If you're planning a walking holiday to Hawaii we have some sad news.
It’s been the site of thousands of Instagram shots - and also hundreds of rescues - but the Haiku Stairs’ days are now officially numbered.
The Hawaiian city of Honolulu has announced plans to begin demolishing the illicit hike, which has been official closed since 1987, later this month.
Hawaii News Now reported Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said that contractors had begun assessments ahead of beginning removal work.
Crews will fly out the nearly 4,000 stairs by helicopter, bringing them to a ground site for further disassembly. The city expects the full project will take roughly six months.
Blangiardi said the removal project prioritises public safety, seeks to stop illegal trespassing on the stairs and nearby neighbours who have dealt with decades of disturbances, addresses significant liability for the city, preserves the natural beauty and condition of the area.
According to backpacker.com the US Navy built the Haiku Stairs in 1942 as part of a project to create an experimental radio transmitting station after the outbreak of WWII.
While the Coast Guard opened the stairs to hikers in the 1970s, it officially closed them again a decade later after vandals damaged them.
While officials have at time explored options for reopening them to the public since then, even paying a contractor nearly $US900,000 to repair them in 2003, the stairs have remained closed since then, and have gradually deteriorated in the 21 years since.