Hawksnest Beach

Definitely our favorite beach on St John. There was also a great spot on the right hand side of the beach for snorkeling. We saw all kinds of turtles and pretty fish. Parking is kind of limited, which is kind of nice because the beach doesn't get too busy/crowded.

Went on a cloudier day but it was still SO GORGEOUS! Spacious but not too wide or large. There are bbq grills that work with coal, and easy parking in front . Loved it here!

A bit more "primitive" than some other beaches on the island, but that tended to equal less crowds. Great sandy beaches with clear relaxing water. No showers was unfortunate, but the overall experience is great.

Beautiful beach. There is a large reef area straight out about 50 feet from the shore. The water here has some stronger waves but there were lots of fish and the beach was nice.

Super cute little beach! Some rocky areas on the west side but still really nice! Went snorkeling here and it was great!

Hawksnest Beach is a great beach if you want calm waves, snorkeling and crystal clear water. The difference between Maho Bay and Hawksnest Beach is that Hawksnest beach is much wider and has more beach so there are more places to find both sun and shade, it also has good snorkeling (but not great), it’s more convenient due to its close distance to Cruz Bay. It has restroom facilities and picnic tables and good parking. There is no hike to the beach. However, on some days the waves can actually get quite rough. Definitely one of my favorite beaches on St John!

Amazing and beautiful place. If you visit St John's, you mos go to Hawksnest Beach. Easy to get there and parking.

A huge yes to this beach. The sand is powder soft, the water is beautiful and clear and the view is just to die for. We had a wonderful time at this beach!

Great beach. According to the locals, this is where they all go. Free parking, picnic pavilions with grills, and restrooms. No other amenities. If the restrooms were better (they were dark and very stinky), this would be rated higher. We didn't see too many fish, but it was a nice beach (hello, it's USVI) and since we brought all of our own food and gear it was a good day.

Underrated beach. Worth a visit while on St. John! The water was really clear and the waters were very calm at 4 PM. The water was a beautiful turqoise color. I recommend bringing your own food if you plan on spending the day here. There is limited parking and no entry fee to the beach. There are bathrooms here and apparently it's a really good spot for snorkeling. This is also a part of the Virgin Islands National Park! Definitely prefer to go to this beach compared to the other crowded beaches in St. John.

I was impressed with my visit to Hawksnest Beach. Yeah....while exploring Virgin Islands National Park and all the beaches offered here...Hawksnest did not disappoint. I'd say it's maybe the 3rd or 4th most popular beach in St. John. Of course, there are Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay and the perfect waters around them and all the amenities offered as well. But then I enjoyed this Hawksnest Beach just right behind the 2 biggies. Also in this group of pristine beaches, I'd include Maho Bay. Cruising along North Shore Road to get around Virgin Islands National Park....Hawksnest Beach actually offered a decent amount of parking spaces. The reason I say this is because...throughout the island of St. John...there's virtually hardly any parking spots wherever you trek off to. Although this may get overlooked, but the waters at Hawksnest Beach were quite inviting...especially with the sun in full force....I was really able to appreciate the turquois blue waters offered here...very much in similarity to Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay. So...spending some time here at Hawksnest Beach, sitting down and relaxing....I'd certainly describe this place as a worthwhile visit. Especially anytime you can witness stunning/colorful beach waters....they're absolutely moments that cannot be forgotten. Expanding a little on the beach waters of Hawksnest....I was very impressed with my photographs. I mean yeah, anywhere you go throughout St. John...it's going to be beautiful, but my photographs here among Hawksnest really shined through. Looking back on my time....I recall fondly how much of an appreciation I took towards this beach! In all, I'd certainly recommend stopping at Hawksnest while touring Virgin Islands NP and all of St. John. Some final notes I'd like to share.... 1. When traveling North Shore Road heading around the island....these best 4 beaches begins in this order of arriving... Hawksnest, then Trunk Bay, then Cinnamon Bay and finally Maho Bay. So...when planning out your day, keep that in mind. And...you can skip Solomon and Honeymoon Beaches near the Visitor Center and Lind Point Trail. 2. Hawksnest is quieter than the other 3. If you're interested in less hectic activity....come here. 3. The waters among Hawksnest are almost right up there with the other Big 3. 4. Parking is accessible here at Hawksnest, especially if you arrive in the morning time. 5. Hawksnest is a good starting point for discovering the mood and ambiance of the Virgin Island beaches.

