National Park Guide

National Park of American Samoa Field Guide

A complete planning guide to the National Park of American Samoa. Covers the parks unusual structure of leasing land from villages under 50-year agreements rather than owning it outright, the fa'a Samoa culture and matai chief system visitors encounter on the trails, the Mount 'Alava Trail with its WWII-era lookout ruins and views over Pago Pago Harbor, snorkeling the exceptionally pristine fringing reef at Ofu Beach, spotting Samoa flying foxes and white-naped flying foxes, the logistics of reaching the outer Manu'a Islands of Ofu and Ta'u, the village homestay program that replaces traditional campgrounds, and the official NPS park map.

What's inside

• ✓The parks unique village-lease land structure, and the fa'a Samoa etiquette every visitor should know
• ✓Mount 'Alava Trail: WWII lookout ruins, old tramway remnants, and views over Pago Pago Harbor
• ✓Snorkeling Ofu Beach, one of the most pristine fringing reefs in the National Park System
• ✓Spotting Samoa flying foxes and white-naped flying foxes, and planning the flight out to Ofu or Ta'u