Virgin Islands National Park

Loved it here! We drove all around and explored as much as we could in one day and it was memorable. The views are breathtaking, the beaches are gorgeous, and the ruins are great for pictures. The roads are very windy but they’re paved so you feel a bit safer driving through it all.

Greatly enjoyed this visit to VI NP. After speaking to one of the two interpretive Rangers for the park, they are very understaffed. The new Park HQ and visitor center is very nice and worth a visit. Hopefully the bathrooms will get some attention next. Additionally, updated signage will help visitors navigate the massive park. Most beaches and facilities are free, with Trunk Bay as an exception. You can only (realistically) walk to Solomon and Honeymoon beaches via the trails from the visitor center. The others all require a taxi ($9 pp/ one way) or a rental car. Trunk Bay is $5 pp, with very limited parking.

What a unique park! Great snorkeling, hiking, and historical places. Driving is crazy and there are limited places to eat, ship, etc., but a wonderfully quiet place to escape.

Beautiful island! Great place to do snorkeling. Ram Head Trail is the best trail on the island! Visit in spring 2024.

We spent the day on St.Johns and it is so beautiful. At the park entrance. There is a walking path you can take. The girl at the desk said it a good warm up walk and concession at the end. Well we walked an hr in and never seen the beach. It is a long hike, not a walk. We did see solder crabs and tiny lizards, but that hike kicked our butts, since we were not prepare for hiking.

Well this is in my top 5 National Parks and this was 48 out of the 63. if you love nature, diving, snorkelling, hiking, this has something for you. We spent two days on St. John. One doing a drive round and some hiking and one by boat going round the island, stopping at the best spots for snorkelling. just look at the pictures. If you are staying on St Thomas, its easy to get to St. John (preferably with your own car). The Big Red Barge, which we used and other car ferries operate multiple times daily, so its easy to do a day trip. Driving round is worth doing as you can get to some of the remote beaches, like Salt Pond and the various ruins. You can also rent a boat to take you around. The visitor center is really good and the staff know their stuff. There is also a short hike you can do from the visitor center. If you go to St. Thomas, dont miss out on this park.

This was the 20th national park that I’ve visited. It’s a special place but unfortunately takes some decent planning to get to. Some of the locals were very friendly and welcoming of tourists, but many others were not. The park itself is gorgeous but, plan on renting a Jeep or something capable of driving the many switchbacks and inclines within the park. Have fun!

Took the ferry from Red Hook. $3 port fee. They don't tell you it's an extra $65 cash until you're well on your way to STJ. All good. Parking at the terminal is $15 for the day so this way we had the car, and it's $9 or so per person per way on passenger ferry. Small little Kia did fine. Drive the whole island. Reef Bay Trail was gorgeous. About 13k steps total including Petroglyphs and walking the Sugar Mill ruins. Easy to navigate. Looped out of the trailhead through the north beaches. Food/drinks trucks at Maho Bay. Nothing else between there and town. Great day trip. St. John Scoops and walking the Junction shops. Beautiful jewelry. Late lunch at The Longboard. Pricey as hell but good food. Overall great day trip!

This is a National Park run the way it should be. Great attention to the cleanliness and service for visitors. The bathrooms and showers were clean. The snack shack provided shade and had rather outstanding food for outdoor picnic venue. Everyone from park rangers to snack shack and other employees were friendly and outgoing. Great job!! The beach was outstanding and clean!

Hands down my favorite national park thus far. This park encompasses a good portion of St John, and there are so many things to do here to enjoy it's beauty and nature that it has the ability to appeal to everyone. There are beautiful hiking experiences, snorkeling, swimming, camping... We got to do more in this park than we've gotten to do in the other national parks. Our favorite trail was the Reef Bay Trail. Probably about 5 miles round trip, it definitely has a decent elevation, but it's not a steep elevation so it's easily do-able. The hike ends at some sugar mill ruins and a beautiful beach, but it's super rocky so not the best to go swimming in. Still super relaxing and beautiful to sit on and just enjoy the view. Trunk Bay is also a must-stop. One of the most beautiful stops, it's great for swimming and snorkeling. They have a cool underwater snorkeling trail that they're pretty well-known for. They also have a stand that rents out the snorkel equipment and lockers; there's also places to get food and drink while you enjoy the view. If you're looking to do the national park, I'd highly recommend staying on St John otherwise you'll have to ferry back and forth to St Thomas everyday. And if you're looking to stay in the national park versus St John, the Cinnamon Bay Campgrounds was a great place to stay. They have options for either tents or cottages, they're steps away from the beach, have their own restaurant with daily specials, and are right on the taxi route so it's easy to hop in a taxi. Virgin Islands National Park is more involved to get to in that, unless you live there, you have to take a plane or boat to get there. However, it is 100% worth the journey.