Simply amazing! Hawk's Nest beach was gorgeous, as the beaches in St. John are well kept and are considered Virgin Island National Parks. The water is beautifully clear and blue. There are no amenities here such as showers here though, just restrooms, it's literally like a park but with a beach. Everything is natural! There are corals and there were some twigs/leaves in the ocean. There are a lot of wildlife here including fish that swim with you and locals also say there is a sting ray that comes and visit and they have named him "Stevie Ray", haha. Not to mention the donkeys that come visit every so often along the beaches and trail areas. How I wish this beach was near me, because I would be here everyday.

Trunk Bay, Maho Bay--overrated. found Trunk Bay sand too dirty and filled with ants, and Maho Bay water a bit dirty. Hawks Nest--underrated. Unbelievably clean, beautiful beach with pristine water that's not too crowded. No amenities, so not many tourists. We happened to stop by here because we noticed that the small parking lot was always full when we drove by. We are so glad we did because this was our favorite beach in St. John. It is perfect when you want to do nothing but jump into the beautiful, clean water and sit on the beach and think about how just lucky you are to be in this Caribbean paradise!

The first time through there in am out of town we could not find a parking spot so we kept on going. On way back we parked to check it out. Not all of beach was sandy. Ok but there are better locations.

Saved up to come back to the place we spent our honeymoon 29 years ago, and for the whole week we were here we couldn't get back to Hawksnest because the parking lot was full every time. It doesn't matter to some people, who will just pull into the woods or into a drainage ditch and leave their jeep, but there are just too many people coming here now to maintain the pristine character that made it the best beach in the world. Just don't understand who is writing about "empty beaches", don't believe it, just not true anymore.

Probably overlooked by most tourists for a few reasons that make sense (and some that don't), my visit in April of 2013 conjures the following thoughts: Location: 5 out of 5 I think that Hawks Nest is the closest beach from the people and car ferry of St. John. We had a rental car, so it wasn't an issue. The parking lot is plentiful, and there was no admission charge. Amenities: 2.5 out of 5 This is probably a reason why people aren't as willing to come out. Whereas Cinnamon and Trunk have full commodities like bathrooms, showers, shacks that sell food and rentals, Hawks Nest was functional at best with just changing stalls. I don't think there was a shower, and the bathrooms were more primitive. No restaurant on site, and no equipment rental either. Which is just fine for me, and actually preferred since you can bring food and drink onto the beach along with some chairs and just have a nice time. Exclusivity and Ambiance: 5 out of 5 Directly correlated with the fact that there are less people, this beach had a nice secluded feel, and the shade provided by the trees in the area definitely made it a high point of my visit. Walking along the beach was fun, and it's possible to go in a manner where you encounter maybe 5 other people the entire day. Snorkeling: 5 out of 5 If you're a casual snorkeler, you'll definitely appreciate how close the corals are. As always, exercise caution for yourself, as well as for the natural beauty of the corals, and remember that it's a National Park. The urchins out there were huge and amazing, and I saw schools bait fish as well as a few other larger predators, like Barracuda. Accessibility: 5 out of 5 Not usually a metric I take into account, but my fiance was on the mend from having broken her ankle back in January, so the easy and closeness of the beach from the parking lot was greatly appreciated. Overall: 5 out of 5 Despite the lack of amenities (which was preferred from my standpoint), this place was quite beautiful, easily accessible, and had the nicest overall snorkeling experience.

Not sure life, beaches, water or view gets any better than this. Bring a cooler and snacks so you don't have to leave!

Amazing spot, clean and beautiful beaches. The bathrooms aren't as clean as the beaches. Be warned :)

Crystal clear sand. Close to town in a National Park! Gorgeous!!

By far my favorite beach on the island..very private and absolutely stunning.. It's tough to get a taxi once your on this beach so I suggest going there if you have a car rental.. The snorkeling was out of this world, better than in the caves..