Welcome to PublicStairs.com, the web site devoted to the discovery and documentation of major outdoor public stairways anywhere in the world.  This web site is a labor of love brought to you by Doug and Joan Beyerlein of Mill Creek, Washington. 
  Look for "Friends of Public Stairs".   
 
"Outdoor public stairways are a window into the soul of a community." -- Doug Beyerlein, 2011 
 
11/23/2019: Stairways can be found in towns all along the Mississippi River. David Ryan brings us another in Savanna, Illinois. This stairway and others will be included in an upcoming book David is writing on Mississippi River stairways. I can't wait to see the book. 
 
11/22/2019: James Cho found the SE 24th Street Stairway in Bellevue, Washington. With 165 stairs it leads onto the Bellevue College campus. You can get both your exercise and your education in one place. Thanks, James! 
 
10/1/2019: The city of Tacoma, Washington, has built a new stairway adjacent to Point Defiance Park that includes slides for quick downhill travel. Evan Howard first told me about the new Wilson Way Stairway. Now it is your turn to find it for yourself. The slide is optional. 
 
9/18/2019: In the foothills of the Pyrenees is the town of Puigcerda, Spain.  In Puigcerda is a funicular railroad and adjacent to the rail line is a 227-stair stairway leading up to the town square. Bill and Heidi Cusworth discovered this beautiful stairway during their recent visits to Spain and France. Check it out for yourself and if you are there in April join the annual foot race up the stairway.  
 
9/17/2019: Many of the beach towns along the California coast have great stairways leading down to the ocean.  Pismo Beach, California, is one of these towns.  The stairway at the end of Wilmar Avenue, found by Mike Behlen, has 108 stairs.  Need a better excuse to visit the beach? 
 
7/26/2019: Bloomer Park in Rochester, Michigan has two major stairways hidden in the woods. Melanie Berent first told me about the stairway that she found and then while researching her stairway I found that David Garcia had found another in the same park. Now it is your turn to find them. 
 
7/25/2019: Duluth, Minnesota has a long stairway at North 7th Avenue West. As Christian Huelsman discovered, it actually starts near the intersection of W 1st Ave and Mesaba Ave but has some street breaks before it gets serious at W 4th St. From W 4th St it is continuous until it reaches W 8th St. The stairs are a little rustic but well worth a visit if you are in Duluth. 
 
7/24/2019: The city of Trail, British Columbia, has an extensive system of public stairways (all of them covered against rain and snow). On September 28 United Way Trail and District will be hosting their annual "Storm the Stairs". This is a run/walk tour of many of Trail's stairways. For more info check out the Storm the Stairs web site. Even if you miss their stair event I highly recommend that you visit their stairways in you are in that part of British Columbia. They have at least eight major stairways that climb the hills west of the Columbia River. They are well worth a visit. 
 
5/30/19: Recently Alana Bowman of Wellington, New Zealand, told me about her website: www.wellingtonsteps.com. It is a wonderful stairway (or "steps" as they say in NZ) website filled with photos and facts about Wellington steps. I have added a map showing the locations of the steps in case you want to visit them. Even if you don't plan on going to New Zealand check out her website.  You will be impressed. 
 
2/12/2019: Before the winter snows arrived Steve Spaudie found a beautiful stairway in Rocky River Reservation, North Olmsted, Ohio (near Cleveland). The Fort Hill Stairs (156 stairs) can be found on the Fort Hill Loop Trail near the Nature Center.  
 
11/1/2018: Here is another find by David Ryan when he visited the surprising town of Columbus, Indiana (not Ohio): Mill Race Park Observation Deck - 132 stairs and a great view of the town and the adjacent Flatrock River. 
 
10/29/2018: For those of you who use my stair maps to find major public stairways you have probably seen the maps with the notation of “For development purposes only” and that the page can’t load Google Maps correctly. After some discussion with CommunityWalk (the people who host the maps) we fixed the problem and the maps are now fully useable.  I apologize for the inconvenience. 
 
10/25/2018: WE ARE STILL HERE.  Here is a link to a great article on the stairs of Pittsburgh published in the October 2018 issue of Southwest: The Magazine, written by Bill Fink. The article is titled Stair Power
 
5/29/2017: YES! We are still finding stairways - I am just very slow in adding them to this web site. Today we have two new stairways found by David Ryan: Tilghman Park Stairway (148 stairs) in Chandler, OK, and the Cardiff Hill Stairway (232 stairs) in Hannibal, MO. And I still have more to add when I can find the time. 
 
11/10/2016: In 2015 David Ryan walked the Camino de Santiago from Saint Jean Pied-de-Port, France, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He wrote about his journey in his blog The Gentle Art of Wandering. He included one post in his blog on the stairways that he encountered along the way. He found, documented, and photographed major stairways in Saint Jean Pied-de-Port, France, Obanos, Spain, and Burgos, Spain. These are now on stair maps. Check them out or, better yet, go see them in person.  
 
11/2/2016: Another David Ryan stairway find is in the city of Minneapolis, MN. In his most recent trip he found two new stairways; on a previous trip in 2013 he found three stairways at Minneapolis's Minnehaha Falls Regional Park. Now they can all be found on the Minneapolis stair map. 
 
11/1/2016: David Ryan and his dog Petey wander to many interesting places. David tells about his adventures in his blog The Gentle Art of Wandering (recommended reading). Recently David and Petey were in Milwaukee, WI, and found four major stairways in that city. David even found one stairway by mistake without knowing it (I will let him tell the story). 
 
