US Territory Guide

The United States has several non-State entities as well which you may be interested in summitting. The most notable one is the District of Columbia. Others may be interested in the 5 populated territories (American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands). There are 11 additional territories – 3 in the Caribbean and 8 in the Pacific. But I thought embassies were territories too? This popular misconception is wrong. Paraphrasing from the US State Dept, while embassies represent sovereign states, they are on the host country’s territory.

The following map/table data is gathered from internet resources such as “Wikipedia”, the “CIA Factbook” and other online articles. It is suggested that you start with wikipedia’s “Territories of the United States” which describes the history and nuances of all the types of territories. You may find the Dept of Interior’s “Definitions of Insular Area Political Organizations useful. The USGS has “Territorial Acquisitions of the United States” which mentions these territories, along with a map of the territorial acquisitions which form the 50 States of today.

The elevations and locations of the 11 unpopulated territories should be taken as estimates only. Remember that many of the US Minor Outlying Islands (the 8 unpopulated territories in the Pacific) have been heavily modified from WWII onward. If you find the “true” highpoint today, it would be hard to tell whether it was man-made or not. Please note that special permission is required to land on many of the unpopulated territories (wildlife refuge, military, etc).

Resources

Through the “Apex to Zenith” newsletter, club members receive continuing coverage on territories. Updates (access, monument status, etc) are found in the newsletter and posted online in this guide. A small sample of articles are:

#115-16q4 p15-16 [John Mitchler] MP: 26 feet From History
#112-16q1 p17-18 [Ruth Anne Heselbarth, Mick Dunn, Thomas Martin] PR: Trip reports
#109-15q2 p6 [Jilly Koly, Raina Ferrai] DC: Fort Reno - The Nation's Highpoint
#107-14q4 p14-17 [John Mitchler] MP: The Last Unclimbed US Highpoint?
#106-14q3 p10 [John Mitchler] MP: Northern Marianas added to Club's official list
#82-08q3 p11 [Robert Hyman] DC: US Board on Geographic Names
#81-08q2 pCover,5-7 [John Mitchler] DC: A New National Highpoint
#78-07q3 p3 [Newsletter] DC: Marker is Installed at the New Location
#76-07q1 p19 [Robert Hyman] DC: Highpoint of Washington DC is Surveyed

Finally, you can see who has completed the populated territories at our “Territory Score Board” page.

[You may re-sort this table by clicking the small arrows found in the column headers.]

Place (info panel)	Type	Highpoint (wiki)	Access	Elevation (forum)
District of Columbia	Federal District	Point Reno		410
American Samoa	Territory	Lata Mountain		3,160
Guam	Territory	Mount Lamlam		1,332
Northern Marianas Islands	Commonwealth	Agrihan		3,166
Puerto Rico	Commonwealth	Cerro de Punta		4,390
US Virgin Islands	Territory	Crown Mountain	Pvt	1,556
Baker Island	Possession	unnamed	NWR	26
Howland Island	Possession	unnamed	NWR	10
Jarvis Island	Possession	unnamed	NWR	23
Johnston Atoll	Possession	Summit Peak	NWR	16
Kingman Reef	Possession	submerged	NWR	5
Midway Islands	Possession	unnamed	NWR	44
Palmyra Atoll	Possession	Sand Island	NWR	6
Wake Island	Possession	Ducks Point	NWR	20
Bajo Nuevo Bank	Possession	unnamed		6
Navassa Island	Possession	Dunning Hill	NWR	253
Serranilla Bank	Possession	Beacon Cay		3
Marshall Islands	Associated State	Likiep Atoll		33
Federated States of Micronesia	Associated State	Mount Ngihneni		2,595
Palau	Associated State	Mount Ngerchelchauus		794

Territory Map/Table

Territory Details

This section contains information panels for each “territory”. Click on the name of the “territory” and a panel opens up presenting the details about the “territory”.

