Le'ala Shoreline is located near Taputimu, just west of Fagatele Point, on

Tutuila Island Tutuila is the main island of American Samoa (and its largest), and is part of the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly northeast of Brisbane, A ...

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the Internationa ...

. It is a U.S.

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

. The coast is marked by rocky outcroppings, deep and shallow surge channels, as well as tide pools and a mixture of coconut, scrub and grass forest. “ Sliding Rock” is located nearby. Le’ala Shoreline is a young flow of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

, inter-bedded with layers of

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock ...

that illustrate erosion by wave action. The area is covered with dense

tropical vegetation Tropical vegetation is any vegetation in tropical latitudes. Plant life that occurs in climates that are warm year-round is in general more biologically diverse that in other latitudes. Some tropical areas may receive abundant rain the whole ye ...

. Le’ala Shoreline was designated a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1972. The National Natural Landmark covers 35 acres. The Le’ala Shoreline Trail begins in Vailoatai and follows the shoreline through thick tropical vegetation with periodic views of the Lea'ala Shoreline National Natural Landmark. The steep trail travels in and out of ancient volcanic craters before ending at a junction with the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary Trail. It is a 3.2-mile roundtrip hike.Lomax, Becky (2018). ''Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 59 Parks''. Moon Travel Guides. .

References

{{American Samoa National Natural Landmarks in American Samoa Tutuila

See also

References