"One couldnt help but be in a good mood when you were around.". I hope my travels give you the motivation to set off on an epic adventure of your own. About 200 yards from the radio tower, the trail eases up and you begin to see the sweeping panoramic views over Honolulu and southern Oahu. Three units, staffed with nine personnel arrived on scene at 7:58 p.m. However, it is infrequent and often there is no one up there and you can explore if you choose to. Ensure that your battery is full prior to your hike. Easy hike through the lush forest of Kamananui Valley. Here are my hiking essentials. The other specific laws that come into play here are located in HRS chapters 104 and 130, State Forestry and Na Ala Hele Access. He was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, where he was pronounced dead, the Air Force said. Ive done the Hawaii Haiku Stairs hike several times now, and even after traveling in many countries, its still probably my favorite trek in the world. It is open 7A-7P but I started my hike at 6:15A and the gate was open. ; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The first 2.9 miles are fairly straightforward with only 100ft of elevation each mile. Check out their website and consider donating if youre a fan. Being inside the boundaries of the TMK parcel that the stairs is built on is a finable offense for having broken property and trespass laws. Suddenly youre alone on the mountain. Lastly, you could also be billed for emergency services if youre somehow injured and need to be rescued while doing this hike. If you do choose to continue on past the legal boundary and to the illegal area of the radio tower and reach the Haiku Stairs, this is what you can expect. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. But is the solution to shut everything down? The views are simply stunning and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Chinamans Hat near Kualoa Ranch and in the other direction, you can see all the way to Rabbit Island at Makapuu. More recently, Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi has publicly stated he may be willing to consider new options to save the Haiku Stairs, and Hawaii Senator Schatz has pitched the idea of handing it over to the federal government to renovate and operate, with a different entrance so all parties are happy. The Haiku Stairs Hawaii trail was officially closed in the 1980s, and its been damaged a little (and repaired) on and off in the years since then. Please be quiet and respectful of the local residents as you are parking, packing, and reaching the trailhead. However, we wouldnt recommend running. Relish in the moment and enjoy the views. The stairs start in the Haiku Valley, under the H3 highway (John A. Burns Freeway) and they wind up the side of a mountain near Kaneohe, called Puukeahiakahoe. Amazing! A headlamp, rain jacket, and good hiking boots or shoes are the three main pieces of gear you need. and news flash, every part of Hawaii is sacred! The final major rope section was a steep gravel wall at an aggressive angle that required you to pull yourself up with the rope. Wyatt Olson is based in the Honolulu bureau, where he has reported on military and security issues in the Indo-Pacific since 2014. Tripadvisor performs checks on . For me personally, it was well worth any of the risks involved! One way to reach the off-limits Stairway to Heaven is to start on a different trail from Moanalua Valley. Although extremely tempting, the hike down the Haiku Stairs is highly illegal and subject to fine, etc. Im chicken little when it comes to doing anything that is deemed illegal. Now that you have made it onto the Moanalua Middle Ridge, the trail is quite easy to follow as it basically follows the ridgeline all the way up to the summit. At the peak of the Moanalua Middle Ridge Trail, the view of the abandoned Radio Tower comes into view. Anthony Polizzi, Col. Dan Dobbels, commander of the 15th Wing, said in the statement. Youll encounter a couple more ropes (as you did during the Moanalua hike) which will be instrumental in getting down some of the slopes. But, this is just the beginning, and there are more to scale, a handful of which require ropes already strung along its steepest sections, and I gather this will be the theme of the day: up and down, then up again until theres nowhere else to climb. So windy with no microspikes, gloces. I was wondering 10.4 miles is it a round trip? How To Get There: Stairway Entrance / Directions, Deaths On The Stairway To Heaven In Hawaii. Please see J T s comments below before attempting this. There are four pieces of gear that I simply never forget when I go on a hike. Your selfish Instagram post is at the expense of destroying the island's fragile eco-diversity. The middle ridge in Moanalua is home to many native species not found anywhere else in the world, and being at the top of the ridge, the effects of illegal hikers and illegal tours ripples down into the valley. Staying on the trail greatly reduces your chances of getting injured or lost. You have permission to edit this article. This trail suits two- and four-legged hikers of mostfitness levels. Create a password that only you will remember. Loved every minute of it! Wear spikes if you have them, makes most of the trail up the ridge line easier. If its handled right, this solution could resolve many of the issues associated with the Stairway To Heaven. I appreciate the outpouring of support from our ohana.. The great part about this trail is that you have incredible views along the way and not just at the summit. There is danger involved with traversing a mountain's ridgeback, an absurdly