Rainmaker Mountain

Rainmaker Mountain, Mount Pioa, stands at 523 metres directly above the eastern side of Pago Pago harbour, and it does what its name says: the trade wind piles against it and drops the rain that makes Pago Pago one of the wettest harbours in the world, with the town below regularly under cloud while other parts of the island are dry. It is a national natural landmark and its three peaks are visible from most of the harbour.

Background

Rainmaker Mountain, also called Mount Pioa or Mount Peiva, is one of the giant volcanic mountains that built Tutuila, and geologically it is a plug of quartz trachyte. Its three peaks, North Pioa, South Pioa and Sinapioa, range from 1619 to 1718 feet, and around 200 inches of rain fall on the mountain in an average year. The mountain and its base became a National Natural Landmark in 1972 for their tropical vegetation, with 170 acres protected above the 800-acre contour. Montane rainforest covers the upper slopes and scrub the crest, and several endemic species live only here and on Matafao Peak.

Source: Wikipedia, "Rainmaker Mountain"

What you'll find

• The three peaks - the summits rising directly above the harbour's eastern side.
• The rain effect - the trade wind hitting the mountain and dropping its water.
• The harbour setting - Pago Pago's drowned crater below the slopes.
• The natural landmark status - the designation covering the mountain.

When to go

May to September is the drier season, though the mountain makes its own weather year round. Cloud sits on the peaks most days. Mornings are clearest.

Things to know

There is no maintained trail to the summit and the slopes are steep and slippery. Cloud hides the peaks much of the time. This is a mountain to look at rather than climb.

Nearby

Pago Pago is below, and Vatia is over the ridge north.

Key facts