Demolition work will start later this month to remove one of Hawaii’s most unique—and dangerous—attractions, the Haiku Stairs whose 3,922 steps climb high into narrow mountain ridges. The stairs have also been called the ‘stairway to heaven.’
The stairs have been closed since 1987, and trespassers who are caught can be fined $1000, but that’s failed to deter a stream of adventurous visitors who can only reach the stairs by trespassing on private property at the bottom and who have all too often had to be rescued by helicopter at a cost to the public in the thousands of dollars.
In a three-year period leading up to the resolution, police turned away over 11,000 people trying to reach the stairs from surrounding neighborhoods.
Honolulu City and County, the current owners of the stairs, unanimously passed a resolution for removal three years ago, but action has been delayed until now. The removal project is budgeted at $2.6 million.
The stairs, originally wooden, were built in 1943 by the U.S. Navy as access to a high-powered radio transmitter it built on top of the mountain with range to reach all Navy ships in the Pacific. Later, more advanced equipment was used there in the 1950s and 60s, and the wooden steps were replaced with steel.
Image: Hawai Foto/Wikimedia Commons
UPDATE
It appears that the impending removal of the stairs has spurred some hikers to make a last-ditch attempt; since the approval of the removal, Honolulu police have arrested seven people for trespassing and issued dozens of citations over a two-week period. Local residents say that the volume of attempts has increased.
That was actually proposed in the past, but the group that offered to manage it found two huge obstacles: cost for maintenance and liability insurance, and opposition from the people whose neighborhood is impacted by access. I believe the size of the maintenance cost was the big issue.
For people who climb mountains, the views and opportunity are incredible! Wonder if they couldn’t simply arrange a pay/opportunity cost to the climb, wherein for a fee people are allowed up. The fee would cover emergency evacuation for those who need it.
People pay more than $50,000 for one permit to climb Mt Everest. I imagine the interested few would be willing to shell out a few hundred bucks per person to do this unique climb.
The walk reminds me of Half Dome in Yosemite, which admittedly is on rock, but is heavily used in the summer. Check it out at this link. I’ve never done this hike but know people who have, and it is an experience of a lifetime.