When I first heard about the Haiku Stairs (aka Stairway to Heaven), I knew I had to do it!  Somehow….Someday….

There were a few challenges to address:  1)  Injury or Death   2)  It was (and still is) illegal – possible trespassing ticket or – worst case scenario – arrest  3)  There is a guard posted at the beginning of the stairs to turn away hikers.  The actual stairs (3,922 steps) traverse over several private properties, and no one really wants to be liable for …see #1.

My first attempt was in November – after getting lost at 5am in the morning in a thick (and VERY dark) bamboo forrest, we were turned away by the guard!  It’s okay, I knew I would be back in May.

My second attempt – success!  We researched and planned ahead.  From our research, we knew the guard usually arrived at 3am – and to see the sunrise from such a vantage point, would have been great from a photography standpoint, but I did not want to attempt 3,922 steps in the dark.  So, we decided to attempt at 3:30pm – and made it!  Here are a few photos of the hike – it was truly amazing!  We didn’t see a single other person on the stairs the entire time (about 3 hours).  At one point, the sun broke through the clouds, and it was a truly beautiful sight to see!  I’m not sure if I would classify this hike as death defying, but I would not recommend it to anyone who wasn’t an avid hiker.  My calves hurt for a week!  The weather was perfect – this area is known for lots of rain – and the stairs can become slick since they are all metal.

Enjoy!