Hiking the Stairway to Heaven (Haʻikū Stairs) Trail on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi: What You Need to Know! - Updated 2024
The Stairway to Heaven hike on Oʻahu is one of the most controversial trails in Hawaiʻi.
There is always rumors revolving around regarding how to hike it, when to hike it, or should I even attempt it.
The purpose of this post is to inform you of the most recent information and try to cut out any rumors that you may have heard.
Will Stairway to Heaven on Oʻahu Be Demolished?
The Most Recent Background Information
June 2021:
The City and County of Honolulu approved a $1,000,000 proposal in the mayor’s budget to remove the Haʻikū Stairs.
Many in the close hiking community, including myself, believe it was snuck into our legislature without enough time for the community to stand up for the issue once again. It wasn’t a popular decision, and this showed by the vast majority of people who weighed in with their comments in an attempt to save the stairs. Truly, only those affected by the stairs’ access points were in opposition.
Someone who knows more than I do about the issue expressed to me that it was a local city council member who pushed it through without any regard for what the majority of people were saying.
March 2022:
The city increased the $1,000,000 amount to $1.3 million, but what really happened in all of this was a transfer of ownership. Originally, the land surrounding the stairs was owned by the Board of Water Supply (BWS), but during this time, the land was transferred to the City and County of Honolulu to decide what to do. This is where they ultimately decided to remove the stairs.
If you are unfamiliar, it was the BWS that hired the guard to sit at the bottom of the stairs to detour hikers, but today, there is no longer a guard in place following the transfer.
Do not take this information to think that anything about accessing the stairs just got easier or less risky. The guard did nothing in the first place but try and tell you to turn around without any real enforcement capabilities. So really, removing the guard didn’t change the difficulty or risk of accessing the stairs. The guard was merely a failed deterrent strategy before the transfer, and now, the local government simply chose to save the taxpayers some money by removing the guard.
January 2023:
In January of 2023, there was a push to reopen the stairs using federal money, but with light on the most recent information below, this seems out of the question.
August 2023:
As of August of 2023, a contract has been awarded for a little more than $2.5M to a private company for the removal of the stairs.
However, will this actually mean that Stairway to Heaven gets demolished? I’m skeptical, as this has been going on for years, but we’ll have to wait and see.
April 2024:
Today, the newest information is that deconstruction will begin at the end of April 2024, following a blessing that took place in Haʻikū Valley at the base of the Puʻu Keahiakahoe, more commonly known as the Stairway to Heaven.
Nākoa Companies Inc. was awarded the contract.
July 2024:
The demolition is now on hold pending further litigation from the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs against the city, which is slated to move forward in the courts in September of 2024.
Hiking the Stairway to Heaven Trail
First of all, attempting the Stairway to Heaven hike from any access point is 100% illegal. The second you step foot on the stairs from the back way or go beyond any fences and signs in Haʻikū Valley, you are trespassing!
That being said, the stairs see traffic from hikers daily, so here are some honest thoughts.
Stairway to Heaven Access Points
First, regardless of your choice in choosing an access point, all routes begin in residential neighborhoods, and all access points to the stairs specifically are illegal. If you’re in either of these two residential areas prior to sunrise, there’s no hiding what you’re up to if someone sees you. Sunrise is also the easiest time of the day to enforce because the police don’t have much else going on at that hour.
Second, there is no longer a guard, but the residents and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) are the real concern anyway. Residents may confront you and call HPD at any time. This includes when you can’t see them because they’re calling from within their homes.
Overall, I have not and never will provide a how-to access guide for the illegal Stairway to Heaven, but I know some thoughts needed to be shared because of how popular this hike is.
Stairway to Heaven Rumors
Rumors from years ago about needing to start the hike in the middle of the night are still floating around, but maybe I can be the first to tell you that is NOT true. Starting midday or middle of the night really makes no difference. The biggest risk is and always has been associated with the residential community surrounding the stairs.
If for some reason the police are called by a resident, the Honolulu Police Department does have the access codes for the gate in order to drive their car all the way to the base of the stairs, and they will ticket any hikers seen on that road at any given time.
This does not mean the stairs are patrolled by the police at all times. It just means there’s always the possibility of being in an unlucky situation. They have also been known to patrol Haʻikū Village, the neighborhood located just prior to the stairs, and turn around anyone that looks like a hiker in the early morning hours.
The biggest risk associated with the Haʻikū Stairs has always been getting past the residential area when starting and coming back. If you’re using some sort of light to come down in the dark, then anyone in the neighborhood has all the time in world to contact law enforcement to be waiting there for you at the bottom before you even get there.
The trick is to come down the stairs so that no one will even know you’re there. If you do have an encounter with someone, be respectful, don’t play dumb, and just leave. There’s no need to be hanging around so that they have time to get law enforcement involved.
What are the Consequences of Getting Caught on the Stairway to Heaven Hike?
Petty Misdemeanor
$5,000 fine
Jail, no Longer than 6 Months (Incarnation is Rare)
Legal Fees for a Defense Attorney
Usually 80 Hours of Community Service
Legal Fees for Expungement
Visa/ Immigration Hurdles
Impact on Professional Life (Especially Military)
Return Travel and Accommodations for Attend Court, Community Service, etc.
Research by @Hawaii_Mountain.Man.Matt
Stairway to Heaven Trail: Haʻikū Stairs vs. Moanalua Valley
Moreover, the purpose of this post was never to give step-by-step directions on how to trespass in order to gain access to the stairs, but to inform you of the current situation associated with the infamous Stairway to Heaven.
I do not personally, nor professionally, want to be responsible for giving advice on how to access an illegal trail. Even good information posted elsewhere will be hard to follow if you’re attempting the hike for the first time. The forest in Haʻikū Valley gets many people lost and injured before even reaching the stairs, which is why I will not take on any liability by giving advice.
As for the back way, most hikers are not prepared for a 10-mile (16.1 km) roundtrip hike, which concentrates the entire ascent and descent into a very short distance, making it a very steep and muddy hike. That being said, the front way through Haʻikū Valley is absolutely easier than the back way through Moanalua Valley.
Overall, you make your own decisions, and you are responsible for all the consequences of those decisions should you choose to attempt the Stairway to Heaven hike.
Best of luck! ᨒ 🤘🏼
