The Infamous Stairway to Heaven. Why do I say “infamous?” If you are here, then you have probably read of its history and how it is illegal to hike to the stairs. Well, I’m happy to tell all you non-rebellious hikers and travelers that there is a legal way to get to the stairs.

This legal way takes you around the mountain, so you never have to trespass private property or worry about sneaking in and bypassing a guard. All it requires is your time. Set aside a minimum of 9 hours to your morning because that is how long it takes to hike up and down.

A few people have asked me why I chose to hire a guide for this hike if it starts as a normal hiking trail. There were a few reasons. One being, I was going to do this hike by myself and another was the information online wasn’t very clear at which point I had to veer off the trail to start ascending the mountain. The latter gave me anxiety because I didn’t want to worry about getting lost and loosing time getting to the stairs. So I continued to research and one name kept coming up in various hiking blogs that highly recommended him as a guide. I found his Instagram and was happy to see various photos and videos of him taking many people to the stairs for over two years. So I contacted him and asked if he had any hiking dates for the week I would be in Oahu. Did I mention his name is Mike.

Mike’s Information (as of Sept. 2018)

He charges $165 per person with a $20 reservation deposit. ($20 is part of the $165)
- Includes hiking spikes for your shoes
- Hiking Gloves (these were really helpful)
- He takes professional photos of you at the Stairs.

The photos were what made me secure my spot with him. I was traveling solo on this hike so I wanted to have good pictures once I got there and not worry about asking a lot people.

Then came the morning of the hike.

I was feeling both extremely excited but also a little worried because I hadn’t done a major hike that lasted nine hours. I love hiking in San Diego but this was going to be completely different. I had packed based on what Mike suggested and from my personal experiences. Once ready I headed out at six a.m. to the meeting place Mike had sent out.

Items I brought for the hike:

My 2.5 Liter Camel Pack (Mike advised 2-3L)
Extra socks ( I went threw 2 pairs)
1 bottle of Gatorade
5-7 Cliff bars (wanted to be prepared but ended up eating four)
P.B and J sandwich
Various dried fruits.
light jacket and small first aid bag.
Hat and sunscreen 50+
My camera
Change of clothes and sandals (I left these in my car. I was so happy to have these after a long day hiking.)

I was lucky to find parking in the little park lot. It fills up fast because although I saw people waiting for Mike, there were other Hikers heading up the trail to do the same thing as us. I was very happy and surprised to see a group of about 20 people waiting for Mike. Once Mike arrived he and his friend passed out the shoe spikes and gloves. He also mentioned that he carried extra water, gatorade and first aide in case anyone ran out or needed it.

The first 10-20 minutes were easy. We followed the flat trail as we make our way further from our cars and closer to the mountains. It was here that I met so many people from all around the world. There were people from Qatar, New Zealand, Canada and all over the States. We all came together to hike to The Stairway to Heaven and it was amazing to see how far Mike’s reach is as a Hiking Guide.

Along the way we did run in to a few groups of hikers who had lost the trail and were lost (one of my fears). Mike told them to follow us and then let them know the trail was clear so thet could continue ahead of us. One of the highlights of the trip was Mike showing us how to pick out ripe Guava and Lilikoi “Passion Fruit” right off the trees.

As you can see, Mike would go off into the forest and grab various fruits for us to try. Mike would also explain how to check the fruit and also teach us about the plant life in the area. It was such a great experience and I would often see fruit on the trees and find myself eating them along the trail.

Then came the hard part of the hike.

Once we ventured off the trail it was time to start ascending the mountain. This was when the shoes spikes and the gloves were really needed and made the hike so much easier. Many times the climb required me to grab trees, roots or bushes to climb up rocks that were half my size. I was constantly using my hands and it was a relief not to worry where I was putting my hands. There were parts where you were almost climbing vertically and had to use the rope that was added on the mountain.

My body was being pushed so hard there were moments I had to pause for a break. I was constantly sipping on my gatorade and slowly munching on fruits. It wasn’t until we made it to the first mountain ridge that the trail became easier.

As you can see in the picture, at the very far end of the valley is where we started. Then we climbed up the to the mountain ridges, slowly ascending to the top. We had to walk through streams and rivers at certain points, that’s when those extra socks came in handy.

Mike alerted us along the way that we were lucky it was clear and sunny on the mountain. The majority of his hikes (he said 90%) it is raining on the mountain so the trail becomes really muddy.

Since there were various types of hikers, Mike would give a walkie talkie to the faster groups/couples and told them to just alert him if they needed anything.

Finally I saw the old weather station in the distance and knew I was almost around the mountain and getting closer to the stairs. The station is at the top end of the stairs so it makes for an amazing moment when you cross around the building and see the view for the first time..

You feel euphoria, a sense of accomplishment and just amazement that you have physically pushed yourself all the way to the top and have finally made it!

At that point Mike goes one by one to get the perfect picture of you climbing the stairs. We ended up staying up there for around an hour and half eating lunch and just enjoying the views. You can stay for as long as you want but remember what goes up must come down!!

This is my picture I had to ask someone to take. Check out Mike’s picture on my instagram :)

In my personal opinion, this is something that you just have to experience. I loved this hike. As we were hiking, it wasn’t just about the stairs anymore. The whole experience left me so exhilarated. I learned so much and got to enjoy nature up close. My body was put to the test. I love to experience new things and hiking nine hours really left me with such an unbelievable memory. Although you can do this hike on your own, having an experienced guide really teaching us about the area and Hawaii added to the whole adventure. I didn’t have to worry about the logistics, which left my full attention on The Stairway to Heaven journey.

The Guide I hired:

Mike Karas Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mike.karas/

The Stairway to Heaven in Oahu, Hawaii. How to "legally" hike to the famous Haiku Stairs and the best Guide to take you.