Not a must, but its often raining, and windy. Moanalua Middle Ridge (Honolulu) - All You Need to Know - Tripadvisor Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. A helpful tool I used was to count the 4 wheel drive road crossings (ie concrete slabs) over the river bed. Aloha, for those that think this trail is legal and open to the public with no repercussions, you are wrong. The final major rope section was a steep gravel wall at an aggressive angle that required you to pull yourself up with the rope. Ask bognarofsydney about Moanalua Valley Trail. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Once finally at the peak youll see the Haiku Stairs Radio Tower comes into view. The road eventually turns to an unimproved road and later a narrow trail. I didnt need spikes but some good traction helps. If you don't want to do the illegal way, this way is worth it. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Legal? Liability is the main reason theyre closed. Looking to hike this this week if anybody wants to go .msg insta @allispichkooo :), Aloha! Though the trail is not particularly hilly, it is also not paved and there are muddy spots that should be approached with caution. I was wondering what hike is the one you took the first picture in!! Haiku Stairs Map How might someone prepare to hike Stairway to Heaven? Wear spikes if you have them, makes most of the trail up the ridge line easier. A City and County park provides bathrooms, potable water and garbage cans at the trail head. absolutely not! Your selfish Instagram post is at the expense of destroying the island's fragile eco-diversity. Well kept trail for the island, but still challenging. Stick to the main trailfollow a tributary path, and you may wind up in Waimano Valley. Many people come unprepared for hiking on Oahu and thats why there are so many rescues. This is classic government stupidity for you tax people to build them, tax more to fix them, then tax to take them out because they are dangerous when actually they are much safer than no stairs. If you have all trails just follow that! The 31-year-old native of New York was assigned to the 15th Maintenance Group at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the Air Force said in a statement Thursday. Be careful on your footing & hand placements not all branches are build to hold your weight. They are fairly obvious when you cross over them and from the time you start there will be 17 crossings prior to the Middle Ridge Trailhead. Microspikes are good to have to make it up/for traction. Put a damn police officer in the station at the top and fine them and arrest them if you dont want people there. Pass the little sign and stream and itll be on your right. Hold tight and watch your footing. Trail reports are used to indicate a trails current condition and inform builders and other riders about any issues on a trail. So long as you make the right turn in The Valley you can easily find your way up, assuming youre up to the effort. per adult. You can see the windward side of Oahu island with Kaneohe Bays sandbars, and an amphitheater of mountains surrounding you on all sides. There should be more information about this soon. Also please pack out your trash! You can see everythingKaneohe, Kailua, Mokolii (akaChinamans Hat), Olomana and the H-3 snaking its way through it alland Im basking in the extraordinary sight of how miniature life looks from up above. Ill keep this blog post updated. The sounds of the cars on the H3 highway below you gradually disappear, and everything starts to get quiet. Please see J T s comments below before attempting this. These affiliates don't cost you anything extra and help me keep the site going. Watch out for roots as this is the largest risk as you climb. The Haiku Stairs Hawaii hike is steep and strenuous, but the toughest part is the first 1/3rd of the stairway leading up to platform one. It's not easy to find. Army: Airman assigned to 15th wing died after collapsing while hiking, Furnishings, appliances from Shirokiya Japan Village Walk up for auction, Former Mililani High athletic director indicted, 'The Other Side of Paradise' with Lynn Kawano, KHNLPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KGMBPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KFVEPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KSIXPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246, KOGGPUBLICFILE@HAWAIINEWSNOW.COM (808) 847-3246. If you decide to bring Fido, keep him leashed. 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. