Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago

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Back in January, I took a trip to American Samoa, which is home to the most remote National Park in America. So few visitors make it out here that Park Staff here print out certificates for visitors for whom it is their last National Park they need to visit. Flights are hard to come by, and expensive. And that only gets you to the main island, where most tourist infrastructure and services are. If you want to visit the outer islands, you'll have to travel on a less-than-reliable twin turbo prop plane that only flies twice a week and may be cancelled at any point, leaving you stranded for an indeterminate amount of time. Even less people visit this portion of the park. I was told I was maybe one of 50 who would venture there this year. Anyway, I say all this to say... that the National Park of American Samoa is not your typical National Park experience. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the National Park of American Samoa is THE MOST unique National Park in the United States. Let me tell you why I think that.

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Sources and Resources:

Feasibility Study: npshistory.com/publications/npsa/feasibility-study.pdf

Lease Agreement: home.nps.gov/npsa/learn/management/upload/asmleaseop2.pdf

NPS Articles:
nps.gov/npsa/learn/news/fact-sheet.htm
nps.gov/npsa/learn/nature/fruit-bats.htm
nps.gov/npsa/learn/historyculture/index.htm
nps.gov/npsa/learn/historyculture/history-and-the-islands-of-samoa.htm

American Samoa Citizenship Discussion:
rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/478853/us-citizenship-issue-divides-american-samoans

NPCA Article:
npca.org/articles/6020-fa-a-samoa-responsible-travel-in-america-s-most-unusual-national-park

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