Our Extraordinary Nine-Day Trip to My 63rd National Park: American Samoa!

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COME JOIN ME AS I SEEK TO CAMP/BACKPACK THE VERY LAST OF MY NATIONAL PARKS: THE NATIONAL PARK OF AMERICAN SAMOA!

As many of you are aware, eight years ago, I began a renewed journey to backpack again.

I began with Yosemite, then, every California National Park.

Then, the entire West.

This quickly morphed into my desire to backpack/kayak all sixty-three National Parks in the United States.

By the end of 2024, I backpacked/kayaked/boat-camped/car-camped/visited all fifty-one US National Parks in the “Lower 48,” plus the National Parks of Hawai’i and the Virgin Islands.

To do so, I designed and led twenty-four carefully-planned trips, most of which appeared right here on Meetup.

But, then, what was next?

The eight Alaska National Parks, of course.

To get this accomplished, I completed three trips of forty-five days total this summer to backpack or kayak all eight parks.

NOW THERE IS ONLY ONE NATIONAL PARK LEFT: THE NATIONAL PARK OF AMERICAN SAMOA!

Therefore, today, I'm excited to invite you to join me as I complete my late-life goal of backpacking/kayaking/car-camping/boat-camping/visiting all SIXTY-THREE National Parks in the United States.

Come join me in a nine-day tropical adventure to American Samoa from November 17th to November 25th as I complete National Park #63!

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HERE IS OUR ITINERARY:

DAY ONE, November 17, 2025: Michelle flys Hawaiian Airlines (flight HA 819) from Sacramento International Airport at 8:15 am to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. Arrive at 12:04 pm. Layover of four hours in Honolulu. Meet up with trip participants. Fly Hawaiian Airlines (flight HA 865) from Honolulu at 4:20 pm to Pago Pago International Airport in American Samoa. Arrive at 9:10 pm. Shuttle to our hotel, the Tradewinds Hotel, in Tafuna. Ask our driver to stop quickly for take-out dinner. Evening at our hotel.

DAY TWO, November 18, 2025: Awaken early. Breakfast at the hotel. Shuttle to Pago Pago International Airport. Board our half-hour Samoa Airways flight to the island of Ofu at 8:15 am. Shuttle to our night’s stay at the wonderfully remote and delightful Va’oto Lodge by its owners, Deb and Ben. Check in. Walk and explore the extraordinary Ofu Beach - rated one of the Top Ten Beaches in the World in 2025 by "The World’s 50 Best Beaches" (it’s actually rated the NINTH best beach in the world!). Swim, snorkel, picnic, relax, enjoy complete solitude; then, swim, snorkel, picnic, relax, enjoy complete solitude, again. Return to our Lodge to prepare for dinner on the beach. Spend our evening either in our Lodge OR right on the beach (and, if granted permission, right on the National Park portion of the beach). Enjoy the (beautifully different) southern hemisphere night skies and know that we are safely in “the middle of nowhere.”

DAY THREE, November 19, 2025: Awaken whenever we wish knowing that we can be nowhere else on the planet! Prepare and enjoy our breakfast either on the beach or at the Lodge. Explore, explore, explore the island more: swim, snorkel, beachcomb, read, relax. Maybe, if we dare, hike the very tropical and quite untraveled trail to the top of Mt. Tumu. Prepare and enjoy our lunch. Swim, snorkel, beachcomb, relax a little more. Return to our Lodge to prepare for dinner, once again, on the beach. Spend our evening either in our Lodge OR right on the beach (and, if granted permission, right on the National Park portion of the beach, once again). Enjoy for a second warm and tropical evening the southern hemisphere night skies.

DAY FOUR, November 20, 2025: Awaken early. Have breakfast early and quickly shuttle to the airstrip for our 9:30 am half-hour flight back to the Pago Pago International Airport on the island of Tutuila. Pick up our rental car. Drive back to our hotel, the Tradewinds Hotel, in Tafuna. Store our luggage in their “baggage room.” Drive to the National Park of American Samoa to visit their Visitor Center in Pago Pago. Drive up to the Mount ‘Alava Trailhead to hike the Mount ‘Alava Trail to the very top of the island’s highest peak. Have a local dinner along the way back to our hotel. Return to the Tradewinds. Have a last-of-the-day refreshment in the hotel bar. Spend the evening at our hotel.

