Haiku Stairs Removal: Trespassing, Arrests and $2.5M Cost as ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Demolition Begins

The saga surrounding the Haiku Stairs, a former staircase situated in an isolated area of eastern Oahu that gained popularity on social media platforms, continues even as authorities have initiated its removal process. Built during World War II by the US Navy, this landmark has remained open to tourists despite being officially closed since 1987. Five individuals were arrested and charged with first-degree trespassing earlier this month following increased patrols from April 20 to April 21; approximately sixty warnings have been handed out, eight second-degree trespass citations issued, as well as twenty-five parking enforcement actions taken over the weekend of April 23. The staircase’s nickname – Stairway to Heaven – is attributed to its tendency to blend into the mist atop a mountain standing tall at an altitude of nearly 845 metres above sea level offering astonishing panoramas once reached, albeit through unmarked paths that require trespassing on private property. The surge in tourism and misbehaviour were among reasons cited when Honolulu’s city council opted to remove the stairs this year. Demolition began earlier this month, with a spokesperson for the Honolulu City Government expressing displeasure at those who ignored warnings about ongoing work on site that poses risks both to themselves and emergency responders alike due to heavy machinery being used in tandem with helicopter operations. The removal process will cost $2.5 million as one 700-foot section is taken away by air each time, and it has yet to be decided where the stairs might eventually find a new home following their extraction from this location; Kualoa Ranch – an existing tourist attraction – expressed interest in acquiring them for preservation purposes.