District of Columbia - Point Reno[Federal District]

District of Columbia - Point Reno government seat [Federal District] Print
	Elevation:	410ft / 125m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	38°57'7.13" N, 77°04'33.32" W
		38.951980, -77.075922
		18S 320112 4313497
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	38°57'7.01" N, 77°04'34.48" W
		38.951948, -77.076245
		18S 320080 4313286
	USGS Quadrangle:	Washington West (large ZIP/PDF)

Benchmark: Name="POINT RENO"
Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Rooftops, Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Fort_Reno_Park
Summitpost: http://www.summitpost.org/fort-reno-point-reno-dc/214459
Peakbagger: http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=7637
HPC Forum: District of Columbia - Point Reno
List Of John: https://listsofjohn.com/peak/140295
Facebook: Fort-Reno-Park
More info/Trip reports:
• Trip Report with LiDAR analysis - Andy Hatzos - 2013

Newsletter articles:
  •  #76-07q1 p19 [Robert Hyman] Highpoint of Washington DC is Surveyed
  •  #78-07q3 p3 [Newsletter] Marker is Installed at the New Location
  •  #81-08q2 pCover,5-7 [John Mitchler] A New National Highpoint
  •  #82-08q3 p11 [Robert Hyman] US Board on Geographic Names
  •  #109-15q2 p6 [Jilly Koly, Raina Ferrai] Fort Reno - The Nation's Highpoint
Newsletter updates:
  •  #110-15q3 p9 [John Mitchler] NPS owns Point Reno - map

American Samoa - Lata Mountain[Territory]

American Samoa - Lata Mountain coaling station [Territory] Print
	Elevation:	3,160ft / 963m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	14°13'59.01" S, 169°27'15.09" W
		-14.233059, -169.454191
		2L 666781 8425945
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	14°14'8.07" S, 169°27'9.79" W
		-14.235575, -169.452720
		2L 666941 8425763
	USGS Quadrangle:	Manua Islands East (large ZIP/PDF)

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Lata_Mountain
Peakbagger: http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11932
HPC Forum: American Samoa - Lata Mountain
Facebook: Lata-Mountain
More info/Trip reports:
  •  National Park of American Samoa
  •  Trip Report - Gerry Roach - 2006
  •  Trip Report - Burt Falk - 2006
  •  Trip Report - Jackie - 2013
  •  Trip Report - Scott Lee - 2016

Trip Report - June, 2012 - Roger and Clint Kaul
This trip report starts with some top-level comments and then we will fill in the details. The trails up Mt. Lata have been improved by the NPS. The trails are well marked with blue tape. It appears that the NPS has done most of its improvements below Judd's crater. Beyond Judd's crater the trail needed some machete work above 2700 feet, but not enough to slow us down.

Our team consisted of a total of four people. We used two Samoan guides who did all the machete work and were very fast. We started from the road at 5:15 AM using head lamps. Even though one of us is 72 years old we reached Judd's crater in less than two hours. We were at the summit by 11:40 local time. We spent about 45 minutes at what the NPS claims is the summit. But just as we arrived some clouds appeared and so we were not sure we were really at the very highest of what appears to be four possible summits. It appeared that there are no paths to other nearby "summits."

We left the summit at about 12:30 PM and were back at Judd's crater at 3:30 PM. After a rest there we descended to the road in about an hour, arriving back at our starting location just after 4:45 PM. A total of 11.5 hours.

DETAILS:
Pago Pago, AS
We flew into Paga Pago (pronounced "Pango" by the locals) Airport (PPG) on Monday, June 17, from Honolulu (HNL) on Hawaiian Airlines. The plane was full so customs took about a half hour. We chose to stay near the airport at the Pago Airport Inn (687)699-6333 who picked us up upon arrival. Ruth is the lady at the Inn who immediately settled us in and answered almost all our questions.

We planned to fly to Ta'u on Interisland Airlines on Wednesday, but our round-trip reservations were canceled because we failed to check into their office at the airport and pay for our tickets. We had assumed that since we had reserved them online and provided our credit/debit card information that they were paid for. Not true, because apparently the part of the company that takes the reservations doesn't coordinate this fact with the part of company that actually flies the aircraft. We had just been introduced to the "island way" of doing business! So if you plan to use Interisland Airlines, be sure to check into their office at the PPG airport between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM to confirm your flight within 72 hours before the flight but no later than 2:00 PM the day before. Our tickets went to people on standby. If this happens to you get your name on a priority standby list and be at the airport in case seats are available at the last moment. We failed to do these steps and were put on priority standby for the Friday flight. We were able to fly because other reservations were canceled and we took their seats. The plane is a Dornier 218 turbo-prop with 19 seats, so every flight is full.

Ta'u
On Ta'u we stayed with Suimai and Tom Valahulu, Falefasa's B&B, (684)731-0644 or (687)733- 6628. Their son, Koli, was our main guide and appears to be the most active guide for Mt. Lata. They are experienced with climbers and will be helpful in anyway possible. Their house is the first house on the left after exiting the road from the air terminal.

