Oh my! Every time I turned around to look back towards the city, the view just kept getting better and better. 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. So long as you make the right turn in The Valley you can easily find your way up, assuming youre up to the effort. 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. the city administration randomly reversed this decision, Best Things To Do In Oahu Hawaii - Fun, Couples, & Free, Best Hikes In Oahu Hawaii - Most Epic & Beautiful Hiking Trails, 16 Great Zion Hikes: Best Hikes In Zion National Park, James Bond Island Thailand: Phang Nga Bay Tour (Phuket), Maine Lighthouses Map: The 15 Best Lighthouses In Maine, Breckenridge Troll Hike: Isak Heartstone Location & Directions, Acatenango Volcano Hike: Volcan De Fuego Guatemala, Tikal Guatemala Ruins: Map & How To Visit Tikal National Park, 15 Best Things To Do In Singapore Airport (Changi Layover), Maya Bay Thailand: The Beach Is Open! Im Jackson, an Australian adventure traveler who has been on the road for eight years now. Make sure you at least have the basics and you will be prepared for bad weather or any mishaps on the trail. Begin walking the trail and after about 2.5 miles you'll see the sign on the left for "Kulana'ahane Trail". 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. You just keep heading straight up and you will eventually reach the satellite dish at the summit. You definitely want good weather for this hike. If its handled right, this solution could resolve many of the issues associated with the Stairway To Heaven. ", "You need to have a certain amount of physical conditioning, because you are climbing almost the entire time," Griggs told Hawaii News Now. Officials said he collapsed while hiking the Moanalua Valley trail, and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Tripler Army Medical Center Tuesday. Have some light. 2023 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Wear proper shoes and bring gloves!Quite muddy Please do not bring your babies, this hike is far too dangerous for young children. Super muddy, have to cross the river to complete. Copyright 2023 Journey Era | Mediavine Trellis Child - Journey Era on Trellis Framework by Mediavine. For a complete list of LEGAL State Trails, please visit hawaiitrails.hawaii.gov/trails Lastly, guided hikes and other commercial activity being conducted inside Moanalua valley are illegal. Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest blog posts, tips, & travel guides. Gallantry: Biden presents Medal of Honor to retired Army Col. Paris Davis for his heroics in Vietnam, US to send bridge-launching vehicles for tank deployments to Ukraine in new $400M aid package, Japan complains to US over Utah senators remarks on imprisoned Navy officer, Military, VA provide troops, vets more gun safety options to help reduce suicides, Pentagon tells service members to stop displaying giant US flags at major events, K-Town Now features the latest news from the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Polizzi collapsed while hiking the Moanalua Valley trail on Oahu. Three units, staffed with nine personnel arrived on scene at 7:58 p.m. Basically, when you reach the top of the Moanalua Middle Ridge trail you will have great views and are within a stones throw of the satellite at the summit. Not willing to change her identity to be part of the industry, Mahina Florence is at the height of her career because of her flawless Hawaiian complexion, strong athletic build, and friendly aloha spirit. In total the hike is 5.2 miles with 2585 ft in elevation gain (basically all of this is condensed into the final 2 miles). The small section damaged by the storm is not steep. This breathtaking gem was built in 1982 by the US Army Corps of Engineering to prevent flooding. All anyone posts on here is about hiking the "legal" way, its not. adventures and follow local regulations. 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 That hasnt stopped locals, hikers, and tourists sneaking past a guard who is posted at the bottom of the stairs to experience the thrilling 4000ft long climb along an 18-inch wide staircase reaching heights of above 2000ft. Most accidents happen when hikers leave the established trail and disregard warning signs. Did this hike last week started at 6 AM. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. You can see the windward side of Oahu island with Kaneohe Bays sandbars, and an amphitheater of mountains surrounding you on all sides. Moanalua Valley is a Forest Reserve. If you think about it there is a large number of people on 24/7 neighborhood watch and some are very angry and extreme. But, this is just the beginning, and there are more to scale, a handful of which require ropes already strung along its steepest sections, and I gather this will be the theme of the day: up and down, then up again until theres nowhere else to climb. 