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen. How to Get to Seven Bridges in Hawaii | USA Today The first part of the hike takes you through a bamboo forest. The hike follows the Moanalua Valley Trail before connecting up the Moanalua Middle Ridge, which is the legal 'backway' to reach the Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs) satellite summit. Moanalua Valley has a rich cultural history that is important to the people of Hawaii. I hope you enjoyed this travel guide for the Stairway to Heaven Hawaii hike. Pass all the crossings and continue to follow the trail. Dont forget to check out my other Oahu hiking guides and my complete list of the best things to do in Oahu Hawaii! A grueling 3,922 stairs lead up the imposing mountain ridge, often at an almost vertical incline, with only a handrail to catch you from falling into the valley below. Good luck and enjoy! Continue on the main trail up and up and up. However, dont be confused by people who tell you this is the legal way to visit the Haiku Stairs. Whenever you buy something through one of these links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. In this section, I will explain a little bit about each area and share with you the details for exploring this summit area. The Moanalua Valley Trail begins at the end of the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii The Air Force has identified the airman who died Tuesday while hiking in Hawaii as Capt. Create a password that only you will remember. Steep drops on both sides, but the metal Haiku stairs and railings are surprisingly solid. Dinner and Show Tickets. Been there. When you make it to the sign saying Kulanaahane continue on for another few meters until you will find the pathway on your left, which leads you across the rocky riverbed. Hawaii Camping Reservation - Reservations Park off the Old Pali Highway before the lookout in the dirt parking lot. Please be prepared! Unfortunately, in September 2021, the city administration randomly reversed this decision and decided they would rather spend $1.3 million to remove the stairs, which could happen as soon as 2023. They have already put up high fences on access points reported online and we were only able to get in through one of the drainage ditches, and that was challenging. Air Force captain who died during Hawaii hike remembered as 'leader ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Hawaii, like any other state, has property laws. 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The first 2.9 miles are fairly straightforward with only 100ft of elevation each mile. Editors Note: We love hiking! 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. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Ive done most of the hikes on the island before. Lots of people sliding down on the trail or ripping out plants because they dont have traction damages the trail and makes it worse for everyone else. Wyatt Olson is based in the Honolulu bureau, where he has reported on military and security issues in the Indo-Pacific since 2014. Anthony J. Polizzi. I'd recommend doing this hike early as possible to avoid the potential crowds. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Also, it's a ridge..which could mean wind. It is open 7A-7P but I started my hike at 6:15A and the gate was open. Plan accordingly. It is for this reason that it is NOT recommended to hike this trail in heavy rains due to flash flooding. After all, well be inching closer to the sun at an elevation gain of about 2,585 feet from where were currently standing. To get to the trailhead, park outside the Moanalua Valley Park and the trail begins just after the green gate. My wife Intan and I are usually in our second home Bali, but our journeys take us to destinations all over the world. The trail will cross the stream 28 more times before the last 1/4 mile of trail. A headlamp, rain jacket, and good hiking boots or shoes are the three main pieces of gear you need. We did run into a few people who had gotten lost at the start though. All rights reserved. We put on our microspikes at the riverbed and they were handy all the way to the summit. Moanalua (Kamananui) Valley Trail - YouTube For more information, visit: Moanalua Valley and Tripler Ridge Trail Loop, Kalihi Ice Ponds [CLOSED / PRIVATE PROPERTY]. The Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku stairs hiking route is one of the most adventurous hikes on Oahu. I feel surprisingly renewed by this and take a moment to find my center of gravity before retracing the long way back. Posted on Last updated: February 22, 2022. After the first three miles, when you start to ascend, it could get really slippery, if youre not an experienced hiker, DO NOT do this hike after rainy days. Crouching Lion and Sacred Falls are other examples. I lived on Oahu for two years and loved adventuring from the beaches to the mountains to the waterfalls! You just keep heading straight up and you will eventually reach the satellite dish at the summit. Still interested? Please be respectful to the place we call home and follow the rules. Trailhead Coordinates - Latitude: 21.37409 | Longitude: -157.880509. If you'd like to help even more, be sure to check out my Patreon as well. 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. Please do not bring your babies, this hike is far too dangerous for young children. You may also be wondering how Stairway To Heaven compares to the infamous Koko Crater Trail in Oahu, also known as the Koko Head Stairs of Doom.. Ensure that your battery is full prior to your hike. I hope my travels give you the motivation to set off on an epic adventure of your own. The police sometimes send an officer to hike up to the summit to give out fines and one time a police helicopter even landed up there. Instead, retrace the Moanalua Ridge route to get back to your original destination. 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. All water should be . This is incorrect. 