At minimum please wear proper hiking footwear and be prepared. Distress hikers rescued off Moanalua Valley Trail Friday evening. You need to take the MIDDLE option. 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. Moanalua Valley. Definitely dont pay a guide for this hike like some people seem to. So if you're going to be later than that park outside on the street so as not to get towed. This is the end of the Middle Ridge Trail. Please be quiet and respectful of the local residents as you are parking, packing, and reaching the trailhead. I noticed families on the trail, along with babies being carried by their parents. Most accidents happen when hikers leave the established trail and disregard warning signs. Yes, technically it is illegal to climb the Oahu Haiku Stairs since theyre closed to the public. Im chicken little when it comes to doing anything that is deemed illegal. All rights reserved. Anthony J. Polizzi, 31. The trail is a legal hike and you should have no issues on the route towards the summit. Regular athletic shoes will not do the job. Foster Botanical Garden is a loop trail that is used for walking and nature trips located near Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. From plantation towns to planned communities, Central Oahu has its share of secret spots, a bumper crop of bowling alleys and neighborhood eats. If you don't want to do the illegal way, this way is worth it. olson.wyatt@stripes.com Twitter: @WyattWOlson. Anthony Polizzi, Col. Dan Dobbels, commander of the 15th Wing, said in the statement. This hike is long, and the weather can change quickly along the trail as you ascend to just shy of 3,000ft elevation. Many of the best hikes in Oahu have been closed preemptively to avoid more of these unjustified lawsuits. Looking to hike this this week if anybody wants to go .msg insta @allispichkooo :), Aloha! Our biggest priority is taking care of his family and supporting his fellow Wingmen. Translation: Its going to be a long day. 6 rides; 11 miles avg distance; All. Wear proper shoes and bring gloves!Quite muddy Toa Luau at Waimea Valley. Anyone who hikes the 10 miles round trip is obviously going to go to the top of the stairs, or beyond. However, it is not the most dangerous hike on Oahu. There are dozens of other legal trails that give you a similar view that you can hike. If you look closely, you can see the winding stairway. She was . Every time I turned around to look back towards the city, the view just kept getting better and better. Once you are inside the Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park, you will find the trail at the back of the park. I explored the radio tower, Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven), and a set of abandoned, overgrown stairs. Did this exact hike. The view from the tower is the most spectacular although there will be lookouts before which are gorgeous as well. Our biggest priority is taking care of his family and supporting his fellow Wingmen. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. I didnt need spikes but some good traction helps. 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. Nathan Stowell, 25, died on Sunday after falling 400 feet off a hiking trail of Hawaii's Mount Olomana. It is open 7A-7P but I started my hike at 6:15A and the gate was open. Invalid password or account does not exist. Instagram @dblock55. . The trail to the top of the Haiku Stairs (Stairway to Heaven) is prohibited. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Moanalua (Kamananui) Valley Trail on Oahu. Still, thousands of people make the climb every year, and for good reason its one of the most spectacular hikes on Earth! 2023 Stars and Stripes. Whoever JT is he needs to lighten the hell up. Maybe we miscounted the 4 wheel drive crossings because we were at 15 or 16 when we hit the Kulana'ahane trailhead (on the left). I did this hike solo about a month ago. Wyatt Olson is based in the Honolulu bureau, where he has reported on military and security issues in the Indo-Pacific since 2014. The middle ridge in Moanalua is home to many native species not found anywhere else in the world, and being at the top of the ridge, the effects of illegal hikers and illegal tours ripples down into the valley. Not only are the views out of this world, but the whole experience is just beyond awesome and unique. Loved every minute of it! The steepest section of stairs is actually near the start of the hike, right before you reach the first platform. Wind and rain can make it much harder and more risky. Basically, politics and money got in the way of this epic hike. Highly recommend, it was one of the best hikes I have ever done. 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. This was one of my favorite sections of the hike and the backdrop over the shoulder gave great views of the ridge we had just hiked up. Be careful on your footing & hand placements not all branches are build to hold your weight. Generally considered a challenging route. The back way to the ever popular and still somewhat illegal Haiku Stairs, the Moanalua Middle Ridge hike brings plenty of beauty and even more challenges than the path down the Haiku Stairs. The Moanalua Valley Trail takes you up a steep, strenuous dirt path with ropes and no stairs. a view? To stay safe on this hike, just wear shoes with good grip and remember to keep three points of contact at all times. We celebrated National Take a Hike Day (Nov. 17), with a round up of our top picks for the best hikes on the Island. However, the whole Haiku valley is surrounded by a residential area with fences, yappy dogs, and a security guard, with only a few possible entrances. Begin walking the trail and after about 2.5 miles you'll see the sign on the left for "Kulana'ahane Trail". HONOLULU (KITV4) Honolulu Fire received an emergency 911 call about hikers in distress on the Moanalua Valley Trail on Friday evening. It gave the mountains and everything a surreal touch that made us feel like we were walking up into the heavens. Really bites that we struggled through mud for miles and never found the trail. It definitely is not legal to set foot on the Haiku Stairs or the satellite area at the summit. 