The trail head starts about 1/4th mile north of the B&B and is difficult to see from the road. NPS has cleared the trail but has no sign at the starting point. Figure 1 is a photo from the street with the starting point marked. The trail to Judd's Crater required no machete work and is easy to follow except at one point where another trail starts to the left, so just follow the blue tape. The overlook to Judd's Crater at 1200 feet took us about 1.75 hours from the road.

Beyond Judd's Crater the trail is good for about 1/2 km until the trail merges into a lava flow. The lava is covered with moss and is quite slippery when wearing shoes with firm soles. One guide wore tennis shoes and the other wore flipflops. We followed the lava flow for about 1 km where it ends and now you are in short trees and ferns at 2700 feet. At this point some machete work was done, but the trail is still clearly marked and our guides were just clearing recent overgrowth. Three of us wore bermuda shorts so none of the plants were cutting into us. The total time from Judd's Crater to the summit was about 4.5 hours with about 1 hour spent in the lava flow. There are two fixed lines at difficult points in the flow (coming down it took about 1 hour in the lava flow because of the slippery covering).

At the "summit" the clouds moved in so quickly that we were not able to attest to being on the highest summit along the ridge line. This appeared to be the place where the trail ends and this is where Koli indicated the summit to be located. We placed a plastic canister at the base of a tree at the summit.

The readings on our GPS did not appear to be accurate. Our GPS showed the summit at UTM coordinates 02 L 0667267 8425684 (WGS84 datum) with an altitude of 3000 feet. When we plotted our readings on the topo map of Lata it showed that we were on the side of the sheer south-facing cliff. Also the altitude did not agree with the stated summit on the map. We did not find a geodetic marker where we were and we did not find a known fixed point to do an corrections of our data. Even at the Tau airport we were not able to find a geodetic marker. In summary, the climb is now a one-day activity because the NPS has improved the trails. We highly encourage using Koli as your guide since he clearly knows the route. Hopefully when you climb the weather will allow you to judge if the summit Koli guides you to is really the highest point.

Interisland Air/Vacations - Pago Pago to Ta'u [Ed: Dated info which needs confirmation]

Sent email to: travel@interislandvacations.com
Got response from: David Prescott 
We operate between Pago Pago and Tau on Sun, Mon, Wed, & Fri
    depart 12:00 pm and return from Tau 1:00 pm.

NPS homestay program on Ta'u [Ed: Dated info which needs confirmation]

Here is the link to the NPS homestay program on Ta'u.  It listed 3 places
although the Mauga Nofoaiga (AKA Sunrise Homestay) appears to be the
most referenced.

http://www.nps.gov/npsa/historyculture/homestay.htm
- Homestay program on Ta'u
- Sunday is day of rest - maybe problems with guides/machete during climb?
Tom and Suimai - Cell: 684-733-6682 or 684-731-0644
Mauga Nofoaiga - Home: 684-677-3414 / 677-3474 / (733-6883 or 733-6885??)
  - listed in americansamoa.travel website as well
  - AKA Sunrise Homestay - $75/room $7.5/b,l and $10/d [LP Samoa+Tonga 2009]
Meli Ali'itaeao - Home: 684-677-3590 or Cell: 684- 733-4430

You can see blog posts here and a photo album here.

Guam - Mount Lamlam[Territory]

Guam - Mount Lamlam military significance [Territory] Print
	Elevation:	1,332ft / 406m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	13°20'23.09" N, 144°39'55.95" E
		13.339748, 144.665541
		55P 247134 1475897
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	13°20'21.73" N, 144°40'0.13" E
		13.339369, 144.666703
		55P 247256 1475762
	USGS Quadrangle:	Agat (large ZIP/PDF)

Benchmark: Name="LAMLAM GG 1963" PID=TW0541 (NGS Datasheet)
Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Mount_Lamlam
Summitpost: http://www.summitpost.org/mt-lamlam/152096
Peakbagger: http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11786
HPC Forum: Guam - Mount Lamlam
Facebook: Mount-Lamlam, Mount-Jumullong-Manglo
More info/Trip reports:
  •  Trip Report - Dobbs - 2015
  •  Trip Report with GPX - Paul Arnold - 2016
  •  Trip Report - Natasha - 2016
  •  Guam Boonie Stompers

