Ha’iku Stairs
The Haiku 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 Ha’iku Valley. It was installed in 1943 to enable the construction of antenna cables that would be strung from one side of the cliffs above Ha’iku Valley to the other. A building to provide a continuous communication link between Wahiawa and Ha’iku Valley Naval Radio Station was also constructed at the very peak of Pu’ukeahiakahoe, elevation at about 2,800 feet (850 m). These extraordinary antennae transmitted very low frequency radio signals from a 200,000-watt Alexanderson alternator located in the center of Ha’iku valley. The signals could reach US Navy submarines as far away as Tokyo Bay even while the submarines remained underwater.
A popular history of the construction of Ha’iku Stairs is contained in Woodbury, David Builders for Battle chapter XXIII, E P Hutton & Company Inc., New York, 1946.
When the Naval base was decommissioned in the 1950s, the United States Coast Guard used the site for an Omega station. In the early 1950s, 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. Source: Wikipedia.
Great site for leaning more about the Ha’iku Stairs.
- Dewey Jessup has a lot of history and old and new photos.
- Friends of Ha’iku Stairs – A strong advocate for the opening of Ha’iku Stairs
- Honolulu Advertiser Article on Ha’iku Stairs
- Stairway to Heaven – Lots of info even though it was made in 2004
Best Stair Way To Heaven Video I can find on You Tube
Directions to Hai’ku Trails (Good Luck!)
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EyeonOahu.com is a blog about the Island of Oahu and the news and views and the beauty of it.
Hey thanks for this, i heard lots of this before, but i know more now. I will go there when im in Hawaii next year. thank you, thank you