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. Check out their website and consider donating if youre a fan. I feel surprisingly renewed by this and take a moment to find my center of gravity before retracing the long way back. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. 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. This is the trail that leads you up the Moanalua Ridge, also known as the Moanalua Middle Ridge. listen to flash flood warnings. The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. You definitely want good weather for this hike. Once up on the ridge, the view is absolutely incredible! 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. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Bring water & food. The Moanalua Valley Middle Ridge Trail to the Haiku Stairs is a 10.7 mile (roundtrip) hike along varying terrains with several rope climb sections and very narrow ridge climbing. Nowadays, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply owns the Hawaii Haiku Stairs, and theyve repeatedly talked about the idea of tearing them down for political (liability) reasons. The first part of the trail is fairly flat and easy consisting of 17 riverbed crossings. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Can see the water on both sides of the islands the further up you hike. 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. 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. The Haiku Stairs Hawaii trail was officially closed in the 1980s, and its been damaged a little (and repaired) on and off in the years since then. 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 views are incredible and worth every minute and mile of this trail. 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. Please explore other trails nearby. 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. Ensure that your battery is full prior to your hike. These affiliates don't cost you anything extra and help me keep the site going. Know your physical abilities and limitations; select trails that can be enjoyed safely. I first discovered the Stairway To Heaven Oahu hike on the internet in 2015 and knew I had to try it. I hope to do it again someday. While you cant legally step foot on the stairs or satellite summit area, you can make it all the way up to that area so this route is a great alternative to the controversial and heavily regulated Haiku Stairs (the front way). The view is wonderful worth the hike. 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. Some of the links in my content may be affiliate links. The trail quietly opens up and were greeted with an elevated view of the valleys treetops sprawling out beneath us. Speaking of which, please be respectful of the local neighborhood and dont make noise or throw trash, and definitely dont jump any fences or go into anyones yard. Dinner and Show Tickets. Legal Statement. This will lead you to an open grassy valley that gives you spectacular views of the valley. "It was an absolute honor when you asked me to commission you into the Air Force," wrote David Michael Rothzeid in a Facebook post. Ask bognarofsydney about Moanalua Valley Trail. Keep in mind, to stay 100 percent legal on this hike you will have to go back the same way you came. -2L water MINIMUM. Stowell's body was found roughly 400 feet below the hiking trail, where he was pronounced dead. Can be very muddy like lots of the ridges out here on island. The hike is four miles each way . Preview trail With alternate trails and surrounding hunting grounds, its easy for dogs to get lost. Overnight parking is not allowed in Moanalua Valley Park - the gate is locked and the park is closed at a certain hour. We explored a few hundred meters down an abandoned set of stairs, quite sketchy and not recommended before turning back and returning towards the radio tower. There is parking in the park parking lot, but it's only open from 7 am to 7 pm. One of the main challenges of climbing the Hawaii Stairway To Heaven trail is just finding where it starts. 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. DM me on IG: @OutFullSending. 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. 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. Thanks Billie! There is a bathroom and water at the park only. 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. Non-potable stream water can be found through out the valley. He was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, where he was pronounced dead, the Air Force said. 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. 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. Being inside the boundaries of the TMK parcel that the stairs is built on is a finable offense for having broken property and trespass laws. 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. Definitely not a short one. 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. No more news yet. Please tag along! Once finally at the peak youll see the Haiku Stairs Radio Tower comes into view.