10/31/2016: Earlier this year Jake and Cathy Jaramillo ventured to Spain where they found beautiful stairways in the cities of Bilbao, Getaria, and San Sebastian. That sounds like a good reason to me to go to Spain. 
 
9/19/2016: Tamsin Ramsay has been exploring British Columbia and has found the following major stairways: Hendryx Street Stairway (174 stairs) in Nelson, BC; the Waterfall Trail Stairway (392 stairs) in Fintry Provincial Park, BC; and the Coquitlam Crunch (437 stairs) in Coquitlam, BC. That is a lot of stairs. Thanks, Tamsin! 
 
9/18/2016: On the outskirts of Saugatuck, MI, Mike Lapchick reports the finding of the Mt Baldhead Stairway (302 stairs). As the name implies, the stairs lead to the top of Mt Baldhead, overlooking Lake Michigan. This is the first major stairway to be found in Michigan. Nice work, Mike! 
 
9/17/2016: Eric Jennings found the Powerline Trail Stairway (114 stairs) in Redmond, WA; these stairs are almost right in my backyard and yet I had never seen them. It shows you that there are always more stairs to be found. Thanks, Eric! 
 
8/3/2016: Sally Brodie has discovered two stairways in New Zealand. The Mt Eden Steps (214 stairs) are in the city of Auckland. Further to the south in Whanganui are the Durie Hill Steps (191 stairs). What a good excuse to visit New Zealand! 
 
8/2/2016: Mark Ewell has found three great stairways in Memphis, TN. They are across the street from Tom Lee Park and lead up the bluff to the Riverwalk. The north stairway has 59 stairs, the middle 73, and the south 84. Unfortunately, none of the three meet my minimum stair count requirement of 100 stairs. But if you are in Memphis they are still well worth a visit. 
 
8/1/2016: Julian Michelucci (with assistance from Susan Stallard) has provided info on the Mori Point Stairway (208 stairs) in Pacifica, CA. You can climb stairs and go whale watching all at the same place! 
 
7/21/2016: Dan Gutierrez in his neverending search for public stairways has found a previously unknown stairway (131 stairs) in South Pasadena, CA. Nice find, Dan! 
 
7/20/2016: Judy Palidar found the Granite Falls Fishway Stairway (101 stairs) just outside of the town of Granite Falls, WA. It leads down to the fish ladder on the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River. This is a pretty spot for a picnic even if stairs are not your thing. 
 
7/19/2016: Sharon Galipeau found the Zimmerman Hill Stairway (232 stairs) in Arlington, WA, and with directions from Judy Palidar I visited this new discovery. Very nice. Thank you both Sharon and Judy! 
 
5/24/2016: In Cincinnat!.com is Sherry Coolridge's article "City's outdoor stairways neglected, crumbling" about the poor condition of Cincinnati's stairways. It is a sorry situation in a city with many great stairways. 
 
5/15/2016: Help save a stairway: 
From Marcia Loney: “Help save the Grand Staircase on the Eastern Oregon University campus in La Grande, Oregon. The price tag to save the Grand Staircase in La Grande is high and it is an uphill battle to obtain funding.  Because the stairs are a pedestrian walkway we have applied for ConnectOregon funds through the Oregon Department of Transportation.  Competition is stiff and we've been told that our case could be helped by letters of support.  If you would like to write a letter of support for us it should/could focus on how public staircases not only provide pedestrian access, but can also improve the livability of a community as well as bring economic benefits (public events, tourism, etc.).  The letter should be sent by May 20 to: Scott Turnoy, Interim ConnectOregon Manager, 555 13th Street NE, Suite 2, Salem, Oregon 97301.” For more info: https://www.facebook.com/savethegrandstaircase/. 
 
5/10/2016: Check out this stair event in Tacoma, WA: Unleashed at Stadium Bowl is a fundraiser for Kindred Souls Foundation, an animal rescue founded in 2005. This August 7th will be the 6th annual race. They had nearly 400 participants last year, and expect to have over 600 this year. For more info: http://www.unleashedatstadiumbowl.org/
 
4/28/2016: I found two new stairways in Kirkland, WA; both start on the Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail. Check them out for yourself.  
 
11/25/2015: Dan Gutierrez has provided additional stair information for two stairways in Palos Verdes Estates, CA, and five stairways in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Thanks, Dan, for all of these new stairway locations! 
 
11/10/2015: Dan Gutierrez leads stair walks in the Greater LA area (for more info see his Facebook posts). Recently he found the Rattlesnake Spillway Stairway (273 stairs) in Rancho Palos Verde, CA. That is a lot of stairs!  
 
11/7/2015: Nicole Sanders discovered the Mesa Lane Steps (241 stairs) in Santa Barbara, CA, and provided info and photos on the "Friends of Public Stairs" page on Facebook. Thanks, Nicole! 
 
11/6/2015: Brookline, MA, a suburb of Boston, has four major stairways. They are described in Linda Olson Pehlke's book Exploring the Paths of Brookline. I explored them all last April, a few days after running the Boston Marathon.  I am not sure which was more difficult: stairs or marathon. Find out for yourself. 
 
10/31/2015: The Kinnear Park Stairway is located on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, WA. Michael Yadrick found this stairway in 2014 but it took me until now to count the number of stairs (125) and photograph the stairway. 
 
10/31/2015: Bob Regan's new book Pittsburgh Steps: The Story of the City's Public Stairways, is now available. This new book is an update of Bob's original Pittsburgh stair book: The Steps of Pittsburgh, which is now out of print. This new book includes new stair information and new photos of many of Pittsburgh's most noted stairways plus eight neighborhood walking tours. For more info go to our Books page. 
 