Northern Marianas Islands - Agrihan[Commonwealth]

Northern Marianas Islands - Agrihan military significance [Commonwealth] Print
	Elevation:	3,166ft / 965m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	18°46'4.95" N, 145°39'56.81" E
		18.768041, 145.665781
		55Q 359370 2075689
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	18°46'5.24" N, 145°40'1.17" E
		18.768123, 145.666991
		55Q 359496 2075573
	Legacy Topo Map:	Agrihan

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Agrihan
Summitpost: http://www.summitpost.org/agrihan/971416
Peakbagger: http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=74397
HPC Forum: Northern Marianas Islands - Agrihan
Facebook: Agrihan

Newsletter articles:
  •  #106-14q3 p10 [John Mitchler] Northern Marianas added to Club's official list
  •  #107-14q4 p14-17 [John Mitchler] The Last Unclimbed US Highpoint?
  •  #115-16q4 p15-16 [John Mitchler] 26 feet From History

Trip Report - June, 2015 - Clint Kaul
In 2015, a team of 6 climbers attempted to climb Agrihan. The article "26feet From History" was published in Issue #115 - Fourth Quarter 2016 of the "Apex to Zenith" newsletter. The full trip report can be found on Summitpost.

Team member Clint Kaul posted detailed blog entries and a photo album. Team member Roger Wendell has lots of information and Youtube videos on Agrihan.

Puerto Rico - Cerro de Punta[Commonwealth]

Puerto Rico - Cerro de Punta military significance [Commonwealth] Print
	Elevation:	4,390ft / 1,338m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	18°10'20.85" N, 66°35'30.62" W
		18.172458, -66.591839
		19Q 754746 2010936
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	18°10'18.46" N, 66°35'32.53" W
		18.171795, -66.592370
		19Q 754695 2010741
	USGS Quadrangle:	Jayuya (large ZIP/PDF)

Benchmark: Name="PUNTA" PID=TV1204 (NGS Datasheet)
Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Cerro_de_Punta
Summitpost: http://www.summitpost.org/cerro-de-punta/277792
Peakbagger: http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8231
HPC Forum: Puerto Rico - Cerro de Punta
Facebook: Cerro-de-Punta
More info/Trip reports:
• Trip Report - Michael Schwartz - 2003

Newsletter articles:
• #112-16q1 p17-18 [Ruth Anne Heselbarth, Mick Dunn, Thomas Martin] Trip reports
Newsletter updates:
• #118-17q3 p28 [Tom Martin] Trip report on Summitpost

Update - Feb, 2018 - Deno Verner via Facebook
FYI, the trail to the Puerto Rico Highpoint is closed for the next 3 months. I drove over 2 hours to get to the .6 mile trail to the summit and there was a security guard there that said the summit is off limits because there's a generator up there providing power to the local area. I don't know why that would restrict people from the area but I didn't argue with her. Oh well, next time.

US Virgin Islands - Crown Mountain[Territory]

US Virgin Islands - Crown Mountain - Pvt military significance [Territory] Print
	Elevation:	1,556ft / 474m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	18°21'25.84" N, 64°58'28.53" W
		18.357178, -64.974591
		20Q 291356 2030836
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	18°21'23.50" N, 64°58'30.59" W
		18.356528, -64.975163
		20Q 291292 2030642
	USGS Quadrangle:	Charlotte Amalie (large ZIP/PDF)

Benchmark: Name="CROWN MTN RADAR DOME" PID=TZ5034 (NGS Datasheet)
Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Crown_Mountain_(United_States_Virgin_Islands)
Peakbagger: http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8228
HPC Forum: US Virgin Islands - Crown Mountain
Facebook: Crown-Mountain
More info/Trip reports:
• Trip Report - John Mitchler - 2014

Baker Island - unnamed[Possession]

Baker Island - unnamed - NWR guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	26ft / 8m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	0°11'37.32" N, 176°29'1.13" W
		0.193699, -176.483646
		1N 557458 21410
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	0°11'31.64" N, 176°28'55.95" W
		0.192122, -176.482207
		1N 557618 21235
	Legacy Topo Map:	Baker Island

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Baker_Island
Peakbagger: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11923
HPC Forum: Baker Island - unnamed
Facebook: Baker-Island
More info/Trip reports:
  •  WikiTravel - Baker Island
  •  Wikipedia - Howland and Baker Islands
  •  Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge
  •  Janes Resture

