Koko Crater Railway Trailhead

This guide to the Koko Crater Railway Trailhead in Honolulu traces the wartime tramway the US Army bolted up this volcanic slope during World War Two, hauling soldiers and ammunition to bunkers watching for a Japanese fleet. You'll hear how the Air Force handed the hill to the city in 1966 and how the abandoned rails became an unofficial staircase, and about the volunteer group that later rebuilt the crumbling steps plank by plank. Count your footing as you climb the old ties.