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. -Rain jacket/windbreaker . Not muddy today. I lived on Oahu for two years and loved adventuring from the beaches to the mountains to the waterfalls! INDEFINITE CLOSURE: This trail is closed to the public and violators/trespassers are SUBJECT TO $1000 FINES, COMMUNITY SERVICE, BENCH WARRANTS, AND/OR ARREST. The key in the first part of the hike is to be cognizant of the distance you are covering as the ridge trail is somewhat hidden and can be easily missed. If people cared more about the "nature" that they so desperately enjoy in this valley, then I wouldn't even be on here. Stay hydrated and prepare for the unexpected. Significantly more roots are exposed as well. 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. We did the Uncle Toms Trail in Yellowstone and for me that was one of the best little adventures Ive done. Get an early start, because parking fills up fast. Make sure you bring snacks and lots of water. 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. Overnight parking is not allowed in Moanalua Valley Park - the gate is locked and the park is closed at a certain hour. 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 dangerous trail since 2011. 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. The road eventually turns to an unimproved road and later a narrow trail. A guy yelled and cussed at us and sprayed us with water with blue dye. I was lucky enough to have climbed on a windless morning, but any wind will add to the complexity and risk to the hike. These restaurants and cafs hold themselves to a higher eco-standard that make deciding where to eat for ocean-minded people an easy decision. Mahalo! Also please pack out your trash! 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. 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. However, it is not the most dangerous hike on Oahu. Past Week. Additionally, along the trail there are several ropes which people have tied tied to help with the hike. I hope to do it again someday. Future Of The Haiku Stairs Open / Closed? The steepest section of stairs is actually near the start of the hike, right before you reach the first platform. Well kept trail for the island, but still challenging. The views are simply stunning and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Chinamans Hat near Kualoa Ranch and in the other direction, you can see all the way to Rabbit Island at Makapuu. 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! Some of the links in my content may be affiliate links. Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. Ask bognarofsydney about Moanalua Valley Trail. To begin the Moanalua Valley Trail you will first need to drive to the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park and park in the streets nearby. Even the Kalalau Trail is open in Kauai despite being much more risky than the Stairway To Heaven. 0 rides ; 6 Months. Firefighters hiked up the trail and made contact with the woman at 10:12 p.m., and determined both hikers were uninjured so, it was decided to escort the hikers on foot. Bring water & food. If you decide to bring Fido, keep him leashed. What can be earliest time to start this hike? 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. This is quite the work out and worth the view. 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. Though the trail is not particularly hilly, it is also not paved and there are muddy spots that should be approached with caution. There is also a cliff diving spot at one of the falls. Make the risks known to people, but dont close all the hikes. Here are my hiking essentials. 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. These are extremely helpful and if the trail is the least bit muddy they are a full-fledged necessity. All Rights Reserved. Assuming you are doing the middle ridge hike, very enjoyable. IG: @ lis.aloha. 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. ", James Keener, of Hawaii Fresh Farms where Stowell worked, according to his Facebook page, wrote that the 24-year-oldwas like a son to himand "died the way he lived, taking chances, and living everyday to its fullest.". 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. 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. Im 100% in favor of keeping the stairway and letting hikers continue to hike it, but, David, you might want to add another item to bring with you on this hike a respectful & considerate disposition. If you want to see this place legally with almost no chance of fines, you can hike up the Moanalua Valley Trail on the back side of the same mountain. Distress hikers rescued off Moanalua Valley Trail Friday evening. Ethical? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Polizzi graduated from Miami University, Ohio, from which he was commissioned through ROTC and entered the Air Force June 7, 2011. We did this trail in about 6.5 hours (both of us experienced hikers) with stoping for many photos and breaks. At a few points I need to brace myself against the bark of an ohia tree to keep from losing my balance. The final major rope section was a steep gravel wall at an aggressive angle that required you to pull yourself up with the rope. My husband and I are planning on doing this hike. There is a little sign right before accession, go to the left and instead of keeping left, take the middle right path up. There's also a ton of street parking near by in the neighborhood. 