Not exactly sure how I missed reviewing this national park until now, but better late than never! This is a gorgeous national park on the island of St. John. There isn't a charge to drive around the island, but some of the beaches do have a fee. Of course, smoking is prohibited here and anywhere on the island. The visitors center is really nice too with a gift shop and where you can get your National Park Passport stamp.

We visited Saint John for the day and drove all over the island. While it looks like the roads circle around it, there is one section that does not connect minus a one way dirt road that we didn't trust our rental vehicle to drive over. That middle section of the island is where the National Park lies. We did have a chance to explore that, but we also looked at the surrounding areas, which you can find in the pictures we've attached. I would have separated them, but I forgot to label them. Most of the areas like the beaches and the ruins have unclaimed locations though. Anyway, it's a beautiful place, so I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Wow only 30 reviews about this place...shocking. Whatever... Well, for me...this place had been on my to-do list for a long time. I finally made it! Yes...I am so grateful to have visited and just as excited to share my experience. For all those who know me, my reviews are like book novels. But...I'll go into almost every detail about coming here and exploring. And...the park and island of St. John really do boast turquoise blue waters! In terms of national parks, it was quite unique from most others...it gets 5 stars! To arrive here, I flew to St. Thomas. Flights are affordable. From Ft. Lauderdale round trip was only $200. VERY IMPORTANT...for me exploring St. John and the Virgin Islands...I rented a car. Although folks may say you don't need one...absolutely yes if you'd like to get around efficiently - rent a car in St. Thomas! My vacation was 3 days total. 1 full day seeing St. Thomas and 2 full days coming to these Virgin Islands. In all 3 days...was good enough to view almost everything. Also, I'm not a beach person to sit and lie around. I like keeping on the go and inspecting. So during my 3 days I maybe lounged on the beach for 1 - 2 hours. Most was spent driving around, stopping at overlooks and appreciating the wondrous scenery from high above. To gain access to St. John and this park, I had to take a car ferry from St. Thomas. It's really a SIMPLE process. I booked ahead of time w/ Love City Car Ferry. They were good. They leave each port on the hour every day. R/T transportation was $55. That's fine. Well worth it. I departed from Red Hook in St. Thomas and arrived at Cruz Bay in St. John in 20 minutes! Also, when hanging out on the ferry, climb the stairs and take in the views from the 2nd deck. THIS IS VITAL! The best part about navigating to St. Thomas and also here to St. John and Virgin Islands NP, is that CELL PHONE SERVICE WORKS PERFECTLY! So...(although I researched my itinerary ahead of time) using Google Maps to trek around everywhere was ideal! One slight issue - traversing these islands, you drive on the left hand side of the road. Yeah...that was quite a rough adjustment. I had never done that. Just beware and be careful. Also...the roads are very bumpy, they need reconstruction. And, there are sharp turns along the island. Don't speed. There were no shoulders on the roads either if you need to pull over. Arriving in Cruz Bay, St. John, I immediately headed to the Visitors Center for a park map, some souvenirs (which were minimal) and to grab a photo with the Virgin Islands NP sign. Right behind the VC is LIND POINT TRAIL. I hiked this to the overlook where I got great views of Cruz Bay below. I did navigate further along but it wasn't worthwhile. Solomon and Honeymoon Beaches were just okay. Btw, I did park at 1 hour time limit at the VC. Keep that in mind. Otherwise, there's not much room elsewhere. To get around, there's 2 main roads and they connect in a circle to pretty much cover the entire island. Start by taking NORTH SHORE RD. There's easy access from the VC. This traverses the main beaches and the most scenic overlooks to uncover the island. Along this drive there were 3 best beaches...Hawksnest, Trunk Bay ($5 to park) and Cinnamon Bay. All 3 had immaculate blue waters and you can see them along roadside stops. STUNNING! Another quick hike that's a must was PEACE HILL! YES! It's very short but the scenery was beautiful! Do it! Though the parking lot is tiny, somehow find room for your car. For the 3 main beaches, arrive early otherwise parking is difficult. I came by around 9am both days and was successful. Trunk Bay is the most popular w/ stuff to do. In all, they're all great and are the main highlights of Virgin Islands NP. At the end of North Shore Drive, I stopped at Colombo's Smoothies for a refreshing Pina Colada. Yeah, it was $10 w/ tip but worth it. Next I I did a side trek along BORDEAUX MT RD circling around Coral Bay. Here - many twists and turns. Go slow! But there was 1 roadside view from a private driveway (no big deal no one was looking) where I stopped for IMPECCABLE views of Coral Bay. This was my humbling moment! My money shot! The panorama looking down on Coral Bay was PERFECT! Finally from Coral Bay I drove the other main road - CENTERLINE RD - 13 kilometers back to the start at Cruz Bay. This Centerline Rd had no scenery or stops. It's just a road covering lower Virgin Islands NP. Back at Cruz Bay, there's restaurants and bars to hang out. I somehow found parking (luckily), walked around town (which is small) and window shopped. Eventually it was time to take the ferry back to Red Hook, St. Thomas where I was staying - a lot more affordable ($100 per night) than on St. John ($250+ per night). I repeated this process for my 2nd day and caught up on anything I missed from day 1. Finally I took my shoes off, relaxed and swam in Trunk Bay, lol. Thank you for taking a moment to read this. I'd be happy to answer or assist w/ any questions.

