Don’t go there! Ha’ikū Stairs – Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii 2023

People who want to climb Oahu’s famous “Stairway to Heaven” are often told, “At one point, it’s just rope,” which is meant to discourage or challenge them. This is probably for the best, though, since people need a lot of mental strength to climb this mountain.

Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii: Don’t go there!

Most hikes in Hawaii start before dawn, and this one is no different. For this trek, though, explorers will have to get up a lot earlier. The site, which is in the Kaneohe neighborhood of Oahu, is not open to the public at all. It is against the law to climb, and a fine for trespassing could be as high as $500. The trick is to start climbing long before the guards’ shifts begin. When guard cars always showed up around 5am, this was never a problem. Now, because so many people want to see the view from the top, guards are there as early as 3am, making it harder, but not impossible, to get there.

Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii: Tackle 3,922 steps

Even though this hike isn’t the hardest in Hawaii, people come from all over the world to climb it. During World War II, the Ha’ik radio station was put up on the hill, and the U.S. military built the stairs so that they could get to it. Since the Ha’ik Valley was a natural amplifier, it was the perfect palace to contact Navy ships in the Pacific Ocean without being noticed. Each step used to be made of wood, but metal was added to make the climb safer. But since then, they haven’t been fixed up. There is no maintenance, and the stairs, many of which are broken from storms in the past, and the jungle have not been fixed or replaced in a long time.

Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii: The ascent

Those who have done the hike will tell you that it is well worth the five hours it takes to go up and back down. It’s a great place to watch the sunrise on a clear morning. To get to the bottom of the stairs, thrill seekers will have to climb over a marked fence in the dark and walk through a bamboo forest.

From there, it’s almost all a straight up climb, so people who are afraid of heights might want to think twice before trying it. At times, the stairs get so narrow that people going up have to climb over the handrail to let others pass. It’s not impossible to get up there, though. Between each set of stairs, there are places to take pictures and catch your breath. If you are brave enough, every few steps along the narrow ridgeline offer a stunning view.

Seeing how popular it was, the Friends of Haiku group was made to raise money to fix the staircase, which was slowly falling apart.

Their goal is to fix and replace the broken stairs so that they can be used by the public. This is a goal that is easy to back. After all, “Stairway to Heaven” is the name of the song for a reason. The view from the top is nothing short of amazing, and everyone should be able to see it.

Topic: Don’t go there! Ha’ikū Stairs – Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii 2023

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By: Travel Pixy