10/31/2015: This past summer while in Dover, England, waiting for good weather for my wife Joan to swim the English Channel, we explored the local neighborhoods for stairways.  We found three major stairways in Dover and one in nearby Folkestone. There are probably more. Let me know if you find one. 
 
10/23/2015: We are back with new stair info after a virus attack last March. 
 
3/2/2015: Just above the shores of Lake Taneycomo in Branson, MO, are the 338 Stone Steps, located in the Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area. Originally built in 1938, Shannon Cochran recently brought these stairs to my attention. Nice job, Shannon! 
 
2/27/2015: In San Clemente, CA, are three major stairways that lead from the residential neighborhoods down to the San Clemente Beach Trail and the Pacific Ocean. Jake and Cathy Jaramillo discovered these stairways on one of their many trips. Great find! 
 
2/11/2015: Just outside of Denver, near the town of Morrison, CO, is the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It is best known for its concerts, but on non-concert days it is open to the public for stair climbing. According to Leslie Handmaker, from the bottom to the top there are 388 stairs. That is a good workout, especially at altitude. Thanks, Leslie! 
 
2/10/2015: Who knew that Edmonton, Alberta, has stairs? Patricia Hildebrandt knew and following her lead I discovered that there are over 100 stairways in and near Edmonton. I found detailed info on eight major stairways (the longest being 261 stairs) and they are shown on the Edmonton stairs map. But if you are in Edmonton I still need information on the remaining undocumented stairs.  
 
2/4/2015: Robert Inman has just updated his Inman 300 Guidebook. The guidebook describes in detail the 218-mile, 345-stairway (with a total of 26,059 stairs) urban thru-hike of Los Angeles designed by himself, Andrew Lichtman, and Ying Chen. Kelley Wiley Lane of Seattle recently walked the entire Inman 300 between January 4 and 15 of this new year. You can read about her adventure on her blog http://adventuresbyfoot.blogspot.com. Now it is your turn to get outside and have an adventure on the stairs in your neighborhood. Tell us what you find.  
 
2/3/2015: Robert Inman has found three major stairways in the Montclair District of Oakland, CA. The longest one has 267 stairs. Great find, Robert! 
 
2/1/2015: Here is another 1000 Steps (actually 1043 stairs) in Huntingdon County, PA. This 1000 Steps climbs to the top of Jacks Mountain. That sounds like a good workout. 
 
1/31/2015: Just like there are multiple Jacob's Ladders (see below) there are multiple stairways locally named "1000 Steps". This new find is in Laguna Beach, CA. This 1000 Steps is actually 228 stairs, but the locals say that when climbing them they feel like 1000. 
 
1/30/2015: More stairs in Australia: In the Dandenong Ranges National Park, Victoria (near Melbourne) is the 1000 Steps (actually 996 stairs) up through Fern Tree Gully.  
 
1/29/2015: It turns out there is more than one Jacob's Ladder. This new one is in Perth, Western Australia, and has 242 stairs. Its story is told at lifeonperth.com/jacobsladder.htm. Perth has a second major outdoor public stairway in nearby Kings Park. This is the Kokoda Walk Stairway wtih 150 stairs. Both can be found on the Stair Maps page. Enjoy.  
 
1/28/2015: Jacob's Ladder is a stairway in Jamestown on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, but it is not just any outdoor public stairway. It goes straight up Ladder Hill: no landings, just 699 stairs with a constant 11-inch run and an 11-inch rise. That makes for a 100% grade or slope.  
 
The ascent record is 5 minutes, 16.78 seconds by Graham Doig. He went up using all fours (both hands and feet on the stairs). There is a lot more information about Jacob's Ladder and Saint Helena Island at sainthelenaisland.info/jacobsladder.htm. Check it out.   
 
1/27/2015: This isn't the best time of year to be visiting stairways in Minnesota, but when the snow melts take a drive to Split Rock State Park on the shores of Lake Superior and visit the 174-stair stairway found by Susan Ralph on one of her many travels.  Thanks, Susan! 
 
1/23/2015: Hollister, Missouri, has the Cedar Steps (229 stairs), found by Shannon Cochran.  Nice find, Shannon!  
 
1/20/2015: New stairways recently discovered by Stair Seekers include: Hillside Lane Stairway (134 stairs) in Whittier, CA, by Robert Inman; Majestic Park Stairs (106 stairs) in Las Vegas, NV, by Ron Purewal; three stairways in Pat Hurley Park (longest is 157 stairs) in Albuquerque, NM, by David Ryan; and Steep Canyon Stairway (110 stairs) in Diamond Bar, CA, by Alex Rose.  Thank you all. 
 
1/2/2015: 2014 brought us another new stair book to add to the list in the Books section of this web site. This new book that came out in the late summer (and that I should have mentioned at that time) is David Ryan's "The Bisbee Stairs: Exploring the Stairways, Trails, and Hidden Corners of Bisbee, Arizona".  This slim volume of 97 pages is packed with information about the stairs, their history, and the sorts of things that you will see as you climb their wandering pathways. I had hoped to add all of David Ryan's discoveries to my Bisbee stair map prior to announcing the book, but I now realize that that would just further delay my getting this announcement to you. Even if you never plan on going to Bisbee - READ THIS BOOK. You just may change your mind.   
 
1/1/2015: Make your New Year's resolution to be to climb more stairs. Mine is to update this web site more often. When you see gaps in dates or a long period of inactivity it doesn't mean that I have lost interest; it means that work and other activities are taking up all of my time. However, I am still collecting stair information. I just need more time to put it on the stair maps. 
 
