Mount Alava is the second-highest mountain on
Tutuila Island
Tutuila is the largest and most populous island of American Samoa and is part of the archipelago of the Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Pacific Ocean, Central Pacific. It is located roughly north ...
in
American Sāmoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island country of Samoa, east of the International Date Line ...
(after
Mount Matafao). Its summit has an elevation of 491 meters (1,610 ft.). The summit of the mountain can be reached via the Mount Alava Trail. Also known by the name Mount Alava Adventure Trail, this steep route features 56 ladders and 783 steps. A broadcast station was established on Mount Alava in 1964.
From its summit, visitors are afforded expansive vistas over most of Tutuila Island; on clear days, the islands of
Western Sāmoa and the
Manu'a District are also visible. Access to the summit is provided by the Mount Alava Trailhead, situated at Fagasā Pass on the crest separating
Fagasā and
Vaipito Valley (
Pago Pago
Pago Pago ( or ; Samoan language, Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County, American Samoa, Maoputasi County on Tutuila ...
). Originally a dirt road built for television transmitter access, the route has since been improved to accommodate hikers. The ascent is considered moderate and typically takes around three hours to complete.
Mount Alava has developed into a notable tourist attraction thanks to an observation platform that provides sweeping views of the island. Until recently, an aerial cable tramway — extending over a mile across
Pago Pago Bay from the village of
Utulei
Utulei or Utulei is a village in Maoputasi County, American Samoa, Maoputasi County, in the Eastern District, American Samoa, Eastern District of Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. Utulei is traditionally considered to be a section of Fag ...
— offered direct access to this vantage point.
Mount ‘Alava is part of the
caldera
A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...
rim of the
Pago Volcano.
[Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Volume 1. Hunt Publishing Company. Page 610. ISBN 9780787299705.]
References
Mountains of American Samoa
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