Group tries to stop state from demolishing famed Hawaii staircase that has become popular with influencers

The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs, a nonprofit lobbying to retain the scenic structure, filed a lawsuit to reverse the decision to demolish the stairs.

A Hawaii court is being asked to reverse the city of Honolulu’s decision to demolish the Haʻikū Stairs, an iconic historical landmark popular among influencers — despite being illegal to hike.

A lawsuit was filed in district court on Thursday by the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs, a nonprofit lobbying to retain the 50-year-old mountain path on O’ahu instead of tearing it down, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported.

The city of Honolulu has been trying to demolish the scenic structure, also known as the “Stairway to Heaven,” since 2021 over safety concerns, liability issues and expensive security costs.

The famed stairs were built in World War II as part of a top-secret naval radio project, but have since become a contentious issue. While the stairs were closed in 1987 and are considered illegal to climb, countless hikers still flock to them to take in the breathtaking views.

The new lawsuit asks the court to permanently halt the decision made by the State Historic Preservation Division, a branch of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, under Hawai’i statutes.

The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs, a nonprofit lobbying to retain the scenic structure, filed a lawsuit to reverse the decision to demolish the stairs. (Shutterstock / travellife18)

The filing claims the state failed to have the city “conduct adequate historic and archaeological surveys of the full project area” and let the city reject “a viable alternative to preserve the Stairs.”

The lawsuit cites a 2019 letter to the city, in which the historic division said it hoped to preserve and restore the damaged section of the staircase.

“[The state’s] preferred alternative would be to keep the Haʻikū Stairs and … and restore the damaged section of the stairs,” the letter read.

However, years later, in April of 2024, the state changed course, writing to the city that demolition could proceed. The lawsuit argues that the letter didn’t adequately explain the change in stance.

“We just think that [the state’s] rapid shift from preservation to demolition without explaining or doing any of the steps necessary under state law was fundamentally wrong and voids the whole process,” Justin Scorza, vice president of the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs, said on Monday.

The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs previously appealed the letter with the Hawai’i Historic Places Review Board, but it lacked a quorum to rule on the legality of the letter, Scorza said.

The stairs were built during World War II and are technically illegal to climb, though that doesn’t stop hikers from trying. (Getty Images)

City spokesperson Ian Scheuring told the outlet the city was confident the Circuit Court didn’t have jurisdiction over the case, and expects the lawsuit to be dismissed.

The decision to demolish the stairs was officially made in September 2021 by Honolulu city officials. It was expected to take six months and cost $2.6 million, but in August 2023 the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs asked a court to stop the plan.

While the nonprofit lost that decision, a temporary injunction was placed on the project in June 2024. In February of this year, Honolulu filed for an expedited appeal decision, claiming it cost nearly $2 million to pay police overtime to guard the steps from June to December last year. Over 120 arrests were made for trespassing during that same time period, according to the report.

Despite officials’ concerns over the structure’s safety, no one has ever died climbing the stairs. About 200 hikers have been rescued off the trail between 2010 and 2022, the report said.