8/8/2014: www.Healthunlocked.com/stepjockey is a new stair climbing community that was launched today. It's a completely open space for people to share advice and tips. Join for free and share your stair stories. This is the place to help spread the word about how great stairs are for health and wellbeing. 
 
6/10/2014: There is an article today in the Wall Street Journal about the stairways of Pittsburgh, including a brief mention of this web site. The citizens of Pittsburgh need to unite to save their stairs! Read the article for more information. 
 
6/2/2014: The Seattle Stairway Solstice Foot Tour will be held on Saturday, June 21, 5:00 am to 10:00 pm. The event is organized by Michael Yadrick. This urban run/hike adventure will take place on one of the longest days of the year in order to traverse Seattle's public stairways safely in one day. While the public stairways are an incredible asset for Seattle as well as targets to navigate towards, the endeavor will also highlight all the Emerald City has to offer: gorgeous views, natural areas, elevation change, gritty littered streets, tree-lined boulevards, cafes, etc. It will be long and no one has attempted it before. Preliminary survey of the route looks to be 60+ miles, 9,000 feet of elevation change, and 15,000 stairs to traverse. It will be epic whether you choose to join in all or a portion of the stairways. The start is at 5:12 AM at SW 98th St Stairway, south of Brace Point and the Fauntleroy Ferry dock and the finish is at 10:00 PM at summit of Queen Anne Hill, corner of Warren and Lee. Come and do all or part. More info and route maps at Facebook page "Seattle Stairway Solstice Foot Tour". 
 
5/21/2014: Two more major stairways (and some interesting additional minor ones) have been found by David Ryan in Miami, Arizona, while on his many wanderings. Good find, David! 
 
5/13/2014: The City of Wallace, Idaho, has produced the "South Hill Stairs" map showing the locations of public stairways near the downtown, including the number of stairs. I have updated my stair map of Wallace and added the 4th Street Stairs (147 stairs).  
 
5/12/2014: There are stairs on the Oregon Trail (or close to it) in Pendleton, Oregon. Jake and Cathy Jaramillo found the 113-stair Isaac Avenue Stairway on their recent travels.  
 
5/9/2014: Pat Morley found a gold mine of stairways in Ketchikan, Alaska, last summer. Explore the Alaskan wilderness without leaving town. 
 
5/1/2014: Howard Petersen recounted the number of stairs on Murphy Ranch West Stairway in Los Angeles' Rustic Canyon. The correct total is 454 stairs (I originally received a report of 321 stairs). Howard reports that there are 413 stairs on the major section plus another 41 above a small dirt plateau (where there is a water tank) before finally reaching the Sullivan Fire Road. Thanks for the update, Howard! 
 
4/14/2014: The Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy, were featured on the 4/13/2014 episode of the CBS television reality show, The Amazing Race. The contestants had to count the number of stairs (135)! 
 
1/23/2014: In Wheeling, West Virginia, Martin Wach and Urban Agroforestry have worked with the local community to restore and maintain two beautiful and long stairways on Vineyard Hill. This newly reforested area was the site of a 31-acre vineyard operated by the Catholic Church in the late 1800s. There are great views of Wheeling and the Ohio Valley from the top. Visit Wheeling and see for yourself. 
 
1/21/2014: Jake Jaramillo reports: "Two exciting stairway events coming soon in Seattle! Feb. 8th is the second annual Stairway Walks Day, when 18 routes from our book will be walked simultaneously by 450 people. Then April 26th, during Earth Week, we're launching another citywide event, "Stairway Spring Cleaning Day." With these two linked events, we hope to help elevate awareness of our historic stairway legacy and build stairway culture. We think that'll make it likelier our stairway network will get a fair share of city money for maintenance and enhancements." For more information contact Jake at jakejaramillo@comcast.net
 
1/12/2014: More Minnesota stairs from David Ryan and myself in St Paul, MN. Now if it would only warm up so that people could visit them without needing a toboggan.   
 
1/11/2014: Add Red Wing, MN, to David Ryan's list of stairway cities found in 2013. Nice job, David.   
 
1/10/2014: Stillwater, MN, stairways were explored by David Ryan in the spring of 2013. He found 3 major stairways, ranging in stairs from 120 (Chestnut Stairway) to 157 (Main Street Stairway) plus a nice town on the banks of the St Croix River. 
 
1/9/2014: Another David Ryan find: Lynchburg, VA, stairways and a lot of history. See for yourself. 
 
1/8/2014: From Quito, Ecuador comes the following news: 
"My name is Mateo Muńoz, from Quito-Ecuador, I’m an employee at the Metropolitan Institute of Patrimony, a part of the Municipality of Quito, it’s the institution in charge of restoring, maintaining and revitalizing the tangible patrimony of the city as well as the intangible, cultural heritage of the district. We are currently undertaking a project of revitalizing the public stairways of the historical center of the city, it has an axis of participation from the neighbors as a means for political organization for each sector of the old downtown and as a guarantee that they will maintain themselves as public spaces of quality and occupied by activity and community. We might see great art on some of them, theatre on others, any means of culture reflectiveness and apropiation that can flourish. The products of the project will begin to happen on one to two months. I'll be happy to share this information with you, only in the historial center and surrounding areas we have more than 170 public stairways, adding the whole city we easily surpass the 200." Who wants to go to Quito and check out these stairways? Contact Mateo at mateo28488@hotmail.com for more information. 
 
