Stairway to Heaven Hike on Oahu
The Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs) - May 29, 2011 The Haiku Stairs or what people refer to as The Stairway to Heaven is infamous on Oahu. The brief history goes as follows. The steps were built in 1943 by the Navy who needed to set up radio communication. The trail was open until 1987 when vandals dismantled parts of the stairs. The stairs was closed from then on. The stairs was rebuilt in 2002 costing the state $875.000, however the trail remained closed because legal access to the trailhead had not been agreed upon by all parties involved. To add to this, residents in the Haiku Valley area have fought to prevent hiker's from accessing the trailhead. You can only access the trailhead by going through someone's property in the Haiku area. Residents of Haiku feel that hiker's illegally trespass, leave trash, and park irresponsibly. They too are an integral part in the stairs not reopening. The only way to get onto the trail is to sneak in illegally. tr...