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. Its 328 steps to a raging waterfall. Make sure you at least have the basics and you will be prepared for bad weather or any mishaps on the trail. 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Similar to the Angles Landing Hike in Zion National Park. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. If its handled right, this solution could resolve many of the issues associated with the Stairway To Heaven. However, we wouldnt recommend running. Usually trail run in the valley or hike up the ridge a couple times a week. At this point, it becomes a ridge walk as you keep gradually ascending to the radio tower, and even on a cloudy day the views are spectacular. "It was an absolute honor when you asked me to commission you into the Air Force," wrote David Michael Rothzeid in a Facebook post. Heed no trespassing and other warning signs. I did this hike solo about a month ago. Oahu Hike of the Month: Moanalua Valley Trail A man who was hiking Hawaii's Olomana Trail reportedly plummeted hundreds of feet to his death on Sunday after he reportedly tried to grab his hat, marking the fourth death linked to the. There is a little sign right before accession, go to the left and instead of keeping left, take the middle right path up. I think even not super experienced hikers can complete as long as they take at their own pace. -2L water MINIMUM. The group is part of the 15th Wing. 6 rides; 11 miles avg distance; All. Please explore responsibly! Eventually, a sliver of the Pacific Ocean peeks out from the other side of the mountain and, before I know it, were at our destination, rewarded with a panoramic view of the Windward Side. Word to the wise: count the crossings, but don't take them as gospel. Three units, staffed with nine personnel arrived on scene at 7:58 p.m. 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 Definitely dont pay a guide for this hike like some people seem to. Army: Airman assigned to 15th wing died after collapsing while hiking This hike is just one trail located in the Ewa Forest Preserve. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Moanalua Valley Trail (Honolulu) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go Monalua Ridge offers legal access to the top of the Haiku Stairs (note: they are illegal to go down). Don't listen to the naysayers who hate tourists. We made a false start up a precarious slope and had to go back down and restart closer to the stairs. These are extremely helpful and if the trail is the least bit muddy they are a full-fledged necessity. Oh my! 44 Hawaiian and Pidgin Phrases Every Visitor Needs to Know, 20 Thoughts Every Hiker has had on the Trail Up Koko Head Crater, Shop These 5 Sophisticated Aloha Shirt Brands, The Enduring Nostalgia of Hawaii's Historic Drive-In Restaurants, Find Solitude and Serenity at the Waipio Wayside Bed and Breakfast, How (And Where) To Watch the Massive Waves on Oahu's North Shore. With alternate trails and surrounding hunting grounds, its easy for dogs to get lost. The Olomana Trail is strenuous a 4.5-mile rocky path spread across three different mountainous peaks, according toSummitPost.org. Once you pass the sign and creek crossing go to the right, the trail behind the foliage, not the obvious one on the left. The Moanalua Valley Trail isnt as popular as the Haiku Stairs themselves but it is growing in popularity and the trail can get quite busy. Significantly more roots are exposed as well. Distress hikers rescued off Moanalua Valley Trail Friday evening By KITV4 Web Staff Mar 19, 2022 0 HONOLULU (KITV4) - Honolulu Fire received an emergency 911 call about hikers in distress on. The view from the tower is the most spectacular although there will be lookouts before which are gorgeous as well. It will take you through a creek bed, where the trail is fairly obvious to find. The cool, breezy path goes through a lush forest and contains seven bridges with stream fords. But is the solution to shut everything down? Someone needs to find a better means of access that bypasses the neighborhood totally. Please explore other trails nearby. The Stairway To Heaven hike is much longer, steeper, harder, and scarier than the Koko Stairs. "I am so proud of the leader you became and the passion with which you tackled your maintenance profession. I lived for a few years in Kaneohe (graduated James B Castle HS) some 50 years ago and NEVER knew about the Haiku stairway. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. DIRECTIONS Traveling west on the H-1, take Exit 10 (Pearl city/Waimalu) onto Moanalua Road. Date of experience: June 2019. 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. There is a bathroom and water at the park only. it's not. Hoomaluhia means "to make a place of peace and tranquility." 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 . The Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku stairs hiking route is one of the most adventurous hikes on Oahu. Disappointed that I didnt have a chance to make that trek. Let's stay updated! There are shorter hikes on this island with better views and less risk. This is the trailhead for the hike and you will follow this path until you reach the middle ridge. Moanalua Valley Trail - Yelp