Howland Island - unnamed[Possession]

Howland Island - unnamed - NWR guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	10ft / 3m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	0°48'20.60" N, 176°37'8.60" W
		0.805722, -176.619056
		1N 542386 89059
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	0°48'15.08" N, 176°37'3.42" W
		0.804190, -176.617617
		1N 542546 88884
	Legacy Topo Map:	Howland Island

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Howland_Island
HPC Forum: Howland Island - unnamed
Facebook: Howland-Island
More info/Trip reports:
  •  WikiTravel - Howland Island
  •  Wikipedia - Howland and Baker Islands
  •  Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge
  •  Janes Resture

Jarvis Island - unnamed[Possession]

Jarvis Island - unnamed - NWR guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	23ft / 7m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	0°22'11.09" N, 160°00'6.37" W
		-0.369746, -160.001770
		4M 388525 9959126
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	0°22'16.91" N, 160°00'1.42" W
		-0.371363, -160.000395
		4M 388677 9958950
	Legacy Topo Map:	Jarvis Island

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Jarvis_Island
HPC Forum: Jarvis Island - unnamed
Facebook: Jarvis-Island
More info/Trip reports:
  •  jarvisisland.info
  •  Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge
  •  Janes Resture
  •  Atlas Obscura - Jarvis Ghost Island
  •  Atlas Obscura - Cycling Hotspot that Wasn't

Johnston Atoll - Summit Peak[Possession]

Johnston Atoll - Summit Peak - NWR guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	16ft / 5m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	16°43'58.72" N, 169°31'48.85" W
		16.732977, -169.530236
		2Q 656681 1850595
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	16°43'57.29" N, 169°31'43.49" W
		16.732581, -169.528747
		2Q 656842 1850440
	Legacy Topo Map:	Johnston Atoll

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Johnston_Atoll
HPC Forum: Johnston Atoll - Summit Peak
Facebook: Johnston-Atoll, JohnstonAtoll
More info/Trip reports:
• Janes Resture
• Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Kingman Reef - submerged[Possession]

Kingman Reef - submerged - NWR stopping point for air traffic [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	5ft / 2m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	6°24'14.86" N, 162°21'3.77" W
		6.404127, -162.351047
		3N 793037 708634
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	6°24'10.72" N, 162°20'58.73" W
		6.402979, -162.349647
		3N 793196 708463
	Legacy Topo Map:	Kingman Reef

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Kingman_Reef
HPC Forum: Kingman Reef - submerged
Facebook: Kingman-Reef
More info/Trip reports:
  •  Janes Resture
  •  Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge
  •  Geocaching

Midway Islands - unnamed[Possession]

Midway Islands - unnamed - NWR military significance [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	44ft / 13m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	28°12'48.84" N, 177°22'25.15" W
		28.213567, -177.373654
		1R 463334 3120917
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	28°12'50.24" N, 177°22'19.28" W
		28.213956, -177.372022
		1R 463494 3120787
	Legacy Topo Map:	Midway Islands

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Midway_Atoll
HPC Forum: Midway Islands - unnamed
Facebook: Midway-Atoll
More info/Trip reports:
• WikiTravel - Midway Islands
• Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Palmyra Atoll - Sand Island[Possession]

Palmyra Atoll - Sand Island - NWR part of Hawaii acquisition [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	6ft / 2m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	5°52'27.56" N, 162°06'26.45" W
		5.874321, -162.107347
		3N 820335 650140
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	5°52'23.29" N, 162°06'21.42" W
		5.873136, -162.105950
		3N 820494 649968
	Legacy Topo Map:	Palmyra Atoll

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Palmyra_Atoll
HPC Forum: Palmyra Atoll - Sand Island
Facebook: Palmyra-Atoll, NoWorriesAtoll
More info/Trip reports:
  •  Jane Resture
  •  Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
  •  Nature Conservancy
  •  Mysterious Universe

Wake Island - Ducks Point[Possession]

Wake Island - Ducks Point - NWR military significance [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	20ft / 6m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	19°16'23.09" N, 166°39'12.58" E
		19.273081, 166.653495
		58Q 673763 2131871
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	19°16'22.98" N, 166°39'17.85" E
		19.273049, 166.654958
		58Q 673920 2131742
	Legacy Topo Map:	Wake Island

