Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Ravne tunnels.
Ravne Tunnels
Colors and volumes in the patio.
Monterrey’s Contemporary Art Museum (MARCO)
Inside Wonderwerk Caves, underground caves and excavation, Kuruman, Northern Cape
Wonderwerk Cave
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
1 day ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
2 days ago
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon in its new location in 2020
The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display
3 days ago
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All American Samoa Abandoned Mt. Alava Aerial Tramway
AO Edited

Abandoned Mt. Alava Aerial Tramway

The site of abandoned cable car system provides expansive views of Tutuila and nearby capital Pago Pago.

Utulei, American Samoa

Added By
michaelnhartman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

At the top of a steep hill, across the street of the Port of Pago Pago, lies the abandoned remnants of a once-popular cable car. Completed in January of 1965, the Aerial Tramway spanned over 5,000 feet across the Pago Pago harbor, from this hill to the top of Mount Alava. The tramway came of necessity, providing a vital method of transporting TV equipment and personnel across the water and up the steep mountain. However, soon after opening, it also became a popular tourist destination, with a visitor ticket providing spectacular views of the island.

Said to be the brainchild of Governor H. Rex Lee, the tramway was used to facilitate a welcoming “shower of flowers” over cruise ships as they arrived into port, with islanders dumping bundles of blossoms from the cable car onto the ships as they passed beneath. In its heyday, the tower had a 100 HP electric motor to drive the cables, with an 85 HP gasoline engine as a backup, spanning the world record length across the harbor (for a single-span aerial tramway).

On April 17th, 1980, the cable system was involved in a horrific crash, when a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion anti-sub aircraft flew into the cables while on a run to drop paratroopers in celebration of Flag Day. Seven people were killed as a result.

The cable remained in operation following the disaster, but damage from Hurricane Val in 1992 required repairs that were deemed too costly.

Today, pieces of the tramway remain—a rusty winch and engine tower, frayed cables, and abandoned cable car—sit in decay, fighting against creeping vegetation. It still draws hikers, history enthusiasts, and photographers to the tramway’s base station near the harbor, offering spectacular views of the bay, Pago, and other parts of Tutuila.

Related Tags

Abandoned Cable Cars Transportation

Know Before You Go

Parking is available directly at the site, after navigating up a curvy road just past the turn in to Samoana High School. It’s also the terminus of Blunts Point hiking Trail, which begins behind the Fresh Laundromat on Route 1.Efforts to revive the abandoned tramway in Pago Pago are underway, supported by a grant proposal focused on creating an eco-friendly, sustainable attraction that boosts tourism and local employment. While the project shows promise, challenges like high costs, environmental concerns, and logistical complexities must be addressed for it to succeed.

Community Contributors

Added By

michaelnhartman

Published

January 27, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.samoanews.com/local-news/old-cable-car-just-keeps-rusting-away
  • https://www.samoanews.com/local-news/design-and-feasibility-study-underway-long-awaited-tramway-rehab
  • https://visitpagopago.com/solo-hill/
Abandoned Mt. Alava Aerial Tramway
Utulei, 96799
American Samoa
-14.279538, -170.683328

Nearby Places

Turtle and Shark

Vaitogi, American Samoa

miles away

To Sua Ocean Trench

Apia, Samoa

miles away

Robert Louis Stevenson Museum

Apia, Samoa

miles away

Nearby Places

Turtle and Shark

Vaitogi, American Samoa

miles away

To Sua Ocean Trench

Apia, Samoa

miles away

Robert Louis Stevenson Museum

Apia, Samoa

miles away

Related Places

  • Obihiro, Japan

    Kofuku Train Station

    On an abandoned railway line, "happiness" station is still a popular destination for lovers.

  • Twin cabin at ground level in village of Barèges.

    Barèges, France

    Ayré Barèges Funicular

    The remains of an abandoned funicular railway that once ferried skiers and hikers to great heights in the Pyrenees.

  • TY 51 locomotive.

    Krakow, Poland

    Kraków-Płaszów Train Graveyard

    This cemetery of rusting Soviet-era steam locomotives and train cars offers an apocalyptic glimpse into a bygone era.

  • View from above, on the entrance and driveway

    Houyet, Belgium

    Halte Royal d'Ardenne

    The private train station King Leopold II built for the Belgian royal family now lies abandoned.

  • Cablebús Linea 1 in Mexico City

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Cablebús Line 1

    This scenic cable car ride glides 100 feet above Mexico City.

  • View from Westchester Avenue.

    Bronx, New York

    Westchester Avenue Station

    Designed by famed 20th-century architect Cass Gilbert, the future of this abandoned 1908 rail station is currently in limbo.

  • The back of the hangar at Red Butte Airfield.

    Coconino County, Arizona

    Red Butte Airfield

    The Grand Canyon’s original airport, which once welcomed pilots like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh, lies abandoned.

  • Odessa, Ukraine

    Odessa Cable Car

    Built in the Soviet era, this cableway system still runs gondolas from Odessa down to Otrada Beach.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.