Is it illegal to hike Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii? Yes, and it could cost you thousands

People may have to pay for their own rescue if they get into trouble on the Stairway to Heaven trail on Oahu, Hawaii.

The popular trail, also known as Haʻikū Stairs, was open to hikers in the 1980s but was closed by the US Coast Guard in 1987 after being deemed too dangerous. Despite officials threatening to tear down the stairs, they remain in place.

While there are “no trespassing signs”, a US$1000 (NZ$1600) fine and security guards that cost US$250,00 (NZ$402,000) per year, thousands of people continue to sneak through at dawn and clamber the 3922 steel steps to catch the incredible view.

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However, the vistas come with a risk and the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) often receives 911 calls from injured hikers needing help. Between 2010 and 2022, more than 188 people have been rescued from the illegal trail.

According to the new bill, SB786, “it is the State that bears the burden of paying for the costs associated with the search or rescue.”

The bill proposes giving the government the ability to “seek reimbursement for search or rescue expenses” when hikers tresspass and get into trouble.

Since airlift rescues typically take two hours and helicopters cost up to $4020 according to HFD, this could put an $8040 price tag on the pretty trail.

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After passing its first reading, the bill crossed over to the House, said Senator Brenton Awa, the representative for Kaneohe, where the trail is located.

Awa said hikers needed to understand that being out in nature comes with risks.

“When you go into the wilderness, there’s responsibility that comes with it,” he said. “I would never go into another state and expect to be saved by anybody.”

Hawaii Police Department (HPD) and Hawaii Fire Department both opposed the bill. In a written testimony, HPD stated the bill could “make the situation worse and further endanger the lives of those persons as well as first responders”.

Hawaii is not the first US state looking to impose such a bill. Similar legislation is also present in Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and South Dakota.