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Wake_Island
HPC Forum: Wake Island - Ducks Point
Facebook: Wake-Island
More info/Trip reports:
  •  WikiTravel - Wake Island
  •  Jane Resture
  •  Wake Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Bajo Nuevo Bank - unnamed[Possession]

Bajo Nuevo Bank - unnamed guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	6ft / 2m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	15°51'13.37" N, 78°38'27.81" W
		15.853715, -78.641058
		17P 752631 1754176
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	15°51'10.52" N, 78°38'28.60" W
		15.852921, -78.641279
		17P 752612 1753980

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Bajo_Nuevo_Bank
HPC Forum: Bajo Nuevo Bank - unnamed
Facebook: Bajo-Nuevo-Bank
More info/Trip reports:
• Geocaching
• International Court of Justice

Navassa Island - Dunning Hill[Possession]

Navassa Island - Dunning Hill - NWR guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	253ft / 77m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	18°23'45.67" N, 75°00'45.18" W
		18.396020, -75.012551
		18Q 498674 2034001
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	18°23'43.25" N, 75°00'46.33" W
		18.395348, -75.012869
		18Q 498641 2033804
	Legacy Topo Map:	Navassa Island

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Navassa_Island
Peakbagger: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8222
HPC Forum: Navassa Island - Dunning Hill
Facebook: Navassa-Island, Navassa-Island-National-Wildlife-Refuge
More info/Trip reports:
• Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge
• SE Fisheries Science Center

Serranilla Bank - Beacon Cay[Possession]

Serranilla Bank - Beacon Cay guano production [Possession] Print
	Elevation:	3ft / 1m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	15°47'44.12" N, 79°50'50.31" W
		15.795590, -79.847309
		17P 623460 1746663
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	15°47'41.25" N, 79°50'51.00" W
		15.794792, -79.847499
		17P 623442 1746468

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Serranilla_Bank
HPC Forum: Serranilla Bank - Beacon Cay
Facebook: Serranilla-Bank
More info/Trip reports:
• Cayos del Norte
• International Court of Justice

Marshall Islands - Likiep Atoll[Associated State]

Marshall Islands - Likiep Atoll military significance [Associated State] Print
	Elevation:	33ft / 10m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	9°49'18.73" N, 169°17'25.14" E
		9.821869, 169.290316
		59P 312499 1086195
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	9°49'15.89" N, 169°17'30.25" E
		9.821080, 169.291736
		59P 312652 1086039
	Legacy Topo Map:	Likieb Inseln

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Likiep_Atoll
Peakbagger: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11788
More info/Trip reports:
• Trip Report - Burt Falk - 2001
• Cruising with Soggy Paws

Federated States of Micronesia - Mount Ngihneni[Associated State]

Federated States of Micronesia - Mount Ngihneni military significance [Associated State] Print
	Elevation:	2,595ft / 791m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	6°52'24.37" N, 158°13'43.14" E
		6.873437, 158.228650
		57N 414778 759826
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	6°52'20.78" N, 158°13'47.88" E
		6.872439, 158.229968
		57N 414923 759668
	USGS Quadrangle:	Ponape South (large ZIP/PDF)

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Pohnpei
Peakbagger: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11797

General Information - Editor
There appears to be controversy as to which is the highpoint. Wikipedia claims Mount Nanlaud (782m) is the highest, while Peakbagger claims Mount Ngihneni is the highest (791m). If you look at the USGS topo map you will see both peaks have a 780m contour which is inconclusive.

General Information - Pohnpei Eco-Adventure
Pohnpei Eco-Adventure provides a nice webpage on the FSM highpoint. Briefly quoting "In reality, Nahnalaud is not a single mountain but rather the highest peak in Pohnpei's contiguous central mountain system, which separates the five chiefdoms. The primary central ridge runs from west to east and then curves north toward U not far beyond Nahnalaud. Additionally, a secondary ridge runs south, leading to Pohnpei's second highest peak, Ngihneni, and then turning sharply to the west.". They describe 5 routes (Pehleng, Enipein Powe, Salapwuk, Nanipil and Nankepinmerepw) which can used to obtain the summit(s).

Trip Report - Dec, 2009 - Ginge Fullen
[Ed: Ginge Fullen has given me permission to publish this part of his trip report. As you can read, it is still inconclusive which peak is the highest given issues of natural versus man-made.]