obvious fact that's slightly deceiving during the first leg of this trek, which begins at Moanalua Valley Park, a flat, straightforward 3-mile walk into Kamananui Valley. Its actually one of the safest parts of the hike IMO. Ive done most of the hikes on the island before. Still interested? Dinner and Show Tickets. The Kulana'ahane Trail offers unparalleled hiking through native Hawaiian forest to a scenic overlook. You can go all the way up and assess the situation and make your decisions from there but even if you dont want to venture onto the illegal area you will have great views so it is still worth the journey either way. The Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku stairs hiking route is one of the most adventurous hikes on Oahu. It's not easy to find. Good luck and enjoy! Highly recommend, it was one of the best hikes I have ever done. Make sure you allow enough time to complete the hike so youre not heading back in the dark. Ill also share my full experience and all of my photos including some epic shots from the summit so you can get an idea of why this was one of my favorite hikes on Oahu, Hawaii. Definitely dont pay a guide for this hike like some people seem to. As someone who grew up in a nearby neighborhood in the 80s and still has a good family friend that lives IN the Haiku stairs neighborhood Ill tell you one thing hiking blogs and social media posts dont seem to mention the history of bad behavior from young, disrespectful hikers who arrive at 4am, dont even try to keep their noise levels down, cut through the backyards of residents, and use residents hoses to rinse off after hiking the stairway. Ive done both hikes many times over the years, and I have to say there is really no comparison in terms of difficulty. People claim the stairs are dangerous but they are a lot safer than climbing the mountains without stairs which is what people are doing to avoid breaking the law (but then they get on the stairs at the top for photos). There are a few rope sections and some very intense drop offs on the sides for lots of the trail, so this is not for the faint of heart. Originally the stairs were built in 1942 by the U.S. Navy as a top-secret facility for transmitting radio signals to ships that were sailing in the Pacific Ocean. Make the risks known to people, but dont close all the hikes. Judd Trail Mountain View is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. To watch your footing. We were SO excited to find a legal way to hike the Haiku Stairs. The only death Im aware of was caused by a heart attack in a middle aged hiker (that steep ascent to platform one can be strenuous). I feel surprisingly renewed by this and take a moment to find my center of gravity before retracing the long way back. Once you are inside the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park, you will find the trail at the back of the park. As soon as you veer from top of the middle ridge, roughly 2000ft from the top of the stairs, you are trespassing and can be fined for doing so. There is one short section of stairs that was mangled in a storm, but the damage is pretty minimal and you can pass that part without any trouble. Overall, I think the risk of death on the Stairway To Heaven in Hawaii is greatly overstated, and as long as youre careful you should be fine. The view from the tower is the most spectacular although there will be lookouts before which are gorgeous as well. The first 4.5 miles are perfectly legal and get you the same views as stairway (and you can walk on the stairway at the top if you want to). Thank you. A non-profit group called Friends of Haiku Stairs has drawn up some good plans for keeping the staircase and re-opening it with managed access, hiker fees, assumed liability, and minimal disturbance to the local neighborhood. Be advised that if you need emergency services you will be billed for the rescue equipment usage and personnel time. Well worth that investment of time sweat & tears! In this blog post, I will share with you all of the details about the Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku Stairs including distance, elevation, legalities, what to bring, and how to avoid trouble on this route. Continue on the main trail up and up and up. I hope you enjoyed this guide to the Moanalua Valley Trail (backway to Stairway to Heaven) and have good luck and good weather on your journey! If its your first time on the trail and you lose sight of other hikers, take care to keep to the right once youre about two miles in, as heading left will take you to a different trail. Make sure you bring snacks and lots of water. My husband and I are planning on doing this hike. Be careful on your footing & hand placements not all branches are build to hold your weight. Past Week. Hoomaluhia means "to make a place of peace and tranquility." He was a freelance writer and journalism teacher in China from 2006-2009. The trail was washing away. This trail is a national and state treasure, with amazing scenery and a cool bit of history behind it. Daylenn "Moke" Pua, 17, vanished five days ago while heading to the Haiku Stairs. However, if you cross over and set foot on the platform of the satellite or venture onto the stairs you are now in an illegal area. As the years have gone by and patience thinned then disappeared completely, hikers have tried to be more stealthy but its a little too late I dont know about you but if all that was happening on a near daily basis to my neighborhood, Id be pretty upset too! Werner Karl, you're right. Mahalo! If you have all trails just follow that! Heed no trespassing and other warning signs. listen to flash flood warnings. Generally considered a challenging route. There is a security guard at the beginning. Bring A LOT of water, snacks, sunscreen and gloves really help for the ropes. Usually trail run in the valley or hike up the ridge a couple times a week. If the weather goes bad on you, you could get stuck for a while. a pic? Not only are the views out of this world, but the whole experience is just beyond awesome and unique. We did not have spikes or gloves and it was 100% fine, but it would have been a help especially if there has been recent rain. There was also a hiker named Daylenn Pua who disappeared on the Moanalua Valley trail (the backside route that intersects with the Stairway To Heaven) and was never seen again. