Advertisement

National park tips: Loneliest beach in America’s most remote park?

Ofu Beach, 2 miles long and usually empty, is a highlight of far-flung American Samoa.
Ofu Beach, 2 miles long and usually empty, is a highlight of far-flung American Samoa.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Share via

National Park of American Samoa, the most remote of the 59 full-fledged national parks, has one of the most lonely and gorgeous tropical beaches in the U.S. -- Ofu Beach, which is 2 miles long, with white sand, black boulders, coconut palms and great snorkeling. (Also blue skies, on most days.)

So how to get there? Fly to Honolulu. Then fly an additional five hours to Tutuila (main island of American Samoa). Then catch the weekly flight to Ofu Island (population about 300). Ofu Beach is a short walk from the airstrip, just past the seven-room Vaoto Lodge. To get home, wait seven days, then reverse directions.

In honor of this year’s National Park Service centennial, the Travel section is posting 100 park travel ideas and tips based on trips staff travel writer Christopher Reynolds has taken, along with photo-op advice from Times photographer Mark Boster. We’ll post one per day through Dec. 31.

Advertisement

Follow Reynolds on Twitter: @MrCSReynolds

See travel videos by Reynolds from around the world.

ALSO

Advertisement

Here’s the site of the worst home-front disaster of WWII

Drink in this San Francisco bar with a steampunk starship vibe

My two favorite places to see the Golden Gate Bridge

Advertisement

Disney Museum in San Francisco tells Walt’s story

How to cross the Continental Divide in high style

Advertisement