If you knew anything about natural resources, you'd understand that this isn't just about respecting something that's sacred but rather protecting a watershed that provides benefits that you clearly take for granted. Whoever JT is he needs to lighten the hell up. To put it another way, THIS HIKE IS ILLEGAL. 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. Moanalua Middle Ridge is a challenging, 11- to 12-mile, out-and-back hike in Central Oahu, a journey that, more or less, takes eight hours to complete. ; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. $125.33. Make sure you allow enough time to complete the hike so youre not heading back in the dark. An off-duty firefighter died in 2014 and a social worker died in 2011, both from falling off the trail. It may never be surpassed! 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).
Hawaii Camping Reservation - Reservations It's not easy to find. Whenever you buy something through one of these links, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. HONOLULU (KITV4) Honolulu Fire received an emergency 911 call about hikers in distress on the Moanalua Valley Trail on Friday evening. Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail. Its Definitely challenging get rest water food. At another, I cut up my knuckles clawing for exposed roots to keep from tumbling down the rugged spine. Theres also a legal way to reach the top of the mountain by climbing it from the backside via Moanalua Valley trail, which Ill explain in more detail later in this guide. 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. Super muddy, have to cross the river to complete. 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. This hike is long, and the weather can change quickly along the trail as you ascend to just shy of 3,000ft elevation. Hiking sandals are ok IF you're experienced hiking in muddy slippery conditions in them.
Moanalua/Kamananui Valley Trail | Map, Guide - Oahu, Hawaii | AllTrails No skate shoes.) I'm David, an American with a passion for adventure, the outdoors, and all things travel. We were SO excited to find a legal way to hike the Haiku Stairs. Bring a cell phone, which can be a lifesaver during an emergency. Hunters frequent the surrounding area, so, when in doubt, follow the stream! Anthony J. Polizzi, 31. Preview trail I really hope they dont do that. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. 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. Anthony J. Polizzi, 31. Ensure that your battery is full prior to your hike. Trailhead Coordinates - Latitude: 21.37409 | Longitude: -157.880509. There are shorter hikes on this island with better views and less risk. These are four items that I using right now and this list gets updated every year! However, dont be confused by people who tell you this is the legal way to visit the Haiku Stairs. Please be respectful to the place we call home and follow the rules. DM me on IG: @OutFullSending. Thousands of people hike this trail every year and no one has ever died by falling. Oh my! I'll save you some time and note that it goes nowhere :). (Damon was the son of Bernice Pauahi Bishops husbands business partner. I hope you enjoyed this travel guide for the Stairway to Heaven Hawaii hike. There are many more to check out! All Rights Reserved. -Rain jacket/windbreaker . Also please pack out your trash! Park in the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park parking lot at 1857 Ala Aolani St. As you walk up the dirt road, you will reach a chain link gate leading to the dirt road. The Kulana'ahane Trail offers unparalleled hiking through native Hawaiian forest to a scenic overlook.
Moanalua Valley Trail to Haiku Stairs (Legal 'Backway' to Stairway to The trail becomes quite adventurous with many sections becoming quite narrow and requiring a rope to pull yourself up the slippery, gravel surface. Aloha! So windy with no microspikes, gloces. Crouching Lion and Sacred Falls are other examples. Translation: Its going to be a long day. Drone shot of the mountain. While the first peak is the "highest and offers the best views," it's the mountain's third peak where Stowell fell to his death that "offers the greatest climbing challenge. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. How To Get There: Stairway Entrance / Directions, Deaths On The Stairway To Heaven In Hawaii. Anthony J. Polizzi. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hey there! Yes the steepest parts have metal railings to hold. At the peak of the Moanalua Middle Ridge Trail, you will catch your first glimpse of the radio tower/satellite. Instead, retrace the Moanalua Ridge route to get back to your original destination. Its here, you should remind yourself, as you make your initial descent, not to rush. This hike is just one trail located in the Ewa Forest Preserve. More advanced hike along the ridge line. This is quite the work out and worth the view. Distress hikers rescued off Moanalua Valley Trail Friday evening. In this section, I will explain a little bit about each area and share with you the details for exploring this summit area. Copyright Journey Era, 2022 | Sitemap | Privacy Policy. One of the main challenges of climbing the Hawaii Stairway To Heaven trail is just finding where it starts. "One couldnt help but be in a good mood when you were around.". I explored the radio tower, Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven), and a set of abandoned, overgrown stairs. As an affiliate, I only recommend products and services that I feel are high quality and helpful to my readers. TEEN GIRL DIES IN FALL FROM CLIFF HIKE AT ZION NATIONAL PARK. 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. It gave the mountains and everything a surreal touch that made us feel like we were walking up into the heavens. There is a little sign right before accession, go to the left and instead of keeping left, take the middle right path up. The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation. The last crossing is allll the way at the end, and immediately after that last crossing, it's dense 12ft tall grass and the trail disappears. IG: @ lis.aloha. It was gorgeous & worth all the aches later lol. A Mariposa County sheriff's deputy walks in a remote area near where a family and their dog were found dead .
