Tourists continue to visit the Haiku Stairs in Hawaii even as it is removed due to overtourism

CNN
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The soap opera surrounding the Haiku Stairs, a disused staircase in a remote part of East Oahu that has become popular on social media, continues even as the local government has begun removing the famous landmark.

The stairs, which were built by the US Navy during World War II, are still a tourist attraction despite being officially closed to visitors since 1987.

On April 23, five people were arrested and charged with first-degree trespassing, according to CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now.

Additionally, police say they issued 60 warnings to hikers, eight citations for second-degree trespassing and 25 parking enforcement actions over the weekend of April 20 and 21. Second-degree trespassing is a misdemeanor.

Travelers who can reach the spot, nicknamed the Stairway to Heaven because of the way the stairs sometimes seem to disappear into the mist atop an 850-meter mountain, are rewarded with fantastic views over the island.

However, because there are no official trails, many thrill seekers had to cross private property to get there. Some posted guides on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, bringing even more visitors there.

This increase in tourism – and the bad behavior that came with it – was one of the reasons cited when the Honolulu City Council voted to remove the stairs in 2021.

Earlier this month, local authorities announced that demolition would begin on April 22, prompting the flow of hikers to take “one last chance” to visit the site in recent days.

“Besides the entry being illegal, it is an active workplace,” PD District Maj. Randall Platt of Honolulu to Hawaii News Now. ‘There are heavy machines. The helicopter works back and forth, so it’s dangerous for people to be up there in the first place. It is a closed area. It is a work environment.”

“The city was disappointed and dismayed to learn that so many people have recklessly ignored clear warnings that the project to dismantle the Haiku Stairs has begun, putting themselves – and possibly first responders – at risk,” according to a Honolulu city official. a spokeswoman said in a statement.

The removal will require removing one 700-foot section at a time by helicopter, a process that will cost the city $2.5 million.

It has not yet been decided where the stairs will go after removal. A local tourist attraction, Kualoa Ranch, has expressed interest in purchasing and housing them.