National Park of American Samoa Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to National Park of American Samoa

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's open, and what's coming up at the National Park of American Samoa, in the U.S. territory of American Samoa, from the park's alerts, hours, and news. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new. The park says some areas can close temporarily for trail work or safety, so check its alerts the morning you head out.

Current alerts

  • The Mount Alava trail is closed from Fagasa Pass to the summit. The park has closed the Mount Alava and Fatifati trails between the pass and the summit for trail improvement work, until further notice. You can still reach Alava from the Old Vatia trail, which the park calls a much steeper and more rugged climb. The park suggests the Upper and Lower Sauma trails and the Tuafanua trail as other options. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round, holidays included. There's no entrance fee, and you don't need a reservation to visit. (NPS)
  • Visitor Center and Park Store: open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's closed weekends and federal holidays, except when a cruise ship is in port, when it opens anyway. Today is a Sunday, so it's closed unless a ship is in.
  • Camping: the park doesn't list any campgrounds.
  • Trails: the Alava closure above is the only closure the park is listing as of October 25, 2026.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Federal holidays: because the visitor center closes on federal holidays, expect it to be closed on Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11) and Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26), unless a cruise ship is in port that day.
  • Nothing else is scheduled. The park hasn't posted a reopening date for the Alava trail, and it isn't listing any seasonal closures.

What this means for your trip

The Alava closure is the one that matters. The ridge walk up from Fagasa Pass is the classic way to reach the summit of Mount Alava on Tutuila, and that route is out until the park finishes its work. If you're set on the summit, the Old Vatia trail still gets you there, but plan for a much harder day: it's steeper and rougher, and it's not a swap I'd make for kids or anyone who isn't comfortable on steep, rugged ground.

If you wanted Alava for a solid half-day hike rather than the summit itself, the park's own suggestions are the easier fix: the Upper and Lower Sauma trails or the Tuafanua trail. None of them is on the closure list.

For everything else, timing is the main thing. The visitor center keeps short weekday hours, so if you want maps, trail advice, or a word with a ranger, go on a weekday morning rather than counting on a weekend stop. The park's conditions page is thin, and its last update is from January 2024, so treat the alerts list as the real source and ask at the visitor center about trail conditions.

Before you go

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to the National Park of American Samoa has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.