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. There is an entry along the fence that will go through. (Google Maps calls it Moanalua Valley Trail Start.) The exposed ridges have more space on the sides than the pictures seem. (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. Theres something really special about this hike, and I still consider it one of the highlights of my life. Bring some shoes that you don't care about because the trail is muddy and you will definitely get dirty. Regular athletic shoes will not do the job. 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. There are dozens of other legal trails that give you a similar view that you can hike. This is a small playground area for children and at the back of the grass area, the paved trail begins. If you look closely, you can see the winding stairway. 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. Legal? Did this exact hike. But is the solution to shut everything down? One way to reach the off-limits Stairway to Heaven is to start on a different trail from Moanalua Valley. Start at the parking lot at the end of Moanalua Valley Road. Moanalua is still a pretty epic hike in its own right, and the views are amazing, so Id recommend doing it if you enjoy hard hikes! It was actually easier to me than Mount Olympus , just a LOTTTTTT longer. 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. Can see the water on both sides of the islands the further up you hike. As an affiliate, I only recommend products and services that I feel are high quality and helpful to my readers. 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. The Stairway To Heaven trail is located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Friends also took to social media Thursday to share their memories of Polizzi. Preview trail There were plans to remove the stairs, but theres also been a lot of pushback from Hawaii locals wanting to keep the stairs. Translation: Its going to be a long day. 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. Moanalua Valley has a rich cultural history that is important to the people of Hawaii. To get to the trailhead, park outside the Moanalua Valley Park and the trail begins just after the green gate. Fortunately,Oahu is full of great hikes. It is open 7A-7P but I started my hike at 6:15A and the gate was open. There is parking in the park parking lot, but it's only open from 7 am to 7 pm. "Novices have no business being on that hike. The terrain can be quite crumbly, with steep drop-offs so you do need to keep your focus throughout this hike. Many of the best hikes in Oahu have been closed preemptively to avoid more of these unjustified lawsuits. The Kullana'ahane is a better marker. From plantation towns to planned communities, Central Oahu has its share of secret spots, a bumper crop of bowling alleys and neighborhood eats. 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. There is no legal way to the stairs. Heed no trespassing and other warning signs. Wyatt Olson is based in the Honolulu bureau, where he has reported on military and security issues in the Indo-Pacific since 2014. We rest here for a while, towering above the island. 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. 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. DIRECTIONS Traveling west on the H-1, take Exit 10 (Pearl city/Waimalu) onto Moanalua Road. Please find another hike. Go past it about 20 paces. Moanalua Valley Trail to the Haiku Stairs is the only legal trail, and it is recommended for very experienced hikers. Trudging up the slope, it takes about half an hour to scale the first hump. Lol ALOHAAAAA. I also didnt get enough sleep dont be like me. Legal Statement. 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. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Bring A LOT of water, snacks, sunscreen and gloves really help for the ropes. Yes, technically it is illegal to climb the Oahu Haiku Stairs since theyre closed to the public. Thanks for your support. Although small and unmarked its an obvious trail. The stairs are hiked by thousands of people every year, but the status of the trail is still in limbo because the state of Hawaii is afraid of liability and cant decide what to do with the stairs. Anthony J. Polizzi, 31. Pack a long sleeve tee for the top (its chilly). I didnt end up using mine even with the amount of rain and mud present. Hoomaluhia means "to make a place of peace and tranquility." 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). Yes the steepest parts have metal railings to hold. Its absolutely gorgeous. I lived for a few years in Kaneohe (graduated James B Castle HS) some 50 years ago and NEVER knew about the Haiku stairway. Moanalua (Kamananui) Valley Trail on Oahu. These are my most popular blog post and guides from the beautiful island of Oahu to help you plan your trip! There is a bathroom and water at the park only. Not runners, not tennis, etc. Ill add a note about that in the article. 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 hope this clears up YEARS of misconceptions about this trail. absolutely not! Theres a nature trail by the Botanic Library that takes you to a lake. Once finally at the peak youll see the Haiku Stairs Radio Tower comes into view. . In this web series,we bring you our favorite Oahu trails once a month. Judd Trail Mountain View is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.