The Virgin Island National Park takes up about 60 percent of Saint John. This protects the stunning island from being developed and protects the natural beauty and wild life. Much of the coral reefs, shoreline and waters are protected. I learned that in 1956 a large land donation was given to the National Park on the condition that it never be developed. Part of the donated property included Trunk Bay. The National Park includes lovely white sandy beaches, hiking trails and natural sites. One of the trails that I find especially interested circles around the ruins of an old sugar factory. The sugar mill was built in the 18 century and has lots of informational signage throughout the short trail. Wear sneakers and watch your footing if you decide to do any hiking on the island.

Nice national park. Park preserves a big chunk of a beautiful island. It has some fantastic beaches that you have to work to get to, which keeps the crowds down. Fun junior ranger program. Nice rangers. Reason why I did not rate higher is not because there is anything wrong with the park but within the category of US national parks, it is definitely in the middle to lower half of the pack. Still worth visiting if in USVI, but probably not one I would put on top of list as a destination.

Oh Man!!! This is just beautiful in every way I can think of. So I was staying on St. Thomas and wanted to check out the beaches on St. John and the beaches here didn't disappoint at all. I was on a tour of the island with about 10 other people who were mostly from the east coast. Anyway, we got on a truck that was made into a van but it was open air so we go to see a lot more of the island. I forgot the name of our tour but it was very nice and the views of the beaches were excellent. I went to two beaches and my favorite was Trunk Bay because it wasn't very busy and they had a little snack bar. You have to snorkel here because the water is so clear and the fish are everywhere. If you're in the area you must check out the National park you will not regret it and yes it was fun with the tour bus but if you can go alone I would do that instead. This park is outstanding, beautiful, awesome, natural, gorgeous and a must visit!

We took the car barge over from St. Thomas so that we could visit the Virgin Islands National Park on St. Johns. This makes up 60% of the island and it's BEAUTIFUL. I highly recommend renting a Jeep, grabbing a map, eating a hearty breakfast, and exploring everything you can. It will definitely keep you busy for the entire day. We started at Cruz Bay and finished around Hansen Bay. There are plenty of scenic photo spots to pull off the road and take photos. Plenty of free parking for the beaches (BUT it does get crowded and parking can be scarce). We made it up to the sugar mill that has tons of plaques about the history and met some other travelers who had been sailing for almost five years and this was one of their many stops. Pack your hiking shoes, some sunscreen, some water, a camera and just spend a day going wherever the road takes you!