Moanalua/Kamananui Valley Trail | Map, Guide - AllTrails It has some sections of nearly vertical, rope and muddy sections. All water should be . Put a damn police officer in the station at the top and fine them and arrest them if you dont want people there.
Hiking Moanalua Middle Ridge on Oahu, an All-Day, Experts-Only To remember: You came this far. Date of experience: June 2019. Whether climbing Stairway to Heaven illegally or legally via Moanalua Valley Trail, know that this hike is not for the faint of heart. Please see J T s comments below before attempting this. No such facilities are available within the valley itself. Firefighters said that the rivers crossing the trail were at a dangerously high level. The trail to the top of the Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven) is prohibited. Overnight parking is not allowed in Moanalua Valley Park - the gate is locked and the park is closed at a certain hour. Please tag along! On my hike up the Moanalua Valley Trail, I went halfway down the stairs and back up just to explore and then returned via the Moanalua Valley Trail although I met some people who were going to try and exit via the stairs. You need to take the MIDDLE option. Our biggest priority is taking care of his family and supporting his fellow Wingmen. The Oahu Stairway To Heaven was built by the US Navy in 1942, along with a radio station and giant antenna at the top of the mountain that were used to communicate with ships in the Pacific during World War II. Bring A LOT of water, snacks, sunscreen and gloves really help for the ropes. These restaurants and cafs hold themselves to a higher eco-standard that make deciding where to eat for ocean-minded people an easy decision. 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. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. If you'd like to help even more, be sure to check out my Patreon as well.
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. The seemingly level elevation from point A to point B can be misleading and the giddy nature of being so close can come with a lack of focus. The sounds of the cars on the H3 highway below you gradually disappear, and everything starts to get quiet. The trail quietly opens up and were greeted with an elevated view of the valleys treetops sprawling out beneath us. Do NOT take this route. it's not. There is a security guard at the beginning. Wear proper foot ware, including hiking boots, spikes, and gloves. This is a beast of a hike, my friend says, as he slathers his face with sunscreen, the tinted kind that leaves streaks on your skin like war paint. Did this hike last week started at 6 AM. Haiku Stairs Map How might someone prepare to hike Stairway to Heaven?