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. Please find another hike. You can see the windward side of Oahu island with Kaneohe Bays sandbars, and an amphitheater of mountains surrounding you on all sides. Nathan Stowell, 25, died on Sunday after falling 400 feet off a hiking trail of Hawaii's Mount Olomana. To get to the trailhead, park outside the Moanalua Valley Park and the trail begins just after the green gate. This is the trailhead for the hike and you will follow this path until you reach the middle ridge. The first 2.9 miles are fairly straightforward with only 100ft of elevation each mile. Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets You just keep heading straight up and you will eventually reach the satellite dish at the summit. The hike is four miles each way, making it just 0.15 miles shorter than the Great Aloha Run. Accessing the Trail: The trail starts at Moanalua Valley Park, about 20 minutes away from Waikiki. We rest here for a while, towering above the island. Plan accordingly. Criminal penalties and EMS fees are charged as well due to the illegal nature of the hike. -Headlamp. Puu Keahi a Kahoe is the end of this trail, but symbolically it serves as a beginningit marks the start of the ahupuaa(land division) of Kaneohe. Please be respectful to the place we call home and follow the rules. Thank for your continued support. Hunters frequent the surrounding area, so, when in doubt, follow the stream! You need to take the MIDDLE option. I'll save you some time and note that it goes nowhere :). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The road eventually turns to an unimproved road and later a narrow trail. Keep in mind climbing begins over 2 miles from start point. In terms of cardio its definitely a workout. The Stairway To Heaven trail is scary, but not very dangerous in my opinion unless you goof off or do something dumb. Although small and unmarked its an obvious trail. Theres a nature trail by the Botanic Library that takes you to a lake. The hike follows the Moanalua Valley Trail before connecting up the Moanalua Middle Ridge, which is the legal backway to the Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs) satellite summit. If you are inside a Forest reserve outside of those times and without a camping permit, you are in violation of the HRS chapter 104 rules and can be cited. Anthony J. Polizzi, 31. Spikes and gloves definitely help but arent 100% necessary. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii The Air Force has identified the airman who died Tuesday while hiking in Hawaii as Capt. The trail takes you to the same lookout as the Haiku Stairs. At minimum please wear proper hiking footwear and be prepared. That isnt to say people arent, or should not be super respectful, ie, no trash, tread lightly, be quiet, etc, all that goes with just being a responsible and respectful human being. All rights reserved. adventures and follow local regulations. The view is wonderful worth the hike. Theres a lot to do here, you can even camp and fish. From plantation towns to planned communities, Central Oahu has its share of secret spots, a bumper crop of bowling alleys and neighborhood eats. The trailhead is located in the back of the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park and crosses seven old cobblestone bridges while making its way up the valley floor. We are deeply saddened by the loss of Capt. Did this hike last week started at 6 AM. The trail becomes quite adventurous with many sections becoming quite narrow and requiring a rope to pull yourself up the slippery, gravel surface. At another, I cut up my knuckles clawing for exposed roots to keep from tumbling down the rugged spine. Anyone who hikes the 10 miles round trip is obviously going to go to the top of the stairs, or beyond. from around the world. BLOG POST: If you are interested in my experience (many years ago) hiking the Stairway to Heaven the regular way you can check out my blog post here: STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN HIKE ON OAHU, HAWAII: UPDATED 2021, OAHU HIKING GUIDE: Ive written a guide for the top hikes on Oahu that I am sure you will find useful: TOP 10 HIKES ON OAHU, HAWAII. INDEFINITE CLOSURE: This trail is closed to the public and violators/trespassers are SUBJECT TO $1000 FINES, COMMUNITY SERVICE, BENCH WARRANTS, AND/OR ARREST. Park off the Old Pali Highway before the lookout in the dirt parking lot. The first mile on this trail climbs 900 feet in elevation and is primarily through trees. Thank you for sharing your experience and pics. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. no reports have been added for Moanalua Valley Trail yet, add a trail report. Once you pass the sign and creek crossing go to the right, the trail behind the foliage, not the obvious one on the left. Looking to hike this any day in next week .if anybody's down, msg me in insta @allispichkooo:), Anyone want to do this on 11/24 or 11/25? Once finally at the peak youll see the Haiku Stairs Radio Tower comes into view. Let's stay updated! Such an exhilarating trail that really puts your body and mind to the ultimate test. