Hikers kept climbing Hawaii’s ‘Stairway to Heaven.’ Now it’ll be removed.

Though the Ha‘ikū Stairs were closed to the public, photos kept surfacing online from people who accessed the stairway to complete the illegal hike

By Praveena Somasundaram
April 16, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT



The view from atop the Ha‘ikū Stairs in 2015. (iStock)

Honolulu’s famous Ha‘ikū Stairs have been closed to the public for decades — but that hasn’t stopped some hikers from trespassing through private properties or skirting security guards to make the illegal trek up the metal stairway. ... Now, the treacherous path, known as the “Stairway to Heaven,” is being removed more than 80 years after the U.S. Navy built it during World War II.

The 3,922 stairs that weave up a steep mountainside have drawn tourists who attempt early-morning hikes, hoping to catch a sunrise from the ridge of the Ko‘olau range, more than 2,800 feet above sea level. Last week, construction workers began the removal process, which is expected to take at least six months. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi called the project “long overdue.” ... “I can promise you that this was not a capricious decision,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

Attempts to complete the forbidden hike have ended in precarious rescue missions.... In September, a woman and her dog had to be airlifted from the perilous trail by a helicopter crew after a 50-foot-fall, Hawaii News Now reported. In 2016, a pair of hikers were stranded for hours in the dark until emergency responders could access the trail in the daylight, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Between January 2022 and February 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department said it responded to five rescue situations on the Ha‘ikū Stairs. Honolulu-based KHON2 reported in October 2022 that the fire department had rescued 118 people on the stairs over the last 12 years. ... Access to the stairway, built to allow military personnel to reach communication facilities on the ridgeline, has been restricted since 1987. The U.S. Coast Guard previously allowed hikers who signed a waiver to use the stairs, but officials later closed them to the public “due to vandalism and liability concerns,” according to the Honolulu City Council.



Hikers climb the Ha‘ikū Stairs in 2019. (iStock) (iStock)

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By Praveena Somasundaram
Praveena Somasundaram is a reporter on The Washington Post's General Assignment desk. She started at The Post as an intern in 2022 and has previously reported at the Dallas Morning News and the Charlotte Observer. Twitter https://twitter.com/praveenavsoma