After grabbing some breakfast I headed to the tourist information office on the main street only to be told they couldn't help at all but directed me to another national tourist office at the far end of town I met a very friendly and helpful lady called Kukulynn who couldn't do enough for me. The best approach to the mountain was from the west of the island from the small village of Salapwak. It was a two day trek by all accounts with the night being spent in a cave from what I could gather. After doing a little food shopping I headed straight off in a shared taxi that would drop me off at Salapwak where I was to ask for my guide Welten Panuet. It was a small place and the taxi driver would know where to find him I was assured.

A newly paved road circled the Island for 54 miles and Salapwak was a few miles inland, first on a paved road then a bad dirt track. At the end of the track the driver indicated a walking trail and a young lad walked with me the five minutes or so to where Welten lived. I was greeted by Weltens wife but also by an American peace corp worker, a 23 year Ruthuanne who had just started her two year volunteer stint here at the local School. Remarkably after only three months here she had a great grasp of the language which made it easier for me as she translated the finer points. Most people do speak good English here although the older people speak Japanese first after their local dialect.

By GPS the mountain showed only 7 kilometres away and starting early one could do it in one day although the terrain I was to find out was hard going. I was glad I had 3 or even 4 days if need be though to take in both peaks. I was told less then 100 people go to Nahna Laud a year and Welten who has guided people many time had never been up Ngihneni although it was only a couple of kilometres away from what people say is the highest mountain in Micronesia. He was sure nobody else had been up there in a long long time. The rainforest come jungle is as dense and pristine as anywhere in the world and small Island or not, not too many people go into the interior.

With it being one of the wettest places on earth with a rainfall of .. it was also one of the slipperiest, care had to be taken with every step. You could not trust one foot step 100% as if you slipped you would fall hard, even taking care there were several bone mending moments. As ever in jungles you seem to feel every contour line as the route does not necessarily follow the easiest path of resistance. Pohnpei certainly has an abundance of rivers and streams and we seemed to cross most of them.

We were travelling light as Weltem had brought his 22 rifle with him with the aim of shooting wood pigeon to supplement our good supply of rice we had brought. We certainly didn't go hungry with Welten shooting 4 birds the first day, 5 the next and 7 on the third and last day as we walked back to the village. All I had was two cameras, GPS, torch, one spare set of dry clothes and a gortex bivy bag plus a few snacks. Water wasn't a problem as there seemed to be a stream of river every few hundred metres. It was as back to the basics as you can get.

After five hours of steady walking stopping to look, listen and for Welten to do his perfect wood pigeon call and shoot us dinner and barbecue it we arrived at what I call a 5 star jungle camp. The cave was actually a big overhang, massive in fact stretching out 30 feet or more and more then 50 feet wide, enough to sleep 30 or more people if need be. There was a raised platform which was a good sleeping area, IE, the penthouse which had a soil floor and covered in an old mattress of old ferns and big coconut leaves. Water was less then 10 metres away and all that was missing was a TV and free drinks cabinet. Dinner was wood pigeon soup and rise. The camp is perfectly situated in the middle ground between the two mountains at a height of around 500 metres.

The distances weren't great to get to the peaks from here but still some people did describe the terrain and conditions as hell on earth, luckily for me "hell on earth" was becoming routine and even enjoyable and certainly a great mountain to finish my latest travels on. We set off at a leisurely 0900 despite my urgings heading for Nahna Laud the known part of this trip. This time it was rice and one of the two tins of sardines that I had. The dog having no bones to eat from any wood pigeon had the very small amount of rice that was either dropped or left on the banana leaf it had been laid out on. Remarkably, it came everywhere we went and more then often not even following the very bad trail, when there was one but the evn more difficult terrain off trail. I have seen fewer tougher dogs on my travels most would be scared to death I should think of being out here. It was raining but the signs were good that it may clear up. It would be a god send to get a clear look at Ngihneni from the summit of Nahna Laud that was if this summit wasn't covered in trees and so had no view at all.

The terrain was difficult but after yesterday it was a lot easier. Drop somebody in on some of these parts of the trail and they would say there was no trail whats so ever. There are no markings of any kind, not many people come here to actually mark the trail and if they did as its so wet everything grows over so quickly anyway. Welten knew this area very well though and didn't even need to cut little nicks into the trees as we passed. Most people would have difficulty seeing one trail here to Welten there seemed to be a thousand. In certain areas the vegetation opened up and the walking was easier and as ever we were all on the lookout for our dinner.