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. One hiker, Dale Yoshuizu, told the station that while he'd done the hike "a lot of times it makes you aware that no matter how many times you've done the hike you need to be careful. Have some light. This is the end of the Middle Ridge Trail. Many of the best hikes in Oahu have been closed preemptively to avoid more of these unjustified lawsuits. The first part of the hike takes you through a bamboo forest. Overall, AMAZING trail with the BEST views of the island!!! Moanalua Valley Trail 4 0 ftHiking Trails Pearl Harbor National Memorial 13,695 2.7 miHistoric Sites Military Bases & Facilities USS Arizona Memorial 27,032 Historic Sites Cemeteries See all See what other travelers are saying JacksonJones 24 contributions Amazing Ridge Hike to the Top of the Haiku Stairs Toa Luau at Waimea Valley. We hit the stairs and then disappeared into the jungle before we could find out. Wear proper shoes and bring gloves!Quite muddy Yes the steepest parts have metal railings to hold. Can see the water on both sides of the islands the further up you hike. Still, thousands of people make the climb every year, and for good reason its one of the most spectacular hikes on Earth! There's also a ton of street parking near by in the neighborhood. Posted on Last updated: February 22, 2022. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen. There is a bathroom and water at the park only. The weather today is just as my friend hoped for; hes been monitoring it daily since a week out to ensure the trail will be dry and moderately windless, opportune conditions for a hike that has us teetering across razor-thin sections with steep drops on either side. Finiahed in 10 hours. To get to the trailhead, park outside the Moanalua Valley Park and the trail begins just after the green gate. Fortunately,Oahu is full of great hikes. I lived for a few years in Kaneohe (graduated James B Castle HS) some 50 years ago and NEVER knew about the Haiku stairway. Im not easy to sunburn, but he tosses me the bottle anyway, a suggestion to rub in a little more than I already have. Its 328 steps to a raging waterfall. Went up the stairs last week with wife and baby. An absolutely amazing experience. All rights reserved. However, its possible to take some great pictures on the stairs and then leave via Moanalua without hiking the entire stairway from top to bottom, that way you get to experience some of both hikes. The city of Honolulu spent almost a million dollars repairing the stairs and was considering re-opening the stairs in 2002 but resident complaints and safety concerns halted the re-opening and the stairs have been closed ever since. A day after announcing his death, officials identified him as New York native and U.S. Air Force Capt. So long as you make the right turn in The Valley you can easily find your way up, assuming youre up to the effort. Keep in mind, to stay 100 percent legal on this hike you will have to go back the same way you came. Moanalua (Kamananui) Valley Trail on Oahu. These are four items that I using right now and this list gets updated every year! I lived on Oahu for two years and loved adventuring from the beaches to the mountains to the waterfalls! (Facebook). We won't share it with anyone else. Overnight parking is not allowed in Moanalua Valley Park - the gate is locked and the park is closed at a certain hour. Just wished the front way was open, For experienced hikers dont do alone unless youre a pro & even then let someone know where you are. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Thats how it works everywhere else, and its why so many wonderful hiking trails like Angels Landing are still open in the mainland United States after all these years. When she willed the entire ahupuaa of Moanalua to Damons father in 1884, the luxurious valley home was built.) I would have liked to investigate an entry from the south if time permitted. Thanks for your support. Please tag along! Make sure you have done your research (YouTube) and you should be ready to are some awesome views. There is danger involved with traversing a mountains ridgeback, an absurdly obvious fact thats slightly deceiving during the first leg of this trek, which begins at Moanalua Valley Park, a flat, straightforward 3-mile walk into Kamananui Valley. It is only accessible by hiking approximately 2.5 miles up the Kamananui Valley Road Trail, where a marked sign on the left designates the trailhead. Give me a break!, its a hike, and a damn good one at that! Begin walking the trail and after about 2.5 miles you'll see the sign on the left for "Kulana'ahane Trail". -2L water MINIMUM. Not willing to change her identity to be part of the industry, Mahina Florence is at the height of her career because of her flawless Hawaiian complexion, strong athletic build, and friendly aloha spirit. Blah, blah, blah. Be prepared for lots of mud! Additionally, along the trail there are several ropes which people have tied tied to help with the hike. