47 Once-Popular Touristic Destinations That Have Been Lost to Time

The Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, is well deserving of its name the longer you look at it. Consisting of more than 3,000 steps, it is truly a striking view to watch the stairs disappear into the mists of Oahu Ko’olau’s mountain range.

The stairs were originally built in 1942 for a radio station, and long after it finished serving its purpose, the Coast Guard opened it as a hiking spot in the 1970s. That stint was, tragically, short-lived, as its appearance in Magnum P.I. increased its popularity to the point it had to be shut down again in 1987. In 2021, it was decided the entire trail was going to be removed—such a shame.