The National Park of American Samoa, is happy to announce the grand reopening of Matafao trail to the summit of Matafao Peak.
The project, which took place on private lands with the blessing of the owners, started in November of 2020 and was completed last month.
The National Park Service trail crew worked tirelessly to remove overgrown vines and fallen trees that blocked the trail.
Two hundred and fifty-nine plastic rungs that weighed 22lbs each were hand carried up on trail and installed in steep areas. Ropes were also installed in critical areas to help hikers reach the top. “It was hard laborious work, but once we have reached the top, it was all worth it.” said Vaki Pentateuch the crew lead for the project.
The Matafao trail is one of the most challenging on the island and is recommended for experienced and well- conditioned hikers. At the summit you will see an amazing bird’s- eye-view of the island. You will also see a metal object which is a remanent of a battery-operated beacon light used in the early 1960s as a marker for airplanes at the Tafuna airport when it first opened for International flights.
The trail rebuild was carried out in partnership with local government agencies and private businesses and landowners.
“The National Park is proud of our great crew and the wonderful partners that all contributed to the success of this trail rebuild project, said Scott Burch, Superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa.
“We would like to thank the American Samoa Government, Department of Commerce Director Petti Matila, American Samoa Visitors Bureau Director Minnie Tuia, Mc Connell Dowell and Mr. Malae Tony Steffany for their cooperation and contributions to this project.”
Check out the National Park of American Samoa Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ NPamericansamoa for more details, including picture and videos about the Matafao trail.
