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 don't want to do the illegal way, this way is worth it. I really hope they dont do that. 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. I'm providing information that is factual instead of perpetuating a myth. 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. I wouldnt recommend this trek if you have a big fear of heights, but most people who do the hike will agree its not nearly as bad as they expected. Trail reports are used to indicate a trails current condition and inform builders and other riders about any issues on a trail. Be prepared for lots of mud! Please see J T s comments below before attempting this. Go past it about 20 paces. ; and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Pass all the crossings and continue to follow the trail. To get to the trailhead, park outside the Moanalua Valley Park and the trail begins just after the green gate. All rights reserved. Hoomaluhia means "to make a place of peace and tranquility." ", Hikerstold KHONthe trail was muddy from rain this past weekend. Climbing Haiku Stairs on Oahu - realhawaii.co 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. I didnt end up using mine even with the amount of rain and mud present. More advanced hike along the ridge line. Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use. Know yourself and what you need, and bring more than that. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii The Air Force has identified the airman who died Tuesday while hiking in Hawaii as Capt. Im not easy to sunburn, but he tosses me the bottle anyway, a suggestion to rub in a little more than I already have. 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. Turtle Canyon Snorkel Cruise by Catamaran. 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. The view from the tower is the most spectacular although there will be lookouts before which are gorgeous as well. My wife Intan and I are usually in our second home Bali, but our journeys take us to destinations all over the world. The cool, breezy path goes through a lush forest and contains seven bridges with stream fords. Most accidents happen when hikers leave the established trail and disregard warning signs. Please be quiet and respectful of the local residents as you are parking, packing, and reaching the trailhead. HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - U.S. Army officials have released new details surrounding the death of an Airman assigned to the 15th Wing. All rights reserved. Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest blog posts, tips, & travel guides. Judd Trail Mountain View is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. Accessing the Trail: The trail starts at Moanalua Valley Park, about 20 minutes away from Waikiki. Its been a wild ride. Please be prepared! Anthony Polizzi, said Col. Dan Dobbels, 15th Wing commander. The government in Oahu has a habit of closing any hike they consider slightly risky, because it might attract lawsuits. At another, I cut up my knuckles clawing for exposed roots to keep from tumbling down the rugged spine. It was actually easier to me than Mount Olympus , just a LOTTTTTT longer. a view? Our biggest priority is taking care of his family and supporting his fellow Wingmen. (iStock). Native plants along the ridge and rare apapane (Hawaiian honeycreeper) sightings aside, the hike has grown in popularity over the years because of its whispered status as a legal access route, the back way, to the infamous HaikuStairs. However, dont be confused by people who tell you this is the legal way to visit the Haiku Stairs. The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. Alone with some of the best views in the world. -Dogs and babies not advisable on this trail. If someone is offering to take you on a hike for a fee, you should report them to the Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement. Hiking Moanalua Middle Ridge on Oahu, an All-Day, Experts-Only "It was an absolute honor when you asked me to commission you into the Air Force," wrote David Michael Rothzeid in a Facebook post. 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. Distress hikers rescued off Moanalua Valley Trail Friday evening 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. DIRECTIONS Traveling west on the H-1, take Exit 10 (Pearl city/Waimalu) onto Moanalua Road. Significantly more roots are exposed as well. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Toa Luau at Waimea Valley. Moanalua Middle Ridge (Honolulu) - All You Need to Know - Tripadvisor It has about 3 times as much elevation gain and takes at least 3 times as long to climb. Disappointed that I didnt have a chance to make that trek. Thanks for looking! We celebrated National Take a Hike Day (Nov. 17), with a round up of our top picks for the best hikes on the Island. Trudging up the slope, it takes about half an hour to scale the first hump. Start hiking along the road/trail just past the bathrooms. There is a little sign right before accession, go to the left and instead of keeping left, take the middle right path up. This is a review for hiking the Moanalua Valley to Middle Ridge to Tripler Ridge (AKA the legal back way to the Stairway to Heaven) and then down the stairs. Once finally at the peak youll see the Haiku Stairs Radio Tower comes into view. Anthony J. Polizzi, 31. The Olomana Trail is strenuous a 4.5-mile rocky path spread across three different mountainous peaks, according toSummitPost.org. 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. 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. Ive done most of the hikes on the island before. 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. Aloha, for those that think this trail is legal and open to the public with no repercussions, you are wrong. If you want to do a guided hike anywhere on State Lands, please ask the guide to see a copy of their commercial use permit, issued by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife. 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. I was wondering 10.4 miles is it a round trip? There should be more information about this soon. Oahu Small Group Circle Island Sightseeing Tour. Microspikes are good to have to make it up/for traction. From plantation towns to planned communities, Central Oahu has its share of secret spots, a bumper crop of bowling alleys and neighborhood eats. WHAT IS THE BEST CHEAP BACKPACKER TRAVEL INSURANCE? He served as the 15th Maintenance Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Maintenance Operations Officer while at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Lastly, you could also be billed for emergency services if youre somehow injured and need to be rescued while doing this hike. no reports have been added for Moanalua Valley Trail yet, add a trail report. The Moanalua Valley Trail begins at the end of the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park. You have permission to edit this article. If you have all trails just follow that! This trail in Oahu, also known as the Haiku Stairs, takes you to the top of the Koolau mountains via 3,922 metal stairs of pure adrenaline and doom. 