Less then a couple of hours of steady walking got us to the top of the peak that was spot heighted at 772 metres. Complete with a small metal disc that was screwed in a rock on the summit, why they don't just go to the highest point I will never know. The nearby and unmarked twin peak looked very obviously higher. We headed to the very top along a fairly good trail on the less vegetated summit ridge. The very top was cleared and the views opened up of the densely jungled interior and clear waters nearby. The height I got on my GPS was 791 metres which was higher that was indicated on any of the maps. When the clouds cleared in the direction of Ngihneni it did look to be higher. Its very difficult to tell by line of sight and I have got it wrong before but my hunch this time was we would find ourselves a higher mountain in Ngihneni.

The only small problem was getting there and finding the true summit. Being a long whale back of a mountain the highest contour line was the very middle of the contour line but at the southern end of the long ridge was the added problem of a large knoll of a peak that looked from here as high as anything on the mountain. I would certainly have to take the knoll in as well which meant another couple of kilometres added on. A couple of kilometres may sound like nothing on a normal clear mountain, add a few thousand trees and bushes then it makes it entertaining, add no one having been there before or at least in a long time well the fun and games becomes a bit less funny. Anyway I would have to wait until tomorrow to see if Nahna Laud "the big mountain" was still the highest mountain and acclaimed highest point of Micronesia.

We took another highpoint on Nahna Laud just a few hundred metres away but through the dense rainforest it sounds easier then it was. We also picked up a cooking pot that Welten had stashed nearby as the ones in the cave had a few holes in them. There was a route from his village to the capitol so he must have hidden it on a previous trip. We walked back down in the rain after first of all bagging two more wood pigeons. We spent a pleasant night in the cave, it rained very hard that night but did not effect us one bit in our five star abode. Next morning you could hardly tell it had rained as it had all ran off. Welten hadn't been up Ngihneni he now told me and it would be a matter of finding old trails and making new ones, no problem problem he said. The overhanging rock camp was actually on the side of Ngihneni and not too far off from straight above us. We headed up a ways to a secret cave Welten knew about that apparently only 5 other people knew of. It was pretty low and would have been a cramped sleep and uncomfortable amongst the seashells that could be found on the floor.

We headed straight up and soon made the top ridge. I had my altimeter on my watch that gave me a rough estimate of the height we were at but still not conclusive and we still had to find the summit. I would have to wait until I got to a clearing or less densely wooded area until I got my GPS out for a more accurate reading. We headed north along the long whale back of a ridge and soon came to a large mound of rock and soil that was clear of vegetation and obviously the highest point. I turned on my GPS and waited for it to settle, meanwhile I had a good look around. Two large holes had been dug on top, maybe old military placements I am not sure. We could see above all the trees on the island and were definitely on top of the long ridge. The knoll at the far southern end would prove to be 20 metres lower, it was a tough walk to get to but it needed to be discounted.

The GPS had settled at 795 metres, Nahna Laud did look lower and to my mind we had found Micronesia's highest mountain. One other query or question mark though was the summit mound man made. There had been discussion about Denmark's highest mountain as the very highest point had a 3 metres or so burial mound on the summit. So was that the highest mountain or the one to two metre lower mountain with out the burial mound. This mound on Ngihneni was around five metres high so if you don't count it the mountain may only be around 790 metres, one metre or so lower of course then Nahna Laud. What ever a more accurate survey may find I had climbed both and had a great time with a very experience jungle guide.

Palau - Mount Ngerchelchauus[Associated State]

Palau - Mount Ngerchelchauus military significance [Associated State] Print
	Elevation:	794ft / 242m
	Lat/Lon (WGS84):	7°33'55.00" N, 134°34'10.00" E
		7.565278, 134.569444
		53N 452504 836263
	Lat/Lon (NAD27):	7°33'51.85" N, 134°34'13.48" E
		7.564402, 134.570410
		53N 452610 836113
	USGS Quadrangle:	Babeldaob South (large ZIP/PDF)

Maps: [Sat] Google, Bing [Topo] Acme, Gmap4
Photos: Flickr, Loc.alize.us, Bing, Google
Videos: Vimeo, Youtube
Weather: NWS Forecase
Nearby POI: Opencaching.us, Waymarking.com

Wikipedia: Mount_Ngerchelchuus
Peakbagger: http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=11791
More info/Trip reports:
• Trip Report - Burt Falk - 2001

Please contact us at guides@highpointers.org if you have any suggestions or trip reports/updates you would like to share.

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