The trail is actually a 4-wheel drive road, so it’s wide and grassy and never too steep, but it may still be overgrown or muddy in places. The mowed track makes a corridor through dense jungle, with hundreds of plant species for the keen eye to identify. Look among the greenery for splashes of color in flowers, fruits, insects, and birds. You might even see Samoa’s giant fruit bats, with better chances later in the day. The national park has added a handful of interpretive signs along the trail, so you can learn more about the surrounding flora and fauna.

The path reaches a grassy clearing near the top, then a metal staircase leads to the summit, where a panoramic view awaits. You’ll look down on Pago Pago Harbor and the village, and over rolling green ridges across the island. On a clear day, you can see across the ocean to other islands of Samoa. Also at the top of the stairs are some dilapidated structures from the old tramway. From there, you can continue on a path around the signal towers to find a fale (circular shelter), which makes a nice spot for a summit picnic.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/npsa/planyourvisit/upload/Day-Hikes-SBNPSAhigh-res.pdf https://chasingabandon.com/hiking-the-national-park-of-american-samoa/ https://youtu.be/3-HRspqVNuQ