Beautiful place to hike and take pictures! Very scenic and worth the trip especially if you are in the area for a short period of time. Bring proper hiking shoes! The terrain is not meant for doing this hike in sandals!

We visited for a few days in April of 2019. We were here 2 years prior. This is about 18 months after the hurricane. The good news is everything that you might come to the park for are up and running and in good shape. The beaches were absolutely amazing still. Trunk bay is my favorite. The hiking trails I love as well. Best to get out early so the sun doesn't beat you down. From reef bay trail, rams head, a handful from the visitors center. Love coming here. You won't be disappointed.

Virgin Islands National Park is well kept, prestine and beautiful. The value of going here is for its beauty and gorgeous beaches, particularly Cinnamon Bay. Other than doing some swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling or taking in the natural beauty of its natural surroundings, there isn't much to do in the park. It's just really a rather quiet, peaceful and relaxing place. So, if that isn't your thing, it will bore you rather quickly as will the rather sleepy town.

Lots to see and experience throughout the VI National park. Absolutely gorgeous! We visited three sites to explore through ruins. So interesting!

no parking anywhere and super rude rangers. Nothing to eat and snorkeling was not that great in most spots. Save your money and time and just go to hawaii or the bahamas...would be cheaper than visiting this rude dump of an island. It's really pretty, but the town cruz bay and coral bay are just dumps with rude people and not much to do. National park was a big let down. Sad.

My first review of 2012 goes to the incomparable and unparalleled Virgin Islands National Park. That's right: a US National Park -- in the Caribbean. Hiking trails, campgrounds, park fees -- in the Caribbean. Nearly 1,200 miles from the nearest US city lies this tropical paradise, *nearly* unspoiled by development, capitalism...and cruise ships. And it's all thanks to one Mr. Laurance S. Rockefeller. While cruising through the Caribbean with his wife, Rockefeller fell in love with St. John's natural beauty and primitive charm, thinking it prime real estate for one of America's Parks. So he purchased 5,000 acres to turn over to the US Government in 1956; six years later, Congress approved legislation designating over 5,000 more acres of "offshore submerged lands" -- containing coral reefs and teeming with tropical life -- as part of the Park. Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument were born. We are soooo lucky. SIL and I caught a commuter ferry from Red Hook, St. Thomas, to Cruz Bay, St. John, at 9 am and were on the beach in VINP within the hour. The twisting roads leading up to the Park offer spectacular views of aquamarine water, swaying palm trees, white sand beaches, and commanding bluffs. It's a dizzingly exciting approach that produces all the requisite butterflies over being in such a remote, beautiful place, still considered US soil. A stop by the visitors center on the way in or out affords a chance to learn a bit more about the Park's topography, history, and wildlife. I regret not having much more time to dedicate to exploring this Park. One day is simply not enough. But the brief visit put a fire in my belly to return for an extended stay -- and as soon as the fates allow.

So sad to say we probably won't be back after visiting for almost 30 years. The crowds have just gotten too dense and the tourists have no respect for the habitat and peace that make this such a beautiful place. Drones buzzing over you while you are laying on the beach, jeeps parking on the roadside and in the drainage swales, noisy drunks and overflowing port a lets. We pray that Caneel Bay can get its lease straightened out and rebuild so that there might be at least one peaceful beach left on the island.