DAY FIVE, November 21, 2025: Awaken early. Pack up and leave our luggage at the hotel’s “baggage room.” Drive north to the village of Vatia. Hike the beautiful Pola Island Trail. Hike back to the trailhead to hike the Tuafanua Trail. Take the 1.1 mile twisting trail full of ladders and ropes through the rainforest to its hidden beach on the Pacific shoreline. Return to our car. Drive to the trailhead for the Lower Sauma Ridge Trail to hike to an ancient archeological site along the coastal edge. Return to the Tradewinds to pick up our luggage, then drive to extraordinary “Tisa’s Barefoot Bar & Eco Lodge” for the first of our two nights in her traditional Samoan fale right on the beach. Enjoy an authentic organic Samoan dinner prepared by Tisa after harvesting from her garden before our meal. Then, if available on a New Moon night, perhaps participate in the Po Ula (Nude) Friday night party? Enjoy the evening from the deck of our fale and fall asleep resting right at the Pacific shore’s edge.

DAY SIX, November 22, 2025: Awaken whenever we wish. Enjoy our Samoan breakfast prepared by Tisa in our fale right on the beach. Spend the day at the property participating in a full range of activities, possibly including: hiking, snorkeling, and Samoan cooking classes. The property includes the (hard-fought to establish) labor of love Alega Marine Sanctuary which we can visit (with honor and care). Enjoy our day right on the property. Enjoy another authentic organic Samoan dinner prepared by Tisa. Spend our second evening in our fale.

DAY SEVEN, November 23, 2025: Awaken early. Enjoy our Samoan breakfast prepared by Tisa in our fale right on the beach. Enjoy our last morning on the property. Pack up to leave. Drive respectfully (it is a Sunday, a day of reverence for the Samoan people) along the beautiful coastline of Route 001 to Pago Pago, then to the Tradewinds Hotel to secure our luggage in their “baggage room.” Continue our drive westward along the coastline on Route 001 to world-famous “Turtle and Shark” Legend Site near the village of Vaitogi. Continue our coastline drive to visit Le‘ala Shoreline National Natural Landmark. Buy a late lunch along the way in one of the coastal villages. Continue along Route 001 toward our final scenic destination at Cape Tapatupu to watch the sunset from the westernmost point in the United States. Continue driving toward 'Amanave, veering right, uphill, toward Poloa. Park safely off the road before the sharp turn and, then, hike the mile-long scramble along the rocky shoreline to the Cape that can only be done at low tide (we will, of course, check the tide charts). Watch the sun set over the beautiful south Pacific. After sundown, drive back to Sadie's Steakhouse & Seafood Restaurant at world-renowned Sadie Thompson Inn for a late-night dinner. Find our way back to the Tradewinds Hotel to settle down for our final evening in American Samoa very thankful that we are fully alive and able to travel the globe.

DAY EIGHT, November 24, 2025: Awaken and have breakfast at the hotel. Pack and leave our luggage in the hotel’s “baggage room.” Drive into Pago Pago to visit the Fagatogo Square. “Window shop” for a little while. Travel eastward along beautiful Route 001, then Route 008 to the village of ‘Au’asi to hire a boat to ‘Aunu’u Island. Walk the island to visit the village of ‘Aunu’u: its shops and its people. Walk the beautiful southern shoreline on Route 119 to 'Aunu'u Island National Natural Landmark. Continue walking through the center of the island up to the Faʻamulivai Marsh at the crater’s edge. Continue our walk along the island’s rocky north shore back to our boat harbor in the village of ‘Aunu’u. Boat back to our car in ‘Au’asi. Continue our drive eastward, then northward, then westward along the coast on Route 008 to the village of Onenoa. Find a late lunch along the way. Visit the NOAA American Samoa Observatory. Drive back to Pago Pago for a local dinner. Return to the Trademark Hotel to retrieve our luggage. Drive to Pago Pago International Airport. Return our car. Fly Hawaiian Airlines (flight HA 866) at 11:20 pm overnight to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii.

DAY NINE, November 25, 2025: Arrive at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport at 5:45 am. Pick up our rental car. Have breakfast in Honolulu.

Then, either:

a) Drive to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Visit the Visitor Center. Board our boat at either 8:45 or 9:45 am for the USS Arizona Memorial Program, if available due to construction (we have four tickets).

OR

b) Drive to Diamond Head State Monument. Park Hike up to the top of Diamond Head.