1/7/2014: Want to know how many calories you are burning while climbing stairs? Check out the StepJockey web site. It allows you to add your favorite stair workout location (either outdoors or indoors) to their StepJockey stair map and locate other stair workout locations. 
 
1/6/2014: Caroline Overcash leads a group of stair climbing adventurers in the Carolinas. Before winter set in they hiked/climbed the 336-stair Backside Trail Stairway in Crowders Mountain State Park, NC, near Gastonia. Check it out for yourself (but wait until it warms up a bit). 
 
1/5/2014: David Ryan continues to find more stairways: this time on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville
 
1/4/2014: If you are into the Seattle stair scene check out Jake and Cathy Jaramillo's SeattleStairwaysWalks.com for all of the latest news and info. 
 
1/3/2014: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I had a computer crash last autumn and was too busy to find all of my web site files and update this site. I hope to do better in the coming year
 
8/14/2013: PJ Glassey will lead interested stair climbers up and down the Howe Street Stairway in Seattle (the 4th longest outdoor stairway in the USA) on 8/24/13 at 8:30 am. Climbers will learn valuable techniques on stair climbing ranging from how to maximize the workout, to reducing muscle soreness, and everything in between. This is all part of Lifewise Health Plan of Washington's new fitness inspiration program through Actively Northwest, using #FitMob as the signal to their customers to get active and get fit. You're invited too! There is no requirement that you be a Lifewise customer either. It's highly advised to go xgym.com/stairs and check out the great info there to brief yourself beforehand so you show up informed and ready to go! 
 
8/6/2013: David Ryan's many stair finds include Dubuque, IA, with two major stairways (not including two other abandoned stairways) and many other minor ones. 
 
8/5/2013: David Ryan's many wanderings (entertainingly described in his "The Gentle Art of Wandering" blog) includes finding three major stairways in Galena, IL (a fourth stairway is closed). More info on his stairway finds in other cities and towns to come. 
 
8/4/2013: I did a recount of the Dipsea stairs in Mill Valley, CA, in May and found that the lower stairway now has 316 stairs (up from 313). I did a similar count of Gil's Stairs in Hood River, OR, in July and found that they had also increased by 3 (from 413 to 416). Is the Earth expanding? 
 
8/3/2013: There has been a long break in the update of the stair info on this web site due to a number of factors: the largest (and most time consuming) factor being the addition of two Alaskan malamute puppies to our family in February. We are now down to one (a male, named Tuolumne). You can see his photo on the Who We Are page. Life is slowly returning to a new normal. 
 
1/16/2013: If you find climbing stairs the conventional way not challenging enough then try climbing them on a unicycle like Terry Peterson does in his "Extreme Unicycling" video.  
 
1/8/2013: Tomorrow (Wednesday, 1/9/2013) is "Take the Stairs" Day, courtesy of stairsport.com. But let's make every day "Take the Stairs" Day starting now! 
 
 
1/7/2013: Iceland has stairs! Susan Ott Ralph found them last summer when she and her husband visited Skogafoss, Iceland. The 380-Skogafoss stairs climb to the top of the Skogafoss waterfall. Nice climb! 
 
1/6/2013: Lucas Boyle has produced an entertaining video of his (and two friends) travels up and down the many West Seattle stairways - all in a single day and with bicycles! Go to the video page to view his video. 
 
1/5/2013: If you want to visit Thai stairways check out the Wat Tham Suea Stairway just outside of Krabi, Thailand, on the Andaman Coast. Wat Tham Suea (Tiger Cave Temple) Stairway has 1237 stairs and gains over 1000 feet. LonelyPlanet.com provides a good description of Wat Tham Suea and the stairway. There is also an excellent video of the stairway produced by Dornz Arrummy Rojvithee. Info on the Wat Tham Suea Stairway was provided to me by Vern Lovic (Vern's web site is GoUpIt.com) and John Stockton. Thank you both! 
 
1/4/2013: Susan Ott Ralph reports that the Ferdinand-53rd Stairway in Seattle has been rebuilt by the City of Seattle and looks much nicer than the old stairway, although 9 stairs were lost in the process. New info and photos are found on the Seattle map. Thanks, Susan! 
 
1/3/2013: For Seattle stair walkers circle Saturday, February 9, on your calendar for Stairway Walks Day, sponsored by Feet First promoting walkable communities. On that Saturday there will be 15 organized walks, featuring stairway walks described in Jake and Cathy Jaramillo's new book, "Seattle Stairway Walks". Go to feetfirst.org for more info. 
 
Jake and Cathy Jaramillo's new book, "Seattle Stairway Walks" is now available in bookstores from The Mountaineers Books. This is a great little pocket guide to stairways through the Seattle metropolitan area. It even includes QR codes.  
 
1/2/2013: Robert Skip Sandberg has published the second edition of his book "Steps, Lanes and Paths of Mill Valley". This new edition contains more beautiful photos of Mill Valley, California, stairways and one new stairway not included in the first edition. 
 
1/1/2013: In the spring of 2012 Bob Inman, Andrew Lichtman, and Ying Chen undertook an epic journey to walk 300 public stairways scattered across the Los Angeles basin in ten days. Their book "The 300: The Way of the Stairs Across Los Angeles" is the story of their journey. More info about their travels can be found on their web site 300LAStairways.com
 
12/18/2012: The gap in adding new info on this page is not due to a lack of interest or material, but only due to a lack of time on my part. I hope to find some time in the next few days to get caught up. That said, I recently joined Incline Friends, a group working to make the Manitou Incline in Colorado officially open to public access. Manitou Incline is one of the longest, steepest rural stairways in the country. You can get more info at http://inclinefriends.ning.com/
 
9/8/2012: Florida is the flattest state in the United States. Does it have any major outdoor public stairways? I didn't think so, but thanks to Liz Newman the answer is YES! The University of Florida Gator Stadium in Gainesville is open to public use of its stairs. Check them out! 
 