Moanalua Valley Trail Hiking Trail - Pearl City, HI - Trailforks I think its best to begin just after sunrise as it can be quite a hot, exposed trail if you leave it too late in the day for the ascent. The first 2.9 miles are fairly straightforward with only 100ft of elevation each mile. Turtle Canyon Snorkel Cruise by Catamaran. Step 4 Park at the Moanalua Valley Park parking lot at 1849 Ala. While holding back any visions of being on the verge of setting foot on an old Dharma station (LOST fans, you'll understand once you're there), the 20-30 minute hike to the radio tower is full of its own challenges. I wont share the location and exact directions to the stairway here publicly, but I understand there are at least three different main ways to reach the stairs from the neighborhood below, and Ive used two of them in the past. It all goes back to a history of lawsuits from people getting injured while hiking in Oahu and then suing the state. To stay safe on this hike, just wear shoes with good grip and remember to keep three points of contact at all times. There are a few more rope sections and some very deep, muddy crevasses you will have to sneak through before you reach the top of this hike. If you hike up the Moanalua trail and then down the stairs, youre still risking a fine, because the stairway is not legal. 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. Personally I think hikers should decide for themselves what kind of risks theyre comfortable with, but bear the responsibility themselves if they have an accident. 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! Definitely not a short one. It's 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 you're done. 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. Wonderful read! 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. I appreciate the outpouring of support from our ohana.. Hiking can be dangerous, and not every trail is a good idea for every person. Dinner and Show Tickets. Access to the public is restricted. Be prepared for lots of mud! Part of being outside and in nature is the lack of rules and the BS! I would have liked to investigate an entry from the south if time permitted. You can read more here: https://www.haikustairs.org/. The hike is four miles each way, making it just 0.15 miles shorter than the Great Aloha Run. The other specific laws that come into play here are located in HRS chapters 104 and 130, State Forestry and Na Ala Hele Access. Relax, its not as scary as it looks here. After that, it should be pretty straightforward. This Trail is ILLEGAL. You definitely want good weather for this hike.
One way to reach the off-limits Stairway to Heaven is to start on a different trail from Moanalua Valley. The left goes to the valley. Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest blog posts, tips, & travel guides. Try hike the Lanikai pill box brah. Its absolutely gorgeous. There is a bathroom and water at the park only. Monalua Ridge offers legal access to the top of the Haiku Stairs (note: they are illegal to go down). Officials said he collapsed while hiking the Moanalua Valley trail, and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Tripler Army Medical Center Tuesday. 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 . 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. This is the end of the Middle Ridge Trail. absolutely not!
30 BEST HIKES ON OAHU, HAWAII - Journey Era Views are worth it. The path is quite wide and at many points there are forks in the road which come back to the same point after about 20 yards. You can see the windward side of Oahu island with Kaneohe Bays sandbars, and an amphitheater of mountains surrounding you on all sides. 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. Still, thousands of people make the climb every year, and for good reason its one of the most spectacular hikes on Earth! Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash. I appreciate the outpouring of support from our ohana.. There were 2 other parties of 2 hiking that day, plus a group at the top who came from the other trail that made them muddy and take much longer. 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. It will take you through a creek bed, where the trail is fairly obvious to find.
Oahu Hike of the Month: Moanalua Valley Trail Love this hike! Beyond the legality of this hike, whether you are a local or just visiting Hawaii, doing this hike shows great disrespect to Hawaii, its people, its natural resources, and our culture. A City and County park provides bathrooms, potable water and garbage cans at the trail head. Criminal penalties and EMS fees are charged as well due to the illegal nature of the hike. We put on our microspikes at the riverbed and they were handy all the way to the summit.
How to Get to Seven Bridges in Hawaii | USA Today Officials said he collapsed while hiking the Moanalua Valley.
Army: Airman assigned to 15th wing died after collapsing while hiking The 31-year-old native of New York was assigned to the 15th. Talk Kaimuk Has Coffee Drinks by Day, Cocktails at Night, Where to Find Mochi and Other Sweet Treats for Girls Day in Honolulu, The Bowl that Converted Me: Saimin at Janes Fountain, AYCE Nights: My Favorite All-You-Can-Eat Hot Pot Spots in Honolulu, Photos: 2023 Best Dentists in Hawaii Reception, The Top 5 Whiskey Drinks to Order at ELEVEN, The HDS Tooth Fairy is Coming Back to Kakaako, A Locals Guide to an Oahu Road Trip: Wahiaw to Salt Lake, Spring Fashion Feature: Proud Hawaiian Model Mahina Florence Inspires Murals, 10 Local Ocean-Friendly Restaurants on Oahu to Try Now, February 2023: Our Top 3 Most-Viewed Posts About Oahus Food Scene, Your Guide to the Perfect Weekend in Honolulu: March 28, 2023, 28 Irresistibly Cute Girls Day Gifts for Women and Keiki, Why We Eat Mochi and Display Dolls on Girls Day in Hawaii, My 12 Favorite Restaurants Off the Strip in Las Vegas. . This is a small playground area for children and at the back of the grass area, the paved trail begins. Editors Note: We love hiking! There are notable repeat offenders that continue to make 4 or 5-digit profits in a single week, none of which benefits the environment which they are degrading. Youll encounter a couple more ropes (as you did during the Moanalua hike) which will be instrumental in getting down some of the slopes. 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. Yes, technically it is illegal to climb the Oahu Haiku Stairs since theyre closed to the public. -Food. Keep in mind, to stay 100 percent legal on this hike you will have to go back the same way you came.
