Haʻikū Stairs climbs Oʻahu’s Koʻolau range above Haʻikū Valley, rising in more than 3,000 steps to a former U.S. Navy communications site built during World War Two. Begun in 1942 for the secret Haʻikū Radio Station and later rebuilt in metal in the mid-1950s under U.S. Coast Guard use, the route became one of Hawaii’s most famous hikes after public access opened in the 1970s. Closed in 1987 because of trespassing, litter, liability, and neighborhood impacts, it remained a contested landmark for decades. By 2024 the city had begun dismantling it despite preservation efforts and a 2025 lawsuit seeking to stop the demolition.