Hawaii to remove forbidden staircase due to ‘rampant trespassing’

The Haiku Stairs, a nearly 4,000-step trail across Oahu's Ko'olau mountain range, has drawn tourists despite being prohibited from use

Hawaii officials have announced plans to spend $1m removing a popular mountain trail known as the Stairway to Heaven, which they say has become the scene of rampant illegal trespassing" and safety concerns despite the public being banned from using it.

Tens of thousands of people have climbed the Haiku Stairs, which span nearly 4,000 steps across Oahu's Ko'olau mountain range, since the US navy built the trail during the second world war. Though the public has been forbidden from the stairs since 1987, numerous people continued to use them, despite no trespassing signs and fines of up to $1,000.