Parking
No dedicated parking area was identified for the Vatia access. Confirm where parking is permitted locally and leave private village drives clear.
Overview
About Old Vatia Trail
Why go
- A direct climb from Vatia to the Mount ʻAlava ridge.
Heads up
- A steep, leaf-covered climb with no verified trailhead parking.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the American Samoa map
Full mapElevation20–1,175 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active American Samoa alerts
- ClosureMount Alava and Fatifati trails closedMentions this trailThe Mount Alava Trail and the Fatifati Trail from Fagasa Pass to the summit are closed until further notice for trail improvement work.Official details
- CautionSmall Craft and High Surf AdvisoriesSmall Craft and High Surf Advisories are active in American Samoa; boaters and people using the coast should change plans as needed and follow safety officials’ advice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
American Samoa Tour Guide
Your drive to Old Vatia Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for American Samoa National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Old Vatia Trail to the Ridge0:00 / 0:25
“Up ahead is the village access for Old Vatia Trail, a steep rainforest climb to the Mount ʻAlava ridge. Allow two and a half to three hours for roughly two miles out and back, with loose leaves underfoot.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf American Samoa Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Pola Island Beach from Vatia
- Lower Sauma Ridge and Vaiʻava Strait
- A Harbor Inside a Volcano
- Bats Before Dark
- 15 audio storiesacross American Samoa’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Noddy, Samoan Starling, Butterflyfish, and 4 more
- Works offlinemaps, 10 trails, 15 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Old Vatia Trail
A short, serious ridge climbOld Vatia Trail is a roughly 2-mile round-trip out-and-back from Vatia village to its junction…
Old Vatia Trail is a roughly 2-mile round-trip out-and-back from Vatia village to its junction with the Mount ʻAlava Trail. The mapped way is just under a mile each way, but climbs from near sea level to about 360 metres (1,180 feet). Plan on about 2½ to 3 hours and expect a demanding climb. The Mount ʻAlava summit lies farther along a separate route; it is not part of this mileage.
The north-slope pathThe trail runs through tropical rainforest toward the ridge.
The trail runs through tropical rainforest toward the ridge. From the ridge, Old Vatia drops sharply down the north slope: jungle switchbacks give way to a steeper section covered with dry leaves. Walking up from Vatia, you meet that steep, loose footing first, then the switchbacks. Take your time on the descent, and turn around at the ridge junction if you are hiking Old Vatia as its own out-and-back.
Respect the Vatia accessThe village end passes among homes and crosses village land.
The village end passes among homes and crosses village land. Stay on the marked route and keep clear of yards. The trail is closed on Sundays at families’ request, and pets are not allowed on park hiking trails. No dedicated parking area was documented for this access, so confirm where parking is permitted in Vatia and leave private drives clear.
Wildlife
Wildlife in American Samoa
19 sightingsNoddyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
11 sightingsSamoan StarlingMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
17 sightingsButterflyfishMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
18 sightingsHermit CrabMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
10 sightingsMigratory ShorebirdMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
11 sightingsCane ToadMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across American Samoa. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
