Virgin Islands
White-sand bays, coral reefs and sugar mill ruins covering most of St. John
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, all year
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Not required
- Size
- 14,737 acres
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Virgin Islands National Park covers about 60 percent of St. John plus thousands of acres of surrounding ocean, coral reefs and seagrass beds. Laurance Rockefeller bought much of the land and donated it to the federal government, and the park was established in 1956. Its forests hide the ruins of dozens of Danish-era sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans, as well as rock carvings made by the Taino people centuries earlier.
Most visitors come for the beaches, which are among the most photographed in the Caribbean. You can spend a day hopping between Trunk, Cinnamon and Maho bays on the North Shore, then hike to ruins and viewpoints like Ram Head. A surprising fact: Trunk Bay's underwater snorkel trail was created in the early 1960s, with signs on the sea floor that explain the reef as you swim. Tropical storms and hurricanes are a fact of life here, and the park was closed for months after Irma and Maria in 2017.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- December through April has the driest, breeziest weather, while May, June and November are quieter and cheaper; hurricane season runs June through November and peaks in August through October.
- How long to stay
- Three to five days lets you see the main beaches, snorkel and do one or two hikes.
- Getting there
- Fly into Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas, take a taxi about 30 to 45 minutes to Red Hook, then ride the passenger ferry about 20 minutes to Cruz Bay (hourly, about $8.15 for adults), or take a rental car over on the car barge.
- Wildlife
- Look for green and hawksbill sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, reef fish, brown pelicans, iguanas, white-tailed deer and feral donkeys.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
- Hotels in Cruz Bay (opens in a new tab)U.S. Virgin Islands
- Hotels in Coral Bay (opens in a new tab)U.S. Virgin Islands
- Hotels in Red Hook (opens in a new tab)U.S. Virgin Islands
- Lodges inside the park (opens in a new tab)Official NPS list
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Virgin Islands
- Snorkel mask and finsNearly every bay has reef or seagrass worth exploring, and a mask that fits beats rental gear.
- Reef-safe sunscreenThe sun is intense and the park's coral is fragile.
- Rash guardIt blocks sun on long snorkels and cuts down on sunscreen use.
- Hiking sandals or trail shoesTrails like Reef Bay are steep, rocky and slippery even when dry.
- Insect repellentMosquitoes and no-see-ums are common on forest trails and at dusk.
A first day, start to finish
- Cruz Bay Visitor Center
- Snorkel trail at Trunk Bay
- Turtle watching at Maho Bay
- Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins
- Sunset swim at Cinnamon Bay
Don't miss
- Trunk BayA famous white-sand beach with an underwater snorkel trail marked by signs on the reef; there is a $5 amenity fee and it is card or mobile pay only.
- Cinnamon BaySt. John's longest beach, with calm snorkeling, a 0.5-mile nature loop through sugar plantation ruins, and the park's only campground.
- Maho BayA shallow, calm bay where green sea turtles graze on seagrass close to shore, right beside North Shore Road.
- Reef Bay TrailAbout 3 miles one way and 900 feet down through forest from Centerline Road, past Taino petroglyphs by a seasonal pool to sugar mill ruins at the beach.
- Annaberg Sugar PlantationStone ruins of an 18th-century windmill and sugar factory above Leinster Bay, with views toward the British Virgin Islands.
Know before you go
Do
- Bring a card or phone payment for Trunk Bay, which stopped taking cash on October 1, 2026.
- Get to Trunk Bay, Maho and Cinnamon early, since parking fills by late morning.
- Wear reef-safe sunscreen and float above the coral while snorkeling.
Don't
- Touch, stand on or chase sea turtles, rays or coral.
- Feed the donkeys, deer or iguanas, even if they come close.
- Swim when big swells or red flags are up; strong surf has caused drownings.
The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The Cruz Bay Visitor Center is open Monday to Thursday from 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 8:15 AM to 1:30 PM, and it is closed on Thanksgiving, December 25 and July 4. Trunk Bay facilities are open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Take the guided Reef Bay hike run with the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park if it is offered, since it can include a boat ride back so you skip the steep climb out.Trekker's tip