Drive back to the airport. Return our car. Board our return flights. Michelle boards Hawaiian Airlines (flight HA 820) at 12:54 to return to Sacramento International Airport at 8:00 pm absolutely thrilled that she has now, after eight years, backpacked/kayaked/boat-camped/car-camped/visited:

ALL SIXTY-THREE NATIONAL PARKS IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES!!

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND:

1. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE PRESS THE “ATTEND” BUTTON BY 10/31/25, THEN: CALL ME AT 602-292-0753 TO DISCUSS.
2. Of course, you may call me at any time prior to pressing the "Attend" button and before 10/31/25 at 602 292-0753 to discuss the trip fully.
3. Please know that PRESSING THE "ATTEND" BUTTON DOES NOT GUARANTEE PARTICIPATION. ONLY A CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATION BY MICHELLE MOZELL. Therefore, for possible participation, you must first discuss this trip with Michelle Mozell at 602-292-0753.
4. The minimum of participants is TWO; the maximum is FOUR.
5. You are responsible for all individual transportation to, from, and within our scheduled itinerary AND any individual transportation you separately secure within our scheduled itinerary. NO individual transportation is provided. We will discuss this THOROUGHLY.
6. THIS WILL BE A VERY PRICEY TRIP. TOTAL COST TO YOU IS TBD. Many costs will be shared by participants equally. Many costs will be borne by each participant singly. As we progress, these costs will become known. Periodic payments/deposits based upon this progression will be required.
7. IMPORTANT: Due to this trip’s difficulty in securing certain essential reservations, as a confirmed participant on this trip, we each shall agree that, from time to time, some payments/deposits shall be required that are, by their very nature, non-refundable. These deposits shall be fully discussed in detail before each deposit is due.
8. For most evenings that do not include backpacking or camping, overnight accommodations have been pre-booked, including hotels, resorts, and Samoan fales. Pricing for these accommodations varies widely. It is our desire to share, as equitably as possible, the cost of the confirmed overnight accommodations among our trip's participants.
9. NO meals are provided, except breakfast and dinners offered by the Samoan fale hosts. THEREFORE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OTHER MEALS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE TRIP.
10. NO BACKCOUNTRY FOOD, WATER, SNACKS, OR SUPPLIES ARE PROVIDED. THEREFORE, BRING SUFFICIENT FOOD, WATER, EQUIPMENT, AND SUPPLIES FOR ALL BACKPACKING, HIKING, AND TOURING ADVENTURES.
11. There is NO INTERNET CONNECTION in most of American Samoa, especially on the island of Ofu. Be prepared to be out of COMMUNICATION FOR MUCH OF THE TRIP. BRING A PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACON(PLB)/SATELLITE MESSENGER (such as a Garmin InReach or a SPOT).
12. NO “trip cancellation/interruption/travel insurance” or “emergency evacuation insurance” are provided. No health insurance is provided. YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO PURCHASE ALL INSURANCES, ESPECIALLY "EMERGENCY EVACUATION INSURANCE," THAT YOU DEEM NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE BEFORE YOU GO. Call me to discuss!
13. There is NO GUARANTEE whatsoever that we will backpack and/or camp, especially within the National Park.
14. There is absolutely NO GUARANTEE WHATSOEVER that there will be seats available for your flights. This is especially true (and essential to participation in this trip) for the flight to and from Ofu Island. It is essential, therefore, that you call me to discuss these flights!
15. All reservations are final confirmation dependent and may change at any time. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES THAT ANY RESERVATION IS FULLY SECURE.
16. BRING YOUR PASSPORT and/or all other necessary forms of identification.
17. NOTE: For this Meetup posting, I begin and end the trip date and times upon my arrival at and departure from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Your individual trips segments, of course, have differing start and end times and places. Call me to discuss this thoroughly!
18. PARTICIPATION IN THIS MEETUP AFFIRMS THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREED TO THE FULL LEGAL DISCLAIMER AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY on Meetup’s Backpackers of the American West's website: (see: Meetup's Backpackers of the American West Rules and Regulations).
19. MICHELLE MOZELL RESERVES THE SOLE/UNILATERAL RIGHT TO CANCEL, ALTER, OR MODIFY THE TRIP ITINERARY AS SHE DEEMS NECESSARY AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.
20. Photo citation: NPS.