Help us save the Koko Crater Trail
Help us Save the Koko Crater Trail.

The famous Koko Crater Trail, a historic tramway to the top of the landmark Koko Crater on the island of Oahu, is on the verge of destruction by decades of unchecked decay and erosion. The city and county of Honolulu’s position is that there is no money, materials, or staff available for any kind of repairs, maintenance, or planning.
Funds raised in this campaign will be used to pay for urgently needed temporary repairs to stabilize the trail while we, the Kokonut Koalition in partnership with the city and county, make long-term plans to completely rebuild it. Funds will also be used for startup expenses so that the Kokonut Koalition can become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This will enable us to raise tax-deductible donations and to apply for grants.
The Koko Crater Trail Story

This historic tramway, now commonly known as the Koko Head Stairs, or simply the Stairs, was built in 1942 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to provide access to an early radar station perched on the rim of Koko Crater on the island of Oahu. The tram is long gone, but the remaining track has been used as an endurance hike for decades. It rewards hikers with expansive views of Maunalua Bay and Diamond Head to the West, Hanauma Bay and Koko Head to the East, and the Waimanalo coast to the South.
The tramway has been deteriorating for decades without any maintenance other than what has been done by unauthorized volunteers. It exists in a state of benign neglect by the city and county of Honolulu, which has never maintained it and doesn’t even consider it to be a sanctioned trail. Their neglect is benign only because they allow it to remain open, though we wonder how long that policy can remain in light of the trail’s accelerating deterioration.


The Stairs are now at, what we consider to be, a tipping point. Erosion has undermined the tramway to the extent that one major tropical storm or hurricane could do enough significant damage to make it unusable. On a busy day, well over a thousand people from all walks of life and many international origins climb the Koko Crater Stairs. It has become a must-do event for our adventurous visitors.
For us kokonuts, it’s our regular workout. Some of us have been hiking the Stairs for over twenty years, many for a decade or more. I’ve been hiking it regularly for four years, usually four times a week and often three trips per session. It has become a habit that sustains me. All of us regular hikers feel this way. I greet the day with this hike. Others enjoy a sunset hike and still others like to broil themselves under the midday heat of the Hawaiian sun. We feel a deep attachment to this trail and passionately believe that it deserves better treatment than it has received.
The Kokonut Koalition and our supporters want this trail first be stabilized to ensure that it has a future but ultimately to be completely rebuilt.
Immediate measures to stabilize and maintain the trail include:
•Picking up trash
•Stabilizing the remaining cross ties
•Stabilizing the ad hoc work done by volunteers
•Installing safety enhancements at the midway trestle
•Installing water diverters and other erosion control measures
And then, in partnership with the city and county of Honolulu, we intend to hire engineers and landscape architects to produce the necessary studies and plans towards the goal of completely rebuilding the trail along the lines of the successful Manitou Incline rails-to-trail project recently completed by the city and county of Colorado Springs.
Photos of Manitou Incline as an example:


In short, we hope to make the Koko Crater Trail a world-class recreational destination that the city, state, and our great nation can be proud of!
Here is is a link to the recent media coverage:
//www.kitv.com/clip/14605592/koko-head-trail-on-oahu-appears-to-be-falling-apart
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The famous Koko Crater Trail, a historic tramway to the top of the landmark Koko Crater on the island of Oahu, is on the verge of destruction by decades of unchecked decay and erosion. The city and county of Honolulu’s position is that there is no money, materials, or staff available for any kind of repairs, maintenance, or planning.
Funds raised in this campaign will be used to pay for urgently needed temporary repairs to stabilize the trail while we, the Kokonut Koalition in partnership with the city and county, make long-term plans to completely rebuild it. Funds will also be used for startup expenses so that the Kokonut Koalition can become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This will enable us to raise tax-deductible donations and to apply for grants.
The Koko Crater Trail Story