When planning vacations we often plan around US National Park System locations, so I was super excited that not only do I have a timeshare in the Virgin islands, but there was also a National park there. WIN! Wait, there are technically FIVE National Parks in the USVI! WIN WIN!! The Virgin Islands National Park basically covers pretty much the majority of the island of St. John. Surrounding the island is a second park called the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. They sort of overlap each other. One is mostly land with some water and the other is all water. Anyway, we spent only a single day exploring. we had planned for day on the land and then a day on the reef, but unfortunately, due to personal circumstances, we ended up skipping doing a boat ride to the reef. We started our day at the Visitor Center. It wasn't open quite on time, but once it was, we checked out the exhibits, the film on a small TV and talked to the rangers... sort of. It wasn't the best Visitor Center I'd been to, but they did have plenty of brochures and a gift shop and a bathroom! In true Virgin island style, the rangers were not the friendliest I've encountered. Once we had armed ourselves with maps and brochures, we loaded into the car and got on the road. Our plan was to drive along the coast to the Annaberg Sugar Plantation Ruins, spend some time exploring there, then go out in search of lunch, then find some snorkeling. It pretty much went like that. Along our route to Annaberg, we stopped to check out several GORGEOUS beaches. Seriously, St. John has beautiful beaches. We stopped for peeks of Hawksnest Bay (LOVE!), Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Maho Bay. Some we got out and touched the sand and others we stopped for photo ops. Exploring was a little challenging because my dad was on crutches and that is a tough way to walk on a beach!!! We made it to Annaberg which is really awesome. I was bummed that I had forgotten we were supposed to come on THURSDAY, instead of Friday because on Thursday they have people working there that do some sort of historical re-enactment type activities. But, it was just us and another family and we walked around with our self guided tour brochure. Please note that this is a tough place to visit for those who aren't very mobile. Impossible in a wheelchair and the crutches were pretty tough because it is vey hilly and uneven and rocky. I had planned to spend a little time here, but we immediately began being eaten by mosquitoes and not long after arriving a massive downpour pretty much drenched us and we headed to the car. It's a pretty cool place to visit and i was bummed about the soaking rain cutting our visit short. From there we did some exploring by car and we ended up in Coral Bay for lunch at Aqua Bistro, this is actually part of the island that is NOT in the actual National Park. After lunch we drove some more to the east end of the island and found some snorkeling at where we think was Limetree Cove. That was a really n ice way to spend the afternoon, At the end of the day we wound our way back to Cruz bay, visited some shops and then took the car ferry back to St. Thomas. Part of what you do on St. John is in the park and part of it is't, but the park is beautiful and completely worth visiting. If you CAN stay on St. John, I would totally recommend that because you can really visit some amazing beaches and snorkeling/diving areas. For those who collect NPS Passport Stamps, you get both stamps at the Visitor Center in Cruz Bay. IMPORTANT NOTE: There are a zillion GIANT speed bumps all over the roads of this island. If you are in a regular passenger car (as we were!), you will hit them every time. High profile vehicle is recommended.

Totally worth the trip from the mainland!! This park is a wonderfully preserved topical island. It is best enjoyed UNDER the water (yes, break out some snorkel-gear). Head to Trunk Bay after 3 PM and you'll have the underwater trail pretty much to yourself (earlier in the day is when cruise-ship patrons are swarming). The underwater trail at Trunk Bay is the most unique "trail" I've ever been on. The rangers lead daily hikes along the Reef Bay Trail (check with the visitor center for deets). We spent 1 entire day here, but you should really budget 2 days at least if you have the time. If you are arriving from St. Thomas via barge I recommend bringing your own rental car which grants you more freedom in exploration. Although there are many "taxis" (which are really just pick-up trucks with seats built into the bed) they wait to fill-up with many other passengers before heading-out so you might find yourself going struggling time-wise to hit all the beaches you want.

This is a very beautiful park just a few minutes away from the ferry dock on St. John. I came here to take the Lind Point Trail to Salomon Beach. Honestly, I was ill prepared for this hike. I randomly asked where a beach was and I was told Salomen Beach was a 20 minute walk. I was wearing a dress and flip flops. I didn't think it would be so tough and I didn't expect to hike a mile each way. But it was absolutely worth the work and beautiful. I would recommend wearing gym shoes and be aware of the weather. I happened to be there a couple days after a hurricane was in the area. This made the trail very muddy and a bit more difficult to navigate. I'm glad I found a huge walking stick along the way, it helped! I felt like I was in the middle of the jungle! I followed the trail to Lind Point Overlook (0.4 miles) where you can see Cruz Bay. It was breathtaking. I continued on to Salomon B which was another 0.3 miles to the spur trail and 0.3 miles to the actual beach. There are so many different plants along the trail and I saw some hermit crabs too. Finally after hiking for what felt like forever I made it to the beach. I was told that it was a nude beach, but if Park Rangers catch someone they will issue a citation. That rumor was correct! Upon arriving I was greeted with white sand, the most blue water I've ever seen and an old naked dude. There were only 5 other people on the beach while I was there. I came thisclose to taking a quick swim in the buff, but chickened out when another couple arrived at the beach. I spent more time there taking in the gorgeous scenary - it was so secluded and beautiful. After relaxing for a while, playing in the sand and ocean I decided to head back into town for some food. It was a lovely hike and I definitely recommend checking out the Lind Point Trail, the Overlook and Salomon beach if you are in the area! Beautiful! Don't forget your gym shoes and your bathing suit!

