National Park of American Samoa
| National Park of American Samoa | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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| Location | American Samoa, USA |
| Nearest city | Pago Pago |
| Coordinates | 14°15′30″S 170°41′00″W / 14.25833°S 170.68333°WCoordinates: 14°15′30″S 170°41′00″W / 14.25833°S 170.68333°W |
| Area | 13,500 acres (55 km2) |
| Established | October 31, 1988 |
| Visitors | 28,892 (in 2016) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | National Park of American Samoa |
The National Park of American Samoa is a National Park in the United States Territory of American Samoa, distributed across three separate islands: Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta‘ū. The park preserves and protects coral reefs, tropical rainforests, fruit bats, and the Samoan culture. It is popular for hiking and snorkeling. Of the park's 13,500 acres (5,500 ha), 9,000 acres (3,600 ha) is land and 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) is coral reefs and ocean. The park is the only American National Park Service system unit south of the equator.
The National Park of American Samoa was established on October 31, 1988 by Public Law 100-571 but the NPS could not buy the land because of traditional communal land system. This was resolved on September 9, 1993, when the National Park Service entered into a 50-year lease for the park land from the Samoan village councils. In 2002, Congress approved a thirty percent expansion on Olosega and Ofu islands.
In 2009 an earthquake and tsunami produced several large waves, resulting in 34 confirmed deaths, more than a hundred injuries and the destruction of about 200 homes and businesses. The park encountered major damage. The visitor center and main office were destroyed but there was only one reported injury among the NPS staff and volunteers.
The Tutuila unit of the park is on the north end of the island near Pago Pago. It is separated by Mount Alava (1,610 feet (490 m)) and the Maugaloa Ridge and includes the Amalau Valley, Craggy Point, Tafeu Cove, and the islands of Pola and Manofa. It is the only part of the park accessible by car and attracts the vast majority of visitors to the area. The park lands include a trail to the top of Mount Alava and historic World War II gun emplacement sites at Breakers Point and Blunt's Point. The trail runs along the ridge in dense forest, north of which the land slopes steeply away to the ocean.
Ofu island is only accessible via small fisherman boats from Ta'u island. Accommodations are available on Ofu.
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Wikipedia