This historic tramway, now commonly known as the Koko Head Stairs, or simply the Stairs, was built in 1942 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to provide access to an early radar station perched on the rim of Koko Crater on the island of Oahu. The tram is long gone, but the remaining track has been used as an endurance hike for decades. It rewards hikers with expansive views of Maunalua Bay and Diamond Head to the West, Hanauma Bay and Koko Head to the East, and the Waimanalo coast to the South.
The tramway has been deteriorating for decades without any maintenance other than what has been done by unauthorized volunteers. It exists in a state of benign neglect by the city and county of Honolulu, which has never maintained it and doesn’t even consider it to be a sanctioned trail. Their neglect is benign only because they allow it to remain open, though we wonder how long that policy can remain in light of the trail’s accelerating deterioration.


The Stairs are now at, what we consider to be, a tipping point. Erosion has undermined the tramway to the extent that one major tropical storm or hurricane could do enough significant damage to make it unusable. On a busy day, well over a thousand people from all walks of life and many international origins climb the Koko Crater Stairs. It has become a must-do event for our adventurous visitors.
For us kokonuts, it’s our regular workout. Some of us have been hiking the Stairs for over twenty years, many for a decade or more. I’ve been hiking it regularly for four years, usually four times a week and often three trips per session. It has become a habit that sustains me. All of us regular hikers feel this way. I greet the day with this hike. Others enjoy a sunset hike and still others like to broil themselves under the midday heat of the Hawaiian sun. We feel a deep attachment to this trail and passionately believe that it deserves better treatment than it has received.
The Kokonut Koalition and our supporters want this trail first be stabilized to ensure that it has a future but ultimately to be completely rebuilt.
Immediate measures to stabilize and maintain the trail include:
•Picking up trash
•Stabilizing the remaining cross ties
•Stabilizing the ad hoc work done by volunteers
•Installing safety enhancements at the midway trestle
•Installing water diverters and other erosion control measures
And then, in partnership with the city and county of Honolulu, we intend to hire engineers and landscape architects to produce the necessary studies and plans towards the goal of completely rebuilding the trail along the lines of the successful Manitou Incline rails-to-trail project recently completed by the city and county of Colorado Springs.
Photos of Manitou Incline as an example:


