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A National Parks Hub Park Guide

Lat 18.3328° N
Long 64.7938° W

Elevation0 – 1,277 ft

U.S. Virgin Islands · Park 58 / 63

Virgin Islands

National Park · Established 1956

Over 60 percent of the island of St. John, donated by a Rockefeller heir to keep the Caribbean's resorts from swallowing it whole.

Area14,948 acres

TrailheadCruz Bay, St. John

Visitors500k / yr

Scroll to begin the ascent

Live · Cruz Bay Visitor Center open, most beaches accessible Reaching St. John requires a ferry from St. Thomas or a direct flight to St. Thomas/St. Croix 1 active alert 84°F · steady trade-wind breeze Live layer, from the National Park Service

Best windowDec–Apr for driest weather · fewer crowds in fall Getting thereFly into St. Thomas, then a 20-min ferry to Cruz Bay FeeFree entry · Trunk Bay charges a separate $5 beach fee

★★★★★ 4.8 from 1 travelers 1 visitor stories 500k annual visitors Grounded in live NPS data

Virgin Islands · Mile 01 · The Story

A Rockefeller's gift,
60 percent of an island.

Virgin Islands National Park protects more than 60 percent of the small Caribbean island of St. John, land donated to the federal government in the 1950s by Laurance Rockefeller specifically to keep the island's beaches and hillsides from being carved up into resort development the way much of the surrounding Caribbean had been. The result is a genuinely unusual thing in this part of the world: pristine, undeveloped beaches sitting a short ferry ride from a busy cruise port, with no hotels or condos crowding the shoreline.

Trunk Bay, the park's most famous beach, includes an underwater snorkel trail marked for self-guided exploration, drawing crowds especially when cruise ships are in port on nearby St. Thomas. The Reef Bay Trail cuts through the island's interior past Taino petroglyphs and the ruins of a Danish colonial sugar plantation, a quieter and more historically layered experience than the beaches alone suggest.

Come for beaches that look like a postcard because almost nothing was ever built on them. Stay long enough to walk into the island's plantation-era history at Annaberg or along the Reef Bay Trail. Read the story, take the ferry over, and when you leave, mark it visited.

Virgin Islands National Park framed poster print

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Premium matte paper, museum-quality print. Ships in a protective tube. Price varies by size, chosen at checkout.

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“

With over 60% of this island being national park land, this is one of the last untouched paradises on earth.

Adapted from a visitor account of St. John and Virgin Islands National Park

Trunk Bay

"The mountains are calling and I must go."

John Muir

Virgin Islands · Mile 02 · The Essentials

Best Things to Do in the Virgin Islands

Six ways to spend your time, from a marked underwater snorkel trail to sugar-mill ruins deep in the island's interior.

Snorkel the Trunk Bay Underwater Trail

A self-guided snorkel route marked along the sea floor at one of the most photographed beaches in the Caribbean.

The signature snorkel · $5 beach fee

See

Visit the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins

The remains of a Danish colonial-era sugar plantation, with interpretive displays on its difficult history.

Everyone · 45 min

Hike the Reef Bay Trail

A trail through the island's interior past Taino petroglyphs, ending at a quiet, less-visited beach.

Half day · uphill return

Explore

Cruz Bay Visitor Center

The main park contact point, right where the ferry from St. Thomas arrives.

Everyone · 30 min

See

Relax at Hawksnest or Cinnamon Bay

Two more of St. John's beautiful, undeveloped north shore beaches, quieter than Trunk Bay on most days.

Everyone · free

Look for sea turtles while snorkeling

Green sea turtles are a common sight in the calm, clear water throughout the park's beaches.

Everyone · any snorkel spot

Free · Ready in Seconds

Free AI Trip Planner

Plan Your Virgin Islands Trip

Answer a few questions right here. We'll map your day, stop by stop, with a route, timings, weather, and a packing checklist grounded in real park data. No account, no leaving this page.

⚡ In a hurry? Adventure Light 5 questions →

Free preview · no card required

Virgin Islands · Provisions

Gear for this parkvia AvantLink

Snorkel gear (bring your own or rent)Cruz Bay outfitters

Reef-safe sunscreenREI

Cash or card for the Trunk Bay feeBring both

Stay nearbydirect · no commission

Cinnamon Bay Campground · Cinnamon Bay Cottages · Cruz Bay, St. JohnIn-park camping and in-park cottages from the same concessioner, plus the ferry gateway town, all real and verified.

