When Honolulu officials began the process of removing the famous Haiku Stairs to prevent hikers from accessing the area back in April, local residents breathed a sigh of relief. The hiking trail, which offers what many consider to be the best view in Hawaii, had brought years of trespassing, vandalism and overcrowding to the area. As it turns out, however, the removal of the stairs was only the beginning of the controversy, which continues as 14 hikers were arrested this week after illegally gaining access to the area.
According to a Facebook post by Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the arrests took place on the Kāne‘ohe side of the Ha‘ikū Stairs and all of the hikers now face criminal trespassing charges after using the Middle Ridge Trail.
