CNN
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Hawaii’s most controversial natural area has once again become a source of concern. According to government officials, 14 people were recently arrested for climbing the Haiku Steps on the island of Oahu.

They are beautiful but unexpected: 4,000 metal steps, built by the U.S. Navy during World War II and abandoned shortly after. Located in a remote area of ​​Kaneohe, the only way to reach them is via a dangerous and unauthorized hike.

“It is incredibly disrespectful and self-centered for anyone to be on the Haiku Stairs or the Middle Ridge Trail when it has been made abundantly clear that these areas are off-limits for safety and natural resource protection,” said Jason Redulla, chief of the Hawaii Department of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE), in a statement that included the ominous warning that “someone will get hurt or killed.”

According to DOCARE, all of the people arrested in the past week were charged with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor that can result in up to 30 days in jail. Eight of the 14 were arrested on Sept. 3, though it’s unclear whether they were hiking together.

“It’s dangerous for people to enter the construction zone and dangerous for them to try to get down the ridge. They have to think about the consequences if someone gets hurt, or worse, and needs to be rescued. It’s a difficult place for rescuers to get to, which can delay medical treatment,” Redulla said.

Sometimes referred to as the “stairway to heaven,” the Haiku Stairs were closed to the public in 1987. But thanks to social media, the unlikely destination has become a lot more famous, with intrepid YouTubers and Instagrammers waxing lyrical about the stunning views from the top of the 850-meter-long mountain trail, with the staircase sometimes seeming to disappear into the mist above.

According to DOCARE, the hikers used climbing ropes to reach the stairs.

The stairs’ notoriety has caused headaches for the local community, including trespassers, extra security costs and risky rescues for hikers injured in the remote area.

In 2021, the Honolulu City Council voted to remove the Haiku Stairs. The work was done in stages, with each section of the staircase being detached from the mountain and then removed by helicopter.

A local group called Friends of the Haiku Stairs is opposing the removal of the stairs, saying the $2.5 million process is too expensive.

Some of the demolition work had already been completed when the Hawaii Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction earlier this year.