8/23/2012: Shaun Hoffman has found another Happy Valley, OR, stairway: 147th Ave Stairway with 113 stairs. Keep it up, Shaun! 
 
8/22/2012: David Ryan in his wanderings has found another stairway, just east of St. Louis.  This is the 156-stair Monks Mound Stairway leading to the top of Monks Mound in Cahokia State Park in Collinsville, IL. This stairway leads to the top of the large complex of Indian mounds found in the United States. Thanks, David! 
 
8/21/2012: For years I have heard rumors of a giant stairway in the hills southeast of Portland, Oregon, but I never had a specific location. Shaun Hoffman of Happy Valley, OR, may have found it with his discovery of the 442-stair Hilltop Stairway in Happy Valley, Oregon. It looks like quite a climb! Great find, Shaun! 
 
8/20/2012: The SFGate.com article (see below) includes the 139-stair Arch Stairway (aka Larkspur Steps) in Larkspur, CA
 
8/19/2012: The San Francisco Chronicle web site SFGate.com has a good article on San Francisco Bay Area stairways: "Staircases: step in right direction". 
 
8/10/2012: Julian Michelucci has a great web site Stairways Are Freedom where he documents the many stairways that he explores in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of his recent finds is the 119-stair Seal Point Park Stairway in San Mateo, CA. Thanks for the info, Julian! 
 
7/25/2012: If you are looking for great ocean views try the 218-stair Point Vicente Stairway in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; info courtesy of Jacques Monier. 
 
7/24/2012: Naomi Goehle has found a beautiful 105-stair stairway leading up to the Jackson County Courthouse (now the Jackson County Library) in Sylva, North Carolina
 
7/23/2012: David Ryan finds another stairway in New York City. The W 155th Stairway is in Manhattan and is a short walk from the old Polo Grounds, where more stairs can be found. Check for yourself.  
 
7/16/2012: Nice article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about a community group, Community Steps Cooperative, headed by M.J. Flott and Alex Lake, that is working to preserve and maintain Pittsburgh's public stairways. 
 
7/6/2012: John Smiley has written "The Complete Book of Stair Climbing, 2012 Edition". I have not read the book, but it looks like a good book for competitive stair racers. John donates $1 of each book sale to American Lung Association. 
 
6/22/2012: Port Angeles, Washington, is just across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria, BC. Jacques Monier says that from the top of Port Angeles's 106-stair Laurel Street Stairs you can see all of the way to Canada. Go take a peek at the view! 
 
6/20/2012: Quebec City has escalier (stairways). Cap-Blanc Stairs are the longest with 398 stairs, according to quebecregion.com. Check them out for yourself. 
 
6/19/2012: You can find stairways in the far north of Canada in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, thanks to Jacques Monier. 
 
6/15/2012: Jake Jaramillo reports that the City of Seattle Department of Transportation has rebuilt the Spokane-61st Stairway and it now has more than 100 stairs (109, to be exact). Thanks, Jake. 
 
6/10/2012: We now have stairs in Oakland, California, courtesy of Dan Schulman of Oakland Urban Paths. 
 
6/9/2012: Another good article about stairs is on the Governing.com blog site. 
 
6/8/2012: Who knew that Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, has stairs? David Ryan did, and he provides us with the first major public outdoor stairway in the state of West Virginia. Thanks, David! 
 
6/7/2012: Excellent newspaper article about Cincinnati stairways by Steven Rosen in today's Cincinnati Enquirer. It is great to see renewed interest in preserving and promoting Cincinnati's historic stairways. 
 
6/1/2012: If you like tea at the top of your stairs check out this teahouse in China: Teahouse at the Southern Peak
 
5/30/2012: David Ryan, author of the book "The Gentle Art of Wandering" (see 3/19/2012 entry below) provides us with info and photos of unique stairways in Ohio (Miamisburg Indian Mound stairs) and Georgia (Amicalola Falls State Park staircases). Check them out! 
 
5/29/2012: Scott Stanley reports that Austin, Texas, has stairs. The best are at Mount Bonnell and include a great view of the city. 
 
5/8/2012: How many steps does it take to climb to the moon? To find out and to participate in the 2012 Climb to the Moon go to moonclimb.com
 
5/6/2012: Richmond Beach Park in Shoreline, Washington, (just north of Seattle) has both beach access to Puget Sound and a major stairway with 199 stairs. Great views from the top.  
 
4/7/2012: If you like walking not only up stairs, but also on other types of terrain then check out Patricia Jewett's new web site: All Things Walking
 
4/3/2012: I found this photo on the "Stair race training buds" Facebook page: 
 
We should advocate for these symbols on all public stairways where there is a choice. 
 
3/20/2012: There are two major types of stair books: guides to neighborhoods (e.g., Charles Fleming’s “Secret Stairs” books) and photographic essays (Robert Sandberg’s “Steps, Lanes, and Paths of Mill Valley”). David Ryan’s new book “The Gentle Art of Wandering” is a third stair path: the philosophy of using stairways to wander or explore. Ryan uses stairways (and other transportation venues) to explore the big and the little that surrounds all of us, but is often invisible to our busy lives. In Chapter 4 Ryan describes his wandering the hills and stairways of Los Angeles and the discoveries he makes in the process. He describes his process of “seeing” and “connecting” with the environment, whether it is urban, rural, or wilderness. This is an important book to read. For more info go to the book page.  
 
