Welcome to the Park of the Week Newsletter for May 16, 2024. This week we’re featuring the only US National Park Service site south of the equator.
National Park of American Samoa
Location
Tutuila, Ta’ū, and Ofu Islands, American Samoa
Claim to fame
Located in the Pacific Ocean 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii, the National Park of American Samoa is one of the most remote US national park sites. The park is famed for its natural treasures, like pristine tropical rainforest, beaches, and coral reefs, as well as the cultural traditions of the Samoan people, one of the oldest and proudest cultures in Polynesia.
Reason to visit
The National Park of American Samoa is located on three islands–Tutuila, the most populated island, and Ta’ū and Ofu, two of the more remote and difficult to reach Manu’a Islands. Finding transportation to the park’s most remote areas can be a challenge, and the park has few amenities found in other US national parks. A visit to this park is for those who seek adventure and quiet, untouched natural beauty.
Wild Fact
Bats are the only mammal native to American Samoa, and the park was created in the 1980s mainly at the behest of bat protectors. The National Park of American Samoa is home to two species of fruit bats (sometimes called “flying foxes”) which are among the largest bats in the world, with wingspans up to 3 feet wide.
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