Hawaii to remove famed 'stairway to Heaven'

• Famous Ha’ikū Stairs in Oahu were built by U.S. Navy during World War II
• Hikers and influencers repeatedly ignored warnings they are closed to public
• Operation to remove the stairs formally began on Wednesday

Hawaii’s famous yet treacherous Ha’ikū Stairs, known as the Stairway to Heaven, are being officially removed after social media influencers repeatedly ignored safety warnings to complete the illegal hike.

The 3,922 stairs wind up a steep, narrow ridge to the Ko’olau summit, offering stunning views from more than 2,800 feet above sea level. They were built more than eight decades ago by the U.S. Navy during World War II.

But while the perilous route has been closed to the public for decades, hikers and influencers have continued to sneak pass security guards and trespass on private property.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi described the decision to remove them as ‘long overdue’ and comes after numerous rescue operations to save stranded hikers.

‘I can promise you that this was not a capricious decision,’ Blangiardi said in a statement. The removal is expected to take at least six months.

Hawaii ‘s famous Ha’ikū Stairs, known as the Stairway to Heaven, are officially being removed more than 80 years after the U.S. Navy built it during World War II

While these famous Oahu stairs have been closed to the public for decades, hikers and influencers have trespassed on private property or snuck past security guards to get the Instagrammable snapshots

Tourists who undertake early-morning excursions in the hopes of witnessing a sunrise from the ridge of the Ko’olau range, more than 2,800 feet above sea level, hike up the 3,922 stairs that wind up the mountainside

The Honolulu Fire Department reported that it responded to five rescue incidents on the Ha’ikū Stairs between January 2022 and February 2024.

In October 2022, KHON2 reported that, in the previous 12 years, the Fire Department had saved 118 lives from the steps.

In September, a woman and her dog had to be evacuated from the dangerous trail by a helicopter crew following a 50-foot fall, according to Hawaii News Now.

And back in 2016, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that two hikers were left stranded for hours in the dark before rescue personnel could access the trail during the day.

Since 1987, access to the stairway — which was constructed to let military personnel access communication infrastructure on the ridgeline — has been limited.

Prior to the ban, the U.S. Coast Guard allowed hikers who signed a waiver to use the stairs.

However, officials later shut this program as a result of ‘vandalism and liability concerns,’ according to the Honolulu City Council.

The removal process is expected to take at least six months

In the past, hikers that have attempted to hike the stairway have ended up in precarious incidents in which search and rescue teams had to be deployed

When the Board of Water Supply in Honolulu decided it no longer needed the area for water, the U.S. Coast Guard handed the property rights for the Ha’ikū Stairs to the utility business in 1999. The city subsequently took ownership of the rights.

While Honolulu repaired some of the stairway for the sake of preservation, it still remained closed to the public. At one point, security guards were sent to guard the stairs to keep hikers away.

But the rise of social media influencers searching for great content has made the trespassing problem worse.

In April 2021, a resolution by the city council calling for the stairs to be torn down cited that social media ‘enabled the posting of illegal directions to the stairs and the sharing of panoramic pictures that have encouraged people from around the world to take the hike.’

Between August 2017 and March 2020, 11,427 people were stopped by police officers stationed around the stairway and surrounding neighborhoods from entering the historical land mark, Honolulu officials reported.

When the Board of Water Supply in Honolulu decided it no longer needed the area for water, the U.S. Coast Guard handed the property rights for the Ha’ikū Stairs to the utility business in 1999

While Honolulu repaired some of the stairway for the sake of preservation, it still remained closed to the public. At one point, security guards were sent to guard the stairs to keep hikers away

The need for interesting and controversial content by social media influencers has made the trespassing problem worse

‘Most of these people are thrill seekers because they want to say that they hiked here,’ vice chair of the Honolulu City Council Esther Kia’āina told the Washington Post. She represents the district where the Ha’ikū Stairs are located.

The hike to the stairway is just as dangerous for the rescue team as it is for the hikers, she said. It’s also costly, as each rescue costs between $10,000 and $20,000.

‘It’s very windy up there, it’s treacherous in fact,’ she said. ‘I just don’t think people take that into account.’

As tourism continues to increase post-pandemic, the city council said the removal of the stairs was the ‘only viable solution’ to stop the hikers continuing to trespass and to remove the city’s liability.

According to Mayor Blangiardi’s statement, the final decision to remove the steps was made following months of deliberation with the Honolulu community and the city council.

The hike to the stairway is just as dangerous for the rescue team as it is for the hikers, she said. It’s also costly, as each rescue costs between $10,000 and $20,000

The final decision to remove the steps was made following months of deliberation with the Honolulu community and the city council.

The operation formally started on Wednesday, and later this month, 664 stairway modules – seven-foot portions of stairs – will be removed. A helicopter will then descend on each module to begin disassembly.

But while the stairs will no longer be there, the view isn’t going anywhere.

But while the stairs , the view isn’t going anywhere.

‘The beauty of the mountain there is still going to be there,’ Kia’āina  said.

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