11 hikers stranded by rising rivers on Moanalua Valley trail safely Every trail I hike on this island and other islands is overrun, regulate yes, shut down no and certainly dont be a condescending dick about something you have zero authority over. Legal Statement. Affiliate Disclosures Privacy Policy Terms Of Use Ill add a note about that in the article. You walk an easy trail for 3 miles before you start ascending to the summit, which is nearly 2 miles up. Some of the original cobblestone road remains intact, and leads to a large, petroglyph-covered boulder. Moanalua Valley. One of the best experiences I had on Oahu was swimming with the beautiful spinner dolphins on this exact tour. 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. The stairs are priceless to many of us, and we all hope the staircase hike can be saved. Alone with some of the best views in the world. Pack a long sleeve tee for the top (its chilly). I lived for a few years in Kaneohe (graduated James B Castle HS) some 50 years ago and NEVER knew about the Haiku stairway. Basically, politics and money got in the way of this epic hike. The walk would be a little longer but easy on the flat road. 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Aloha, for those that think this trail is legal and open to the public with no repercussions, you are wrong. The first 2.5ish miles are flat and the next 2 miles are a pretty steep incline. Anthony J. Polizzi. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Moanalua Valley Trail to the Haiku Stairs (Stairway To Heaven) [CLOSED / PRIVATE PROPERTY] Hard 4.7 (2199) Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve Photos (5,275) Directions Print/PDF map Length 10.5 miElevation gain 5,029 ftRoute type Out & back Bummer, this trail is closed. There is also a cliff diving spot at one of the falls. Hold tight and watch your footing. Stick to the main trailfollow a tributary path, and you may wind up in Waimano Valley. When people refer to it as the legal backway to get to the Stairway to Heaven that refers to the legal route to the top of the Moanalua Valley Trail but you still arent allowed to actually go on the stairs or the satellite area. 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. Market data provided by Factset. It's not about the rules and laws I've cited. It was a beautiful day, not too muddy to complete this hike. We are deeply saddened by the loss of Capt. However, it is infrequent and often there is no one up there and you can explore if you choose to. 6 rides; 11 miles avg distance; All. (Phi Phi Leh), Santorini Greece Travel Guide: Things To Do In Santorini Island, Navagio Beach Greece: Shipwreck Bay In Zakynthos Island, Zakynthos Greece Travel Guide: How To Visit Zakynthos Island, Phi Phi Island Thailand Travel Guide (Koh Phi Phi Islands), Huayna Picchu Hike: The Machu Picchu Stairs Of Death, Utah Hiking Guide: 17 Best Utah Hikes & Trails, 35 Best Things To Do In Oahu Hawaii (Fun, Couples, Free), 25 Best Hikes In Indonesia: Volcanoes, Waterfalls, & Jungles, Koko Head Hike: Koko Crater Trail & Stairs In Oahu Hawaii, Angels Landing Hike: Epic Chain Trail In Zion National Park Utah, Komodo Island Indonesia: National Park & Dragon Tour. All rights reserved. Most of the time it will be muddy, so be prepared to get dirty. 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. An absolutely amazing experience. Recommended. Additionally, there are several inclines and declines with poor footing. Well kept trail for the island, but still challenging. Once at the summit of the Moanalua Valley Trail you will essentially enjoy the view and then turn back around and head down the way you came.