Haiku Stairs "Stairway to Heaven"

 hill, dangerous place / area, stairs / steps, tourist attraction

The Ha'ikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haiku Ladder, is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oahu.
The trail began as a wooden ladder spiked to the cliff on the south side of the Haiku Valley. It was installed in 1943 to enable the construction of antenna cables that would be strung from one side of the cliffs above Haiku Valley to the other. A building to provide a continuous communication link between Wahiawa and Haiku Valley Naval Radio Station was also constructed at the very peak of Puukeahiakahoe, elevation at about 2800 feet. These extraordinary antennas transmitted very low frequency radio signals from a 200,000-watt Alexanderson alternator located in the center of Haiku valley. The signals could reach US Navy submarines as far away as Tokyo Bay even while the submarines remained underwater.
When the Naval base was decommissioned in the 1950s the United States Coast Guard used the site for an Omega station. In the early 50s, the wooden stairs were replaced by sections of metal steps and ramps — by one count, 3,922 steps. The station and trail were closed to the public in 1987. Despite the closure, some hikers ignore the No Trespassing signs and continue to climb, contributing to the local community's misgivings about reopening the structure.

Local officials have repaired the trail and the ladders, but the trail will remain closed and patrolled by security until access and management issues have been resolved.
This set of stairs, tucked into the cliffs above Haiku Valley, reaches for the crest of the Koolaus. Its frequent disappearance into the clouds has earned it the name "Stairway to Heaven". And what cherubic windward vistas await, heavenly views privy to birds and angels alike.

What to Expect:
The stairs are comprised of approximately eight-foot-high segments which are interlinked by hooks and anchored by spikes driven into the mountain side. A pair of hollow steel-tube railings, an average of 18 - 24 inches apart, are bolted to each segment. The step spacing is very manageable, but one should realize this is equivalent to about a 60 - 90 minute continuous work-out on a "stair-climber" machine.

The grade of the ascent ranges from completely flat to nearly vertical. However, the majority remains above a 45-degree gradient. The ascent pauses at six flat spots along the spur with these highlights:

The first "step" has a metal ammo box (with logbooks) attached to the right-side railing.

The third "step" (elev. 2,480 ft) has an abandoned concrete structure which houses the antenna's winching equipment.
The sixth "step" is the peak called Puu Keahi a Kahoe (elev. 2,720 ft). On it is an abandoned concrete structure on which is mounted a pair of parabolic-dish antennae. To the right (West) of the building and immediately down is the Koolau crest toward Moanalua Valley and points north. The peak to the left (South) of and not far from the shack is the terminus of the Moanalua Middle Ridge (part of the Keahi a Kahoe Trail).
Update: As of 2003, the stairs have been completely repaired after the city spent $875,000 to renovate it - new ladder/steps have been installed along the entire trail. Unfortunately, legal access is still currently on hold.

This is what the stairs used to look like:
There are two sections in the first half of the stairway, about 200-feet from each other, which contain missing segments. These are, by far, the most treacherous portions of the Haiku Stairs for they traverse the most vertical sections. The lower 8-foot section is a completely exposed rock face.

Typical stair disrepair is in the form of upper section railings punctured by rust and surface corrosion on bolts, hooks, and other steel parts. However, though the corrosion poses a potential structural failure, the steps are more than adequate to support the hiker. A few sections in the upper 25% of the segments contain one or both railings which have been severely rust-eaten, but not in areas requiring hand-holds.

Views from the top:
Coastline from Ahuimanu to Kualoa
Haiku Valley to Mokapu & Ulupau Head Kaneohe, Oneawa, Lanikai, Kailua, Keolu
Hoomaluhia Reservoir
Coastline from Kaiwa Ridge to Waimanalo
Koolau cliffs from Konahuanui to Makapuu
Moanalua Valley trail terminus
Halawa Ridge trail terminus

Prominent peaks: Ohulehule, Piei, Manamana, Kanehoalani, Maelieli, Olomana, Lanipo, O'Kona

Trailhead Location:
The stairs begin in a forested area about 25 yards mauka (South) of a point about 200 yards in along the H-3 access road. This restricted-access, gated, asphalt road is beneath the H-3 Highway and contours along the base of the cliffs. It was built to allow construction crews access to the completion of the windward side of H-3 in 1996.
At present, there is no legal entrance to Haiku Stairs. Expect to be turned away or cited by Honolulu Police. Hikers who have been illegally accessing the trail have been using the H-3 access road via a gated entrance along Puuoni Place (past Haiku Gardens). Hikers have been parking in the residential area which is limited and frowned upon by residents.
Beware: some of the residents of Haiku are extremely hostile toward hikers attempting Haiku Stairs. In their irritation over these hikers utilizing Puuoni Pl, they have managed to get hikers' cars cited or towed. Some have already vented anger toward this website demanding to ban trailhead information from you.
Note: Repairs to the stairs for public use is complete and the land swap from Federal lease back to the state is complete. However, legal and liability issues are still being debated. As a result, access is positively prohibited (and guarded) until the official opening by the city.
Be warned: security guards have turned away hikers and there have been occurences when Honolulu Police were called to issue citations trespassing hikers.
Property/Access:
Government-owned, restricted (closed) access.
Stairs owner: City & County of Honolulu
Access road owner: State of Hawaii (Dept. of Transportation)

Dangers/Other Considerations:
This may be the stairway to heaven, but a false step could make it the fall to...! The stairs traverse a cliff spur, sections of which even the craziest of rock-climbers would think twice about (if there were no stairs)! The steps (when dry) eliminate the footing problem, but the railings tend to envelope the hiker with a false sense of security. Though seemingly sturdy, the railings are held on by only a few rusty bolts per segement. Use them for assurance, but don't rely on them to completely eliminate the dangers.
Beware of angle of some of the steps. A handful of them are not completely flat, but angled downward. If you proceed without watching your footing, you may overlook one of these sloped steps.

Do not attract attention to yourself! Because of the trail's popularity and its high visibility to H-3 drivers and Kaneohe/Haiku residents, arm-waving may be construed as a hiker in distress. An incident of this type resulted an embarressing situation for the hikers and a costly waste of time for the HFD-Rescue Unit in 1999.
This trail is sometimes referred to as the "Haiku Ladder" or "Keahi a Kahoe Iki".