Hanauma Bay

The Haiku Stairs, or Haiku Ladder, is a 3,922-step stairway that ascends to the summit of the Koolau mountain range. The stairs were originally constructed by the military during World War II to provide access to a radio transmission station at the summit, but later became a popular hiking destination. The vertical rise is 2,800 feet and so steep in some sections the stairs seem to disappear into the sky. Thus, the name. Today, controversy exists over the legality of accessing the stairs, due mainly to complaints by nearby residents about garbage, noise, and parking problems at the base of the trail.