In-Park CampgroundCinnamon Bay Campground
Check dates →

Cabin NearbyCinnamon Bay Cottages & Eco-Tents
See rooms →

Gateway TownCruz Bay, St. John
See hotels →

Full lodging guide for Virgin Islands →

Free Virgin Islands checklistdigital · $0

The printable trail and packing checklist in the park-guide style. Take it, join the trail list.

The Trail Map · Real Trails & Boundary

Every Trail In Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands National Park at a Glance

1 Cruz Bay Visitor Center

2 Trunk Bay

3 Reef Bay Trail

4 Annaberg Sugar Plantation

5 Lind Point Trail

6 Ram Head Trail

Stops shown in visit order. Build a plan above and this map updates to your exact stops.

Real trail lines & NPS park boundary © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap · pick a trail to highlight it, tap a pin for the name

When the Crowds ComeMonthly visitors · tap a year

Illustrative shape · wires to official NPS visitation stats · summer peaks shown in gold

The Reef Bay Trail

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit."

Edward Abbey

Virgin Islands · Mile 03 · Trails & Viewpoints

Best Hikes in the Virgin Islands, by Difficulty

Every trail rated honestly, with distance, climb, and a note on which beaches charge a separate fee.

$5 beach fee

Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail

Easy

0.25 miin-water~30 min

A marked underwater trail identifying coral and reef fish, suitable for beginner snorkelers.

Reef Bay Trail

Moderate

2.2 mi one-way-900 ft to the beach3–4 hr round trip

A downhill hike through the island's interior past petroglyphs and plantation ruins to a quiet beach; the uphill return is the harder half. No permit.

Annaberg Sugar Plantation Trail

Easy

0.3 misome stairs~30 min

A short walk through the ruins of a Danish colonial sugar plantation, with interpretive signage throughout. No permit.

Cinnamon Bay Trail

Easy–Mod

1.1 mi one-way+400 ft~1.5 hr

Connects the beach to the historic Cinnamon Bay Plantation ruins, through forest away from the shoreline. No permit.

Ram Head Trail

Moderate

2 mi round trip+200 ft~1.5 hr

An exposed coastal trail to a dramatic overlook above Salt Pond Bay, with little shade throughout. No permit.

Photo coming soon

Lind Point Trail

Easy–Mod

2.4 mi round trip+300 ft~1.5 hr

A coastal trail from Cruz Bay to Honeymoon and Salomon beaches, quieter than the more famous north shore beaches. No permit.

No permit for park trails · Trunk Bay charges a separate $5 per person beach fee · free backcountry camping requires reservation through the Cinnamon Bay campground concessioner

Virgin Islands · Mile 04 · Life on the Reef and in the Forest

Wildlife in the Virgin Islands: Animals You Might See

Tap any animal to learn its story. Soon, the app will let you log what you spot and keep a life list for every park.

A frequent sight while snorkeling at Trunk Bay and other park beaches, feeding on seagrass in the calm, clear water.

An endangered species found on the park's coral reefs, less commonly seen than the green sea turtle.

Introduced historically to control rats on sugar plantations, now common throughout the island's forests.

Found in the seagrass beds around the island, a large marine snail historically important to Caribbean cuisine.

Common along the island's coastline, frequently seen diving for fish just offshore.

Introduced to the island in past centuries, now a common and easily seen resident throughout the park's forests.

Common on the island's beaches and forest floor, a familiar and harmless sight throughout the park.

Plant Life in the Virgin Islands: What Grows Here

Common throughout the island's forest, identifiable by its reddish, peeling bark, sometimes called the "tourist tree" for its sunburned look.

Found on the island's drier coastal bluffs, sending up a tall flower stalk once before dying.

Historically harvested on St. John for its fragrant oil, still found growing throughout the forest.

Found in the island's drier coastal habitats, part of the varied dry-forest ecosystem found throughout the park.

Common throughout the island, with fragrant flowers that bloom for much of the year.

Common along the park's beaches, tolerant of salt spray and providing some of the only shade directly on the sand.

Fun Facts About the Virgin Islands

Fact 01

Virgin Islands National Park protects more than 60 percent of the island of St. John, donated largely by Laurance Rockefeller in the 1950s.

Fact 02

Trunk Bay's underwater snorkel trail is marked with plaques on the sea floor, identifying coral and reef fish for self-guided exploration.