I am so glad I took a guided tour with a park ranger to explore the Reef Bay trail. It was only $40 per person and it included transportation to the head of the trail and a ride back to the visitor center by boat which allowed us to enjoy the island view! I learned a lot from our guide, he was really easy going and let us do our thing if we wanted to wander off on our own. We'd check in with each other so he always kept track of us even though we'd go ahead of the group since I really wanted to get my heart rate up. He was so cool that my friend and I ended up helping him put everyone's stuff in the inflatable motor boat that took us to the sailboat. I took the ride in the inflatable but then jumped in the water for a bit before I got to the sailboat. They had water and lemonade for us to enjoy as we sailed away from the beach we ended up on after the hike was over. I would definitely do this hike again when I come back to the islands. Oh and the receptionist at the visitor center was really nice too, we were running late (30 mins late) before the hike started and she still let us join since we were told to check in at 9am on the dot, we went ahead and tried anyway and got lucky! I got some merchandise from the shop in the visitor center too, all proceeds go back to fund the national park. Thank you all so much for your kindness, it was definitely an unforgettable experience that will last a lifetime.

THANK YOU MR. ROCKEFELLER For making St. John such a wonderful place and for helping to create the Virgin Islands National Park! The establishment of the national park here has helped to limit development and you will see a dramatic difference here between St. John and St. Thomas. The park spans 7000+ acres of lush rain forests and valleys and blissfully secluded beaches. Just get in your car and drive (hopefully with 4-wheel drive) and start to explore.

We spent 9 days in St. John - on the Coral Bay side of the island - so we spent much time driving through this park! We are so grateful thenNational Park Service was able to buy up so much of the island - this has kept it from being overly commercial. We would recommend that any new persons to the island sign up for the Reef Bay Trail Hike through the park on the island. The park provides a very knowledgeable tour guide - ours knew history, geology, flora, and fauna. For $30 per person, you get transportation from the park center to the top of the trail. You bring a sack lunch to eat halfway through the hike. Once at the bay, you can swim for awhile before boarding a boat to take you back to the center. Well worth the money! We would also recommend that you take advantage of Cinnamon Bay - at least for a day! You can rent many different types of water crafts and then take them right into the water. We rented 2 kayaks for the morning and cruised through several bays! Nice clean beach! Quite crowded! Loved the park and the island!

Yes, indeed, Mr. Rockefeller you did an admirable thing by making sure St. John's has the Virgin Islands National Park. And, it is quite lovely. The beaten trail of the park isn't going to challenge any experienced hikers, and, in fact, they might be put out by all the tourists trudging along. Personally, I don't like doing "nature" stuff with large groups. Ugh. But, the fact that this park exists and ensures that there will be green space on this quickly developing island gives hope that future generations will be able to enjoy at least a bit of the untouched Caribbean.

So beautiful and untouched. Go to the beaches on the north side and they will not disappoint you.

Cinnamon Bay - the most relaxing, picturesque beach ever. Beware of the wind though - you will get sandblasted in certain parts. Trunk Bay - great for snorkeling and pictures. Reef Bay Trail - an awesome way to see the south side of the island. The guided tour is great as far as travel to/from goes - you get a bus ride there and a boat ride back, however it is geared towards the novice hiker. If you want a real adventure, skip the group, rent a car, hike it yourself in an hour, and take a nice swim at the remote beach.

Gorgeous everywhere!!!! Trunk Bay is busiest, but has snorkel gear rental and also easiest to get a ride back to Cruz Bay. We also went to Maho Bay, it wasn't as crowded, but no snorkeling gear and hard to get a taxi back. We waited for 45 minutes :/

The honeymoon beach here is so BEAUTIFUL!!! My hubby and I got to snorkel and go kayaking then took a nap on the beach under the trees before hiking the lind point trail back to the ferry. I am from Southern California and I have to say that this was indeed the most breathtaking beach I have ever been too. So secluded and not crowded by tourist at all. It was literally us and about 5 other people on the entire beach!!