3/19/2012: David Ryan (author of "The Gentle Art of Wandering") wandered into the old mining town of Miami, Arizona, and discovered the Keystone Stairs (155 stairs). The town of Miami holds an annual stairclimb every April. See the stairs on the Miami, AZ, stairs map
 
3/12/2012: If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area check out the Oakland Urban Paths group which is regularly featured in the blog Our Oakland. They know all of the local Oakland area stairways and a lot more. Looks like a fun group. 
 
3/11/2012: While running along Lake Washington in Seattle I ran past the newly rebuilt Jackson Stairway. The number of stairs has been reduced from 140 to 135, but the new stairway is very nice. Check it out if you are in the neighborhood. 
 
 
3/9/2012: Randy Wilson reports the discovery of the Birch Stairway in Camas, Washington (near Portland, Oregon). The stairway is located at the end of Birch Street between NE 7th Ave and NE 12th Ave. Unfortunately, it has only 94 stairs and does not meet the 100-stair minimum requirement to be included on the stair map. But it is still worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood. 
 
3/8/2012: The lack of news is purely a function of my busy work schedule. If you have new stair information please let me know. 
 
11/14/2011:  
An eco-friendly urban exercise area concept by Michael Jantzen is a series of stairways that can be built anywhere (hills optional). More info in GreenMuze
 
11/3/2011: While photographing Seattle's Discovery Park South Bluff and Hidden Valley stairways I found the North Bluff Stairway (201 stairs); also another Seattle downtown stairway (Lower Market Stairway with 110 stairs). 
 
10/22/2011: For those of you who like stair running/racing take a look at Trevor Folgering's new web site StairClimbCanada.com
 
10/6/2011: The small mining town of Wallace, Idaho, is rediscovering its stair heritage. You can see their two major stairways (7th Street Stairs: 154 stairs; 6th Street Stairs: 211 stairs) on the Wallace map and a video of their stairs, produced by Randy Knight. They have a lot of work to do to rebuild their historical wood stairways. If you would like to contribute send your tax deductible donation to the City of Wallace, City Clerk, 703 Cedar St, Wallace, ID 83873. 
 
10/5/2011: I discovered two trail stairways in Seattle's Discovery Park: South Bluff Stairway (216 stairs) and Hidden Valley Stairway (108 stairs). Find them on the Seattle map
 
9/22/2011: Just outside of Chicago are the Swallow Cliff stairs (126 stairs) in the Swallow Cliff Forest Preserve in Cook County, IL. Check out this video of the stairs
 
9/20/2011: We now have a new longest concrete stairway in the United States: Murphy Ranch East Stairway (512 stairs!) in Los Angeles. Dave Ptach counted the stairs. Good work, Dave! 
 
9/16/2011: If you want a real challenge try the Spitzhaus Stairway (397 stairs) near Radebeul, Germany. This is the site of the annual Sachsischer Mt Everest Treppenmarathon  (Saxon Mt Everest Marathon stair race). 
 
9/14/2011: Stairway found on Mt Baldy (215 stairs) in Wimberley, Texas
 
9/13/2011: Bob Inman visited the Manayuk neighborhood of Philadelphia and found seven major stairways. Take a look. 
 
8/9/2011: Bellevue, Washington, has a stairway in Kelsey Creek Park. Check it out! 
 
7/8/2011: Zach Behrens of KCET Los Angeles blogs and videos about walking the "Secret Stairs" of Los Angeles.  Check out the video and meet author Charles Fleming. 
 
7/7/2011: With the help of Laura O. Foster's book "Portland City Walks" I recently found and documented two stairways in Oregon City, Oregon. The McLoughlin House Stairway (215 stairs) starts in a tunnel under railroad track on the edge of downtown Oregon City. 
 
7/6/2011: While on my Mill Valley visit I found two stairways in neighboring Sausalito, CA. There are more in Sausalito to be found. 
 
6/29/2011: I recently returned from a week in Mill Valley, California where I found 21 major stairways plus did a recount of the famous Dipsea stairs (new total 686). To help find the stairways I used the City of Mill Valley map "A Guide to Mill Valley Steps, Lanes, Paths" and the new book "Steps, Lanes, and Paths of Mill Valley" by Robert Skip Sandberg. There are still more Mill Valley stairways to be found. 
 
5/14/2011: Based on information provided by Steve Rock and Rick McMichael I found the 290-stair Eagle Landing Park Stairway in Burien, WA. It leads down to the beach on Puget Sound. 
 
4/26/2011: While in the San Francisco Bay Area I discovered this 105-stair Foothill College stairway in Los Altos Hills, CA. This is the only major outdoor stairway that I know of on the San Francisco Peninsula.  
 
4/16/2011: Another Seattle Times article about stairs. This one was written and sketched by Gabriel Campanario, Seattle Times news artist.  
 
4/2/2011: Premera has donated a giant box of "I TAKE THE STAIRS" buttons, so I have lots and lots of buttons if you and your stair friends want some. Go to the buttons page for more details. 
 
3/20/2011: Discovered another stairway (100-stair Lincoln Park North Stairway) in Seattle. Seattle is now tied with San Francisco for third place for the city with the most number of major public outdoor stairways. 
 
3/1/2011: Ted Smith and family has found the first documented major public outdoor stairway in Richmond, VA. Check out the 157-stair Libby Hill Stairway. Thanks, Ted! 
 