Fact 03

The Reef Bay Trail passes Taino petroglyphs carved by the island's Indigenous inhabitants long before European colonization.

Fact 04

The Annaberg ruins are the remains of a Danish colonial-era sugar plantation, part of a difficult history the park's exhibits address directly.

Virgin Islands · Before You Go

Virgin Islands National Park FAQ

The questions people actually ask, answered from the park’s own current guidance. Fees and permit rules change every year, so each answer links back to the National Park Service page it came from.

No general entrance fee is required to visit Virgin Islands National Park. The one exception is Trunk Bay, where there's a $5 per person fee for visitors 16 and older under the park's Expanded Amenity Recreation Fee program. Source: NPS.gov

There's no permit needed just to enter the park by boat, but if you moor overnight in park waters you do have to pay a mooring fee, which the park now collects through the Recreation.gov mobile app at pay stations near the moorings. Anchoring and mooring rules are spelled out in the park's Superintendent's Compendium, so it's worth checking the interactive marine map before you drop anchor. Source: NPS.gov

It's in the process of reopening after years of hurricane damage. The park points visitors to the campground's own site, cinnamonbayvi.com, for current status and reservations, since it's run by a concessioner rather than directly by the NPS. Source: NPS.gov

Yes, the park is open every day of the year. Hours can vary by facility and season, so it's worth checking before visiting a specific site like the visitor center. Source: NPS.gov

Virgin Islands · Mile 05 · From the Field Journal

Go Deeper on the Virgin Islands

Stories, guides, and hard-won tips from the trail. The full Virgin Islands deep dive lives on the blog.

Culture

Your passport

One visit,
one story.

Log the visit, keep your story, and watch the map of all sixty-three fill in behind you. Every visit has a keepsake worth holding.

Virgin Islands · Mile 06 · Where to Next

Keep the Journey Going

The collection

All 63 Parks

See the full map and track every park you have visited.

View the map → Plan

Build a Trip

Turn Virgin Islands into a trip with a custom, day-by-day itinerary.

Start planning → Go deeper

The Artists Who Taught Us to See the Parks

Ansel Adams, John Muir, Ken Burns, and more: the photographers, painters, and writers who shaped how we see the parks.

Read it → Explore more

63 Parks, One Map

Find your next park anywhere in the country.

Browse parks →

Carry the park guide

Offline maps, your passport, and every park in your pocket on the trail.

Join the waitlist →

The Book · Keepsake

The National Parks Hub park guide

The printed edition, part atlas, part journal, one story per park.

Notify me →

The Shop · Prints · pins · passport

Take Virgin Islands home

Park-guide posters, enamel stamps, and the passport book to fill in.

Visit the shop →

Five parks remain

"The parks do not belong to one state or to one section... they belong as much to the man of Massachusetts, of Michigan, of Florida, as they do to the people of California, of Wyoming, and of Arizona."

Stephen Mather · first director of the National Park Service

Begin your journey

Field Notes

The parks do not perform for anyone. They stood here before the road, and they will stand here after it.

Sixty-three parks. One park guide system. Every mile grounded in what is actually there.

Virgin Islands

A Rockefeller's gift,60 percent of an island.

Best Things to Do in the Virgin Islands

Snorkel the Trunk Bay Underwater Trail

Visit the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins

Hike the Reef Bay Trail

Cruz Bay Visitor Center

Relax at Hawksnest or Cinnamon Bay

Look for sea turtles while snorkeling

Plan Your Virgin Islands Trip

Every Trail In Virgin Islands

Best Hikes in the Virgin Islands, by Difficulty

Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail

Reef Bay Trail

Annaberg Sugar Plantation Trail

Cinnamon Bay Trail

Ram Head Trail

Lind Point Trail

Wildlife in the Virgin Islands: Animals You Might See

Plant Life in the Virgin Islands: What Grows Here

Fun Facts About the Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands National Park FAQ

Go Deeper on the Virgin Islands

The Artists Who Taught Us to See the Parks

What the National Parks Are Actually Worth

Lodging, Gear, and the Logistics That Decide the Trip

One visit,one story.

Keep the Journey Going

All 63 Parks

Build a Trip

The Artists Who Taught Us to See the Parks

63 Parks, One Map

Carry the park guide

The National Parks Hub park guide

Take Virgin Islands home

A Rockefeller's gift,
60 percent of an island.

One visit,
one story.