You're Running Out of Time to Climb Hawaii's 'Stairway to Heaven'

Hawaii’s Haiku Stairs, located on the eastern side of Oahu, are in danger of being permanently dismantled (Photo: Getty Images)

“Stairway to Heaven” may be the name of an absolute jam by Led Zeppelin, but it’s also the nickname for a series of steps found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu that may soon be removed for good. The Haiku Stairs, a 3,000-plus step, steel staircase leading up into the Ko’olau mountain range, are a travel bucket list item for many — but if you’re planning to check it off yours, you’ll need to do so in a hurry.

That’s because the Honolulu City Council recently voted to remove the stairs, citing trespassing issues and rising security costs. The stairs have been closed to the public since 1987, but that has hardly stopped adventurous tourists from hopping over fences and slipping through private backyards to make the steep climb that offers some of the most amazing panoramic views of Oahu. And that’s led to some not-so-good outcomes for trespassers, including a hiker needing to be airlifted in April 2021 after injuring his knee, and, in a worst-case scenario, the death of singer/entertainer Fritz Hasenpusch back in 2012. Not even a $1,000 fine for those caught trespassing has been able to successfully deter people.

And that’s why the good council peoples, in their infinite wisdom, voted unanimously to tear down the Stairway to Heaven. The final decision rests in the hands of the mayor of Honolulu, but if his remarks surrounding the vote are any indication, those suckers are coming down. “Fundamentally, it is inappropriate to have a high-use tourist attraction entering through this residential neighborhood, which lacks the capacity to provide appropriate facilities or parking," Mayor Rick Blangiardi told a local TV news station. "In addition, there is no unrestricted access to the stairs and the primary landowner at the base made it clear it is not interested in providing access. Consequently, my administration is aligned with the City Council's resolution to remove the stairs and we intend to move forward with the necessary plans."

There’s no timeline for removing the stairs just yet, but it would likely happen sometime in 2022 (CNN speculates, at least). However, it may not be the end of the road entirely, because there is a chance the stairs will simply be relocated. According to Travel + Leisure, a nearby ranch which served as a filming location for Jurassic Park and Jumanji “offered to take the stairs onto their property and build a ticketed attraction if they were ever removed from their original location.”

While the allure of a bonified tourist attraction (versus an off-limits adventure strictly for thrill seekers with the gonads to skirt The Man) may not be as appealing, having the Haiku Stairs live on in some way would at least be a consolation. But if that’s not good enough for you — and I wouldn’t blame you for feeling that way — then you already know what you need to do. I’m not telling you to fly to Hawaii and break the law, but I’m also not not telling you to.

-LTH