2/27/2011: I am changing my stairs email address to beyerlein@comcast.net because of problems with my business email address. Please use this new email address until further notice. - Doug Beyerlein 
 
2/25/2011: Read in the Seattle Times an excellent article about Susan Ott Ralph quest to find all of the public stairways in Seattle. And see some of the stairways tonight (7 PM) at her slide show at the Montlake Community Center in Seattle. 
 
2/22/2011: Linda Nicholas has provided info and photos of the 245-stair Lang Trail Stairway in Peachland, British Columbia. Thanks, Linda! 
 
2/14/2011: I received more "I TAKE THE STAIRS" buttons from Premera LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, courtesy of Kelly Jones. I will mail you free buttons if you email me your postal address and the number of buttons that you want (you don't have to live in Washington state to participate). All that I ask in return is that you send me a digital photo of each person who gets a button. I will put the photos on the new "I Take the Stairs Button" page. Check it out!  
 
2/7/2011: The first Hawaiian stairway has been found! Check out the Koko Crater Railway Trail Stairway with 1207 stairs! And this is not the longest stairway in Hawaii. The Haiku Stairs are 3922 stairs long, but currently access to them is closed to the public. We hope that changes soon. 
 
2/1/2011: Susan Ott Ralph continues to find Seattle stairways. She has found five previously undocumented major stairways: #74 Raye (106 stairs), #75 Crescent (103), # 76 Madrona Park (100), #77 Horton (100), and #78 Highland (112). Excellent work, Susan! And remember her talk on 2/25. 
 
1/31/2011: Portland, Oregon, stair walkers should put on their calendar the Heartbreaker Walk on 2/12. This 5K and 10K walk visits many of NW Portland's hidden and not-so-hidden stairways and is organized by the Columbia River Volksports Club. More info available at www.walking4fun.org
 
1/20/2011: Susan Ott Ralph will be giving a talk on Seattle Stairs on Friday, February 25, 7:00 PM, at the Montlake Community Center, 1618 E Calhoun St, Seattle. She will  briefly describe 29 walks that feature the best stairs. She will show some of her photographs of the different styles of stairs in Seattle and her candidates for some categories of stairs: highest, longest, most beautiful, most obscure, best view, most urban, least urban, oldest, most artistic, and the ones that capture the essense of Seattle. Put this event on your calendar! 
 
1/19/2011: Colleen Neff, president of the Berkeley Path Wanderers, has provided photos of the Berkeley stairways plus information on Poppy Path Stairway (193 stairs). Thanks, Colleen! 
 
1/12/2011: Fred Beyerlein (no relation) of Longboat Key, FL, has provided info about The Approach, the 147-stair entrance to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. See Troy, NY stair map for photos and more details. Thanks, Fred! 
 
1/1/2011: New Year's Resolution: Let's make 2011 the "Year of the Stairs". To help promote stair useage LifeWise Health Plan of Washington is giving out free "I TAKE THE STAIRS" buttons. I will mail you free buttons if you email me your postal address and the number of buttons that you want (you don't have to live in Washington state to participate). All that I ask in return is that you send me a digital photo of each person who gets a button. I will put the photos on the new "I Take the Stairs Button" page. Check it out!  
 
What U.S. city has the greatest number of documented major outdoor stairways?  Which city has the longest (most number of stairs) stairway?  Go to the Stairway Records page to find out. 
 
What is a major outdoor public stairway?  The simple answer is: It is a set of 100 or more stairs that are outside and open for public use.  Go to the Rules page for the complete criteria. 
 
Where can I find major outdoor public stairways?  Go to the Map page and check out any of the stair maps.  You are welcome to leave your comments about any of the stairways that you visit.  Let us know what you think! 
 
What do I do if I find a major outdoor public stairway that is not on a map?  Congratulations!  You are a stair seeker!  Go to the Stair Documentation page for information on how to add your stair information to this web site.  Once your stair information is added to the maps you will become an honorary stair seeker and your name will be included on our Stair Seeker page
 
WANTED: Volunteers to document known outdoor public stairways in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Mill Valley, and Sausalito, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; and Cincinnati, OH.  Become a stair seeker!  Contact Doug Beyerlein for more details.
 
The two stair finding contests are finished.  Check out the winners on the Contest page. *** 
 
Join our Keep Our Stairs Clean campaign.  See Clean Stairs page for details. 
 
For a little history on how this whole idea got started read my Seattle Stairs article, originally published in the June 1999 issue of Northwest Runner magazine. 
 
Now go out and enjoy some stairs! 
 
Doug Beyerlein 
 
Record your best stair times and send them to Doug Beyerlein for inclusion on the Stair Times page
 
 
 
 
 
 
Doug Beyerlein, Seattle, Washington 
 
 
Do you have a group or organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and promoting stairways in your community?  If so, send me your information and I will post on this web site on our new Stair Community page.  Email your info to Doug Beyerlein at beyerlein@comcast.net.
 
Disclaimer:  Use all stairs at your own risk.  Walking or running up or down stairs is inherently dangerous.   The stair rise may be uneven and the stairs may be in poor condition.  Be careful when ascending and descending.  Make sure that you are in good health before attempting strenuous exercise.  Also, some stairways do not have street lights and are not safe at night.  If you feel uncomfortable due to the activities of others on or near a stairway use your best judgment and leave immediately.  The staff at publicstairs.com is not responsible for the condition of the stairways reported on this web site nor any problems, accidents, or injuries that you may encounter while enjoying these sites even if previously advised of any known problems, accidents, or injuries. 
 
 
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