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi! Pass the little sign and stream and itll be on your right. After all, well be inching closer to the sun at an elevation gain of about 2,585 feet from where were currently standing. Oh my! This will lead you to an open grassy valley that gives you spectacular views of the valley. My issue is with the multiple bags of rubbish and litter in the valley that I've personally removed. We recommend packing an external back-up battery. Its been a wild ride. No experience and with a 8 year old. It is for this reason that it is NOT recommended to hike this trail in heavy rains due to flash flooding. Dont sue the state. Most accidents happen when hikers leave the established trail and disregard warning signs. In 2015, a man from Florida man died after falling about 200 feet from the trail. Trailhead Coordinates - Latitude: 21.37409 | Longitude: -157.880509. Pass all the crossings and continue to follow the trail. Don't hike with this Mike guy on here , he reaches out and tries to rip you off and doesn't even hike it with you . 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Both times I did the hike, the security guard yelled at us from a distance but didnt seem to chase after us or call the police. If you want to go hike, I'm not stopping you. Even the Kalalau Trail is open in Kauai despite being much more risky than the Stairway To Heaven. Wow, the Haiku Stairs, although strenuous, it looks fun with great views and a sense of accomplishment at the end. Wind and rain can make it much harder and more risky. After that, it should be pretty straightforward. There should be more information about this soon. The stairs were then opened to the public until 1987 when they were deemed unsafe because of disrepair. age 94, passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at the St. John of God Retirement Center in Los Angeles, CA. One of my favorite trails, with tons of side trails, pools, and ruins to explore. There is parking outside the gate, which we recommend using in case you don't get back before they close the gates in the evening. Eat healthy foods bring nuts, fruits like bananas or mandarins to get quick sugar fixes so you can have quick energy (if you can have those things) . I hope this clears up YEARS of misconceptions about this trail. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hey there! Just because you don't see or understand the damage you are causing doesn't make it right. Ask bognarofsydney about Moanalua Valley Trail. I didnt need spikes but some good traction helps. The Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku stairs hiking route is one of the most adventurous hikes on Oahu. As we continue on for the next few hours theres something encouraging about being able to zero in on where we started at Moanalua Valley Park and the remote summit before us, to visually track our progress. The fine is reportedly $1000 if you are ticketed at the summit or on the stairs. Its not quite the same experience as climbing the stairs from the bottom up, but you can still reach the Hawaii Stairway To Heaven trail at the top and go back down in either direction when youre done. Moanalua Valley has a rich cultural history that is important to the people of Hawaii. Despite the drop-offs, the trail is quite well protected and unless it is a very windy day you should be fine unless you have little experience on ridges or with heights. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The trail becomes quite steep from this point on with lots of tree roots to scramble up, boulders to clamber over and small rope sections to navigate. Pack a long sleeve tee for the top (its chilly). This is incorrect. Parking: Park at the Moanalua Valley Park. What can be earliest time to start this hike? Good hike, perfectly legal way. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ", "You were one of the most out going [sic], funniest, and happiest people Ive ever had the chance to get to know and call a friend," wrote friend Greg Glawatz in another Facebook post. The Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku stairs hiking route is one of the most adventurous hikes on Oahu. Dont attempt this hike when its raining or for a couple of days after heavy rain. The Olomana Trail is strenuous a 4.5-mile rocky path spread across three different mountainous peaks, according toSummitPost.org. I really hope they dont do that. The hike follows the Moanalua Valley Trail before connecting up the Moanalua Middle Ridge, which is the legal 'backway' to the Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs) satellite summit. Be careful with the wind and rain on the ridge. Can be very muddy like lots of the ridges out here on island. It may never be surpassed! The trailhead area below the stairs is patrolled by a security guard around the clock, and sometimes the Honolulu police are called. Moanalua Valley Trail to the Haiku Stairs is the only legal trail, and it is recommended for very experienced hikers. Keep in mind, the adventurers MUST be respectful to neighbourhood residents living in this area. Make sure you at least have the basics and you will be prepared for bad weather or any mishaps on the trail. DM me on IG: @OutFullSending. The Air Force has identified the airman who died Tuesday,Dec. Once you get through the initial flat part, there is a really difficult part - but I promise it gets better after about 20 minutes. Our group did good timing but it was Still LONGGGG I believe I did it in 7 Hrs 45 mins (started about 5:30am - about 4 hrs or less to Get to top 9:15am, 30mins enjoying view / pics / eating 9:45am descend , arrived at my car by 1:20pm to get back took 3hr 35mins) I was beyond exhausted tho, my body was in survival mode at that point & just want to not be hiking anymore lol! per adult. If you don't want to do the illegal way, this way is worth it. This hike sounds like something I would love to do. HONOLULU (KITV4) Honolulu Fire received an emergency 911 call about hikers in distress on the Moanalua Valley Trail on Friday evening.