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Usually trail run in the valley or hike up the ridge a couple times a week. Thanks for your support. Had to go the long way from Moanalua Valley (the legal way so not sure why this says its closed ~ unless its speaking of the actual stairs) I wanted to do this hike every since I moved here 17.5 years ago. Legal climbing of the stairs would mean providing a non-intrusive access route through the neighborhood below, but that could easily be accomplished with the millions of taxpayer dollars that have been spent on security over the years. We are deeply saddened by the loss of Capt. Start at the parking lot at the end of Moanalua Valley Road. Market data provided by Factset. Some of the pages on my travel blog contain affiliate links. Did this exact hike. Too many litterbugs on the island sadly. I was wondering what hike is the one you took the first picture in!! One of my favorite trails, with tons of side trails, pools, and ruins to explore. This will lead you to an open grassy valley that gives you spectacular views of the valley. Some of the links in my content may be affiliate links. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. It all goes back to a history of lawsuits from people getting injured while hiking in Oahu and then suing the state. The steepest section of stairs is actually near the start of the hike, right before you reach the first platform. Stowell's body was found roughly 400 feet below the third peak of Mount Olomana's hiking trail, officials said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Also please pack out your trash! Ill add a note about that in the article. 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. Not a must, but its often raining, and windy. or redistributed. If you fall at dusk you might very well spend the night in the jungle. (10-15) When I got to the top there was probably 10 or so people hanging out which is cool and all, but took away from the experience for me. The Kulana'ahane Trail offers unparalleled hiking through native Hawaiian forest to a scenic overlook. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi! You just keep heading straight up and you will eventually reach the satellite dish at the summit. Make sure you have done your research (YouTube) and you should be ready to are some awesome views. INDEFINITE CLOSURE: This trail is closed to the public and violators/trespassers are SUBJECT TO $1000 FINES, COMMUNITY SERVICE, BENCH WARRANTS, AND/OR ARREST. I didnt need spikes but some good traction helps. Wyatt Olson is based in the Honolulu bureau, where he has reported on military and security issues in the Indo-Pacific since 2014. 30 BEST HIKES ON OAHU, HAWAII - Journey Era Please be respectful to the place we call home and follow the rules. 12. 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. We made a false start up a precarious slope and had to go back down and restart closer to the stairs. It was intense & very rewarding. Preview trail Dogs on leash Hiking Walking Bird watching River Views Waterfall Wildflowers Over grown Scramble Description Parking is at the Moanalua Valley Park (open from 7am - 7pm) at the end of Ala Aolani Street. 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. Overnight parking is not allowed in Moanalua Valley Park - the gate is locked and the park is closed at a certain hour. (That said, while you may take in the jaw-dropping views it showcases of Oahu at the hikes summit, the stairs themselves are still illegal to go down and trespass on, regardless of how youve reached them.) Please explore responsibly! These restaurants and cafs hold themselves to a higher eco-standard that make deciding where to eat for ocean-minded people an easy decision. Really bites that we struggled through mud for miles and never found the trail. 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. We did this trail in about 6.5 hours (both of us experienced hikers) with stoping for many photos and breaks. listen to flash flood warnings. Definitely dont pay a guide for this hike like some people seem to. Ghosts and Night Marchers in Moanalua Mysteries of Hawai'i To stay safe on this hike, just wear shoes with good grip and remember to keep three points of contact at all times. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen. A short walk . Theres a lot to do here, you can even camp and fish. I noticed families on the trail, along with babies being carried by their parents. In any case, just be aware that fines of up to $1,000 have occasionally been given out to people caught climbing the staircase. ", "You need to have a certain amount of physical conditioning, because you are climbing almost the entire time," Griggs told Hawaii News Now. Choose wisely! At some points, the stairs of death are almost vertical, clinging to the side of the steep mountain. Be sure youre alright with heights, narrow ridges, and some minor climbing/scrambling. and news flash, every part of Hawaii is sacred! Definitely not a short one. In this section, I will explain a little bit about each area and share with you the details for exploring this summit area. Views are worth it. Theres something really special about this hike, and I still consider it one of the highlights of my life. The terrain can be quite crumbly, with steep drop-offs so you do need to keep your focus throughout this hike. 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. Anthony J. Polizzi. Even with all the information there is floating around online to help hikers prepare for it, I prefer to have a guide, someone in the flesh whos done this before, to lead the way to the finale peak, Puu Keahi a Kahoe, at the back of Moanalua Valley. This hike is long, and the weather can change quickly along the trail as you ascend to just shy of 3,000ft elevation. This is the trailhead for the hike and you will follow this path until you reach the middle ridge. The Stairway To Heaven also has much more epic views than Koko Head in my opinion, but Koko Head is still a great hike in its own way, and its completely legal, so its a good choice if you want another challenging hike with some fantastic island views. The trail is quite easy to follow for the first few miles with a wide path, winding you through lush forest and warming up your legs.
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