The National Park of American Samoa

The National Park of American Samoa, uniquely spread across three of the territory's volcanic islands, is a magnificent and little-visited jewel of the South Pacific, and the only US national park south of the equator. It protects a glorious blend of lush tropical rainforest cloaking steep volcanic mountains, vibrant coral reefs teeming with fish and turtles, and dramatic sea cliffs plunging to the ocean, some among the highest in the world. Rare Pacific wildlife includes fruit bats, or flying foxes, and colourful birds. Deeply intertwined with traditional Samoan culture and villages, the park offers rainforest hikes, snorkelling over pristine reefs, and, on the remote island of Ofu, one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches anywhere.

History

In 1984 the delegate Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia introduced a bill, at the request of a bat conservation group and the scientist Paul Cox, to protect the habitat of the flying fox and the old rainforest, the first step towards a national park, and the National Park Service began work in July 1987. The park was established on 31 October 1988, but the Service could not buy the land because it is held communally, and on 10 September 1993 it signed a 50-year lease with the Samoan village councils instead; in 2002 Congress approved a thirty per cent expansion on Olosega and Ofu. The earthquake and tsunami of September 2009, which killed 34 people in the territory, badly damaged the park and wrecked its visitor centre and main office (Wikipedia, National Park of American Samoa).

The landscape

• The rainforest - the lush jungle cloaking volcanic peaks.
• The coral reefs - the vibrant reefs teeming with fish and turtles.
• The sea cliffs - the dramatic cliffs plunging to the ocean.
• Ofu Beach - the remote, unspoiled beach on Ofu island.

When to go

May to September, the drier and cooler season, brings the most pleasant weather for hiking and snorkelling, avoiding the wetter, stormier months; the tropical climate is warm year-round. Calm, clear conditions are best for exploring the reefs.

Practical notes

American Samoa is remote and the park spread across several islands with modest facilities, so exploring it fully, especially the sublime beach on far-flung Ofu, takes time, planning and inter-island travel. As a magnificent, unspoiled national park of rainforest, coral reef and dramatic cliffs, the only one south of the equator, deeply tied to Samoan culture, though, it is a genuine and rewarding South Pacific treasure.

Nearby

The capital Pago Pago and the villages of Tutuila lie nearby.

Key facts