Would you pay $100 just to take a hike? In an attempt to save a beloved landmark, Oahu, Hawaii, residents are proposing to charge the tourists who come to climb the famed "Haiku stairs" in their state's capital.
The "Stairway To Heaven," as it has been nicknamed by locals, has nearly 4,000 steps that lead to the summit of Puu Keahi a Kahoe. It has been officially closed for nearly 30 years now, but the laws haven't stopped massive amounts of tourists and locals from making the trek.
It's definitely not easy — those who dare to pass have to avoid guards and make their way around guarded fences.
Earlier this year, the stairs were damaged during a storm, and now a decision must be made about what to do with them. The Hawaiian government has proposed tearing them down, but they're facing heavy opposition. A counter plan proposes charging tourists $100 to hike the stairs, with a much more modest fee of between $5 and $20 for locals.
With views like these, it's clear why people are fighting to keep it.
SEE ALSO: 21 vintage photos of Hawaii from before it became a state
Originally wooden, the stairs were built as an access path during World War II, leading up 2,000 feet to a naval antenna that was one of the largest of its kind at the time.
Steel replaced wood in the 1950s, and a US Coast Guard navigation station was established at the top where the stairs would lead to. The station closed in 1987, and the stairs were officially marked off-limits.
The city reportedly invested nearly $1 million in the early 2000s to revamp the trail so that it could legally open up to the public. Unfortunately, the city never followed through on their promise, and the grounds remained private.
It has been a hotly contested issue in the community, involving both city and government institutions.
To tear it down now could cost the city of Honolulu up to $5 million.
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