In short, we hope to make the Koko Crater Trail a world-class recreational destination that the city, state, and our great nation can be proud of!
Here is is a link to the recent media coverage:
//www.kitv.com/clip/14605592/koko-head-trail-on-oahu-appears-to-be-falling-apart
DPR, DDC, KK Meeting 11/23/18
Meeting with Councilman Manahan 12/4/18
Lena Haapala Haapala and I had an excellent meeting with Councilman Joey Manahan of District-7 this morning at Honolulu Hale. Manahan has become a frequent Koko hiker and is looking forward to completing his personal 7 in 10. I think it's safe to say that he's a kokonut. Jessica Caiazzo recruited him right off the trail. Good work, Jess! It was very generous of him to give us an hour of his time. We explained our history and the current state of affairs. He offered his help and said that he'd meet with Councilman Ozawa to discuss strategy right after the meeting. He also said would talk to Mayor Caldwell about the project. Thank you, Councilman Manahan.
I know that a lot of you are frustrated with the time it's taking to get some simple trail repairs done. We share your frustration. I can assure you, though, that we are making progress. There are a significant number of hoops we must jump through in order to get the city’s permission to do any work. But we are jumping. Our last meeting on November 23rd with DPR and DDC has clarified the process we must go through. DPR Director Nekota kindly delivered to us sample proposals from other Public/Private Partnerships that we can use as templates.
The Hoops (as I understand them at this point):
We need to enter into a legal agreement with the City. This will probably take the form of a Memorandum of Understanding. Before we can do this, however, we must be a legal entity.
David Nixon has recently filed our Articles of Incorporation to become a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Upon receipt of a letter of acceptance from them, we will be officially incorporated. We will then apply for State and IRS tax exemption status to become a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. (Dave and I will be interviewing a consulting attorney tomorrow morning to review our Articles and assist with the various applications and proposals)
Receiving nonprofit status can take 6-months or longer. The Livable Hawaii Kai Hui has generously offered us an Interim fiscal sponsorship to fill the gap. We will propose to them a Memorandum of Agreement. If accepted, we’ll be able to solicit tax-free donations and apply for grants earlier than we would otherwise.
Once incorporated and sufficiently insured we can offer the City an MOU to enter into a relationship relating to Koko Crater trail improvements.
After the MOU is agreed upon and accepted we can submit a proposal to the City for the work we wish to do. Initially, this will be for erosion control and trail repairs. It's unclear at this time how detailed this proposal will need to be. I imagine we’ll learn by trial and error.
Once the proposal has been accepted we will have to determine the value of the labor and materials we’re planning to donate to the City and prepare a Resolution of Acceptance for the City Council to consider and hopefully accept. It will be something along the lines of:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Honolulu City Council authorizes acceptance of this donation of $10,000 worth of lumber, gravel, gabion baskets, sand bags, railroad ties, miscellaneous hardware, blood, sweat, and tears to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
After that, God willing, we can all have a party--a work party!
Meeting with Councilman Manahan 12/4/18
Lena Haapala Haapala and I had an excellent meeting with Councilman Joey Manahan of District-7 this morning at Honolulu Hale. Manahan has become a frequent Koko hiker and is looking forward to completing his personal 7 in 10. I think it's safe to say that he's a kokonut. Jessica Caiazzo recruited him right off the trail. Good work, Jess! It was very generous of him to give us an hour of his time. We explained our history and the current state of affairs. He offered his help and said that he'd meet with Councilman Ozawa to discuss strategy right after the meeting. He also said would talk to Mayor Caldwell about the project. Thank you, Councilman Manahan.
I know that a lot of you are frustrated with the time it's taking to get some simple trail repairs done. We share your frustration. I can assure you, though, that we are making progress. There are a significant number of hoops we must jump through in order to get the city’s permission to do any work. But we are jumping. Our last meeting on November 23rd with DPR and DDC has clarified the process we must go through. DPR Director Nekota kindly delivered to us sample proposals from other Public/Private Partnerships that we can use as templates.
The Hoops (as I understand them at this point):
We need to enter into a legal agreement with the City. This will probably take the form of a Memorandum of Understanding. Before we can do this, however, we must be a legal entity.
David Nixon has recently filed our Articles of Incorporation to become a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Upon receipt of a letter of acceptance from them, we will be officially incorporated. We will then apply for State and IRS tax exemption status to become a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. (Dave and I will be interviewing a consulting attorney tomorrow morning to review our Articles and assist with the various applications and proposals)
Receiving nonprofit status can take 6-months or longer. The Livable Hawaii Kai Hui has generously offered us an Interim fiscal sponsorship to fill the gap. We will propose to them a Memorandum of Agreement. If accepted, we’ll be able to solicit tax-free donations and apply for grants earlier than we would otherwise.
Once incorporated and sufficiently insured we can offer the City an MOU to enter into a relationship relating to Koko Crater trail improvements.
After the MOU is agreed upon and accepted we can submit a proposal to the City for the work we wish to do. Initially, this will be for erosion control and trail repairs. It's unclear at this time how detailed this proposal will need to be. I imagine we’ll learn by trial and error.
Once the proposal has been accepted we will have to determine the value of the labor and materials we’re planning to donate to the City and prepare a Resolution of Acceptance for the City Council to consider and hopefully accept. It will be something along the lines of:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Honolulu City Council authorizes acceptance of this donation of $10,000 worth of lumber, gravel, gabion baskets, sand bags, railroad ties, miscellaneous hardware, blood, sweat, and tears to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
After that, God willing, we can all have a party--a work party!

Councilman Joey Manahan
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