurie Plowe. Her husband added that the trail is "the best deal as is."

There are no plans to increase admission fees to Diamond Head.

The cost to get into the park is currently $1 for walk-ins and $5 for cars.

Sid Snyder, acting chairman of the Diamond Head citizens advisory group, which is under DLNR, and vice president of the Diamond Head foundation, said he wants to see the visitor experience at Diamond Head akin to those seen at popular national parks on the Mainland.

He said the foundation is also looking at the possibility of opening more trails to Diamond Head so visitors could get different scenic views or learn about the park's geological, cultural and military history. At Diamond Head now, Snyder said, "there's no particular emphasis. What are you visiting? What is this all about?"

He added that in terms of improvements over the years, "not a lot has happened" except maintenance.

Diamond Head Monument opened to the public for recreational use in 1978.

In 2003, the state issued an updated master plan for the historic site, which said the crater's growing visitors numbers create "an urgent need to (develop) the monument ... while protecting the site's natural and historic resources." The master plan calls for new lookouts and trails, a visitor center, more picnic areas and the opening of other historical areas in the crater.

The foundation says that its proposal follows the master plan's recommendations.

The Diamond Head State Monument Foundation was established in 2005.

It signed a formal agreement with DLNR, which oversees Diamond Head Monument, in January 2009 to "carry out various projects in partnership with state parks," said department spokeswoman Debbie Ward. Those projects include cleanups and plantings.

The foundation has spearheaded a host of beautification projects, including painting over graffiti at the monument, removing trash from exterior slopes, trimming trees and painting various areas. It has also focused its efforts outside the crater. In 2007, the group kicked off an effort to replant naupaka and repair an irrigation system along the makai face of Diamond Head.