Due to some technical difficulties we almost didn't make it over to the VINP. Boy am I glad we did. I was stunned by such beautiful scenery. The park is well kept and much quieter than I'd expected. This is the perfect place to go for a little down time away from the hustle and bustle of the more tourist inspired destinations in the US and British Virgin Islands.

Maybe the most beautiful place on earth.. Travel advice from a Virgin Islands local at: http://www.travelaskthelocals.yolasite.com

A beautiful place to hike, snorkel. and explore. The Rangers are friendly and informative. Mark did the Sky Watch on Peace Hill and it was so much fun. The bays are an amazing color, trails take you to breathtaking views and Dutch ruins and the Caribbean Ocean by STJ is the best place to snorkel.

Very well-kept and beautiful National Park. We were actually vacationing on St. Thomas, but rode the ferry over to St. John for the day for some beach time. Trunk Bay was absolutely gorgeous... the entire National Park area was very well-maintained (we met a volunteer from Birmingham named Lee, who was exceptionally nice and informative about the Park). Cinnamon Bay was just mesmerizing as well--definitely recommend taking a ferry to St. John for this--it was a highlight of our trip! Just as beautiful as you can positively envision.

The coolest thing ever happened to us on the Reef Bay Trail. It started raining just as we got to the trailhead and didn't stop for an hour. So we just kept walking with the rain pouring down and we thought it was freakin' hilarious. We figured since it had rained everyday, but never more than a half inch, that it would stop any second. And then we reached a point of the trail where there was a river of rainwater preventing us from going any further, so we turned around to head back but the trail we had just come down was washed away about 100 feet back...so we hung out and waited for the rain to subside and the river to stop rushing enough for us to wade across... An hour later we were visiting the petroglyphs, and a half hour after that we were swimming in reef bay. Uhm, there are sea urchins there. After we hiked back up the trail, and followed Centerline Road for a mile, we hiked down Cinnamon Bay Trail to some ruins and beautiful Cinnamon Bay. I know Trunk Bay is supposed to be the most beautiful beach ever anywhere, but maybe because this one is right next to it it seemed pretty damn close to perfection.

The park is a beautiful string of picturesque Caribbean beaches. There's not much else to it, but what else are you looking for when you come to island paradise.

wasn't allowed to shit in the water. very upset.

Very helpful here. You can get free maps of the trails, info on the guided tours, beaches, wildlife-everything about the national park. We hiked to salomon bay and honeymoon beach from there-only 45 minutes or so. Wear tennis shoes and bring your beach stuff! The beaches are secluded and beautiful.

Absolutely stunning. Soft sand, beautiful colored water... Wonderful.

I am sorry to say I was disappointed with my stay at Cinnamon Bay. A friend and I camped in one of the bare campsites at $50.00 per night. What I experienced and saw there are far below the standards I have come to expect from a National Park. The underused ECO-Tents are old and uninviting. And not cheap at $130.00 per night. They also are a gross misuse of funds and are in conflict with the original charter of the National Park System. That being access for the middle class to lakes, seashore, and mountains at an affordable price. On our last night there my friend saw someone going into my tent. He called the park management who just passed it off as being a harless, local mental ill person. Not being satisfied my friend then call the National Park Police. They followed proceder and we filed a complaint. The affair made it clear to me that the locals do not care and Park security could do nothing and that the individual would probably return to the park tomorrow. If you want my advice; get rid of those ECO-tents, put in some nice grass and get prices down so you can get people to want to come there and use the park for its original purpose.

just about the best thing to do on st. john. my family attempted to do the reef bay trail by ourselves but im the only avid hiker in the family so i kept going to the petroglyphs even when they turned around. walking/running from the top of the trail to the petroglyphs can take maybe 40 minutes if you're fast. i like to run to cut the time down but make sure you don't trip. id recommend taking the tour down so you can get the boat ride back but that requires transportation to the start of the trail from cruz bay. the other trails are pretty cool like annaberg and other ruins