National Park of American Samoa guide · 1 min read
Mount Alava Summit and Its Harbor Views
The summit of Mount Alava rises to 1,610 feet on Tutuila, the island that holds Pago Pago.
From the top, the view opens across Pago Pago Harbor and the green mountains around it. Pioa Mountain, popularly known as Rainmaker Mountain, reaches 1,718 feet elsewhere in the park.
The Mount Alava Trail begins at Fagasa Pass, a short drive west of Pago Pago. It follows a maintenance road to the summit and covers about 6 miles round trip. Allow roughly 3 hours for the climb and 2 hours to walk back to the pass.
Much of the hike is a rainforest trek along a ridgeline, with jungle surrounding the path. Few visitors take this route, so you may find the trail quieter than most in the park.
The route has a history of its own. Villagers from Fagasa and Vatia first built it, and it became an important way to reach the market in Pago Pago before the government built roads. Later, the government reworked the path for vehicles.
Expect a lot of rain. The long wet season brings frequent showers and the possibility of tropical storms, and rainfall can reach 300 inches in the highest mountains. Plan for wet conditions on the trail.
