Six Great Things to do in Virgin Islands National Park
Powdery white sand beaches, clear, turquoise water, and underwater snorkel trails – you will find all this and more in Virgin Islands National Park. Located in the Caribbean on the island of St. John, Virgin Islands National Park is a tropical paradise with some of the world’s best beaches. In this guide, we share six great things to do in Virgin Islands National Park.
About The Virgin Islands and Virgin Islands National Park
Historically, the Virgin Islands were first “discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1493, although the islands had been inhabited for over 3,000 years. Over the years, the Dutch and English settled the islands, with the English taking over what is now the British Virgin Islands and the Dutch what is now the U.S. Virgin Islands. The United States purchased the islands from the Dutch in 1917.
Sugar cane plantations were a big industry on the islands, beginning in the 1700s, with slave labor working the plantations. In 1834, the English freed their slaves and then the Dutch followed suit, ending their slave labor in 1848. Interest in sugar plantations began to decline and over time the plantations fell into disrepair. Today, you can still see the ruins of many of these sugar plantations across the island of St. John.
The topography in the Virgin Islands is stunning, with verdant mountains rising up out of the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea. In addition to the beautiful beaches, Virgin Islands National Park features an under water snorkel trail, hiking trails, and preserved ruins of old sugar plantations. While basking in the sun and swimming are the top things to do, hitting the trails and taking in some history rounds out this tropical national park.
Virgin Islands became a national park in 1956 to protect its natural beauty, ecosystems, and history. Today, we can enjoy this protected area as part of the U.S. National Park system.
Location of Virgin Islands National Park
There are three islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands, located in the Caribbean: St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. The islands of St. John and St. Thomas have areas designated for the national park: two thirds of St. John is protected and small Hassel Island, located off the coast of St. Thomas, is also part of the national park.
When we went
April. Temperatures were glorious for an island visit, mostly in the 80s, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. We had a half day of rain, which ended just as we hiked the Cinnamon Bay Trail .
Where we stayed
The Westin in Cruz Bay.
VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK FACTS
Forty percent of the park is underwater!
- LOCATION: US Virgin Islands (St. John & St. Thomas islands)
- CLOSEST CITIES: Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI (the airport is STT – Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas)
- ANNUAL VISITORS: 343,685 (2023)
- 48th most visited US National Park (out of 63)
- BECAME A NATIONAL PARK: 1956
- TOP THINGS TO DO: Swimming and snorkeling at Trunk Bay and visiting the Annaberg Sugar Plantation
SIX GREAT THINGS TO DO IN VIRGIN ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
1.) Swim and Snorkel
This comes as no surprise that this is the number one thing to do in Virgin Islands National Park! There are several beaches within the national park on St. John, the most famous being Trunk Bay.
Trunk Bay | Virgin Islands National Park
Trunk Bay is often rated one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, with its beautiful cove, large white sand beach, and aquamarine water. It is also the only beach on St. John that charges an admission fee, which was $5/person when we visited in 2024. Due to being one of world’s best beaches, it is very popular. The parking lot is very small and the beach can get crowded, especially on days where cruise ships are in port. Mike waited a long time for a parking spot to open up to no avail so he ended up backtracking and parking further down the road. If you self-drive to Trunk Bay, try to get there very early, otherwise, this might be one to take a taxi to. On-site amenities are bathrooms, showers, a bar and small walk-up restaurant serving fare such as sandwiches and wraps.
Trunk Bay | Virgin Islands National Park
Trunk Bay also features a snorkel trail as part of the U.S. National Park system. The interpretive sign on the path to the beach shows the snorkel trail.
Interpretive sign of the underwater snorkel trail, Trunk Bay | Virgin Islands National Park
Another beach to put on your list is Cinnamon Bay Beach, also with a wide, white sand beach and turquoise blue water.
Cinnamon Bay Beach | Virgin Islands National Park
Beaches dot the entire coastline of St. John, some popular with lots of amenities and some quiet and secluded. I suggest visiting Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay for sure and then adding on a more quiet beach for a more serene experience. We were able to do this during our boat tour, which we share about below.
2.) See the Virgin Islands by Boat
We spent a full day on a private boat tour, booked through Cruz Bay Watersports. Swimming and snorkeling at various beaches and seeing marine wildlife, such as stingrays and sea turtles, were the highlights of the day.
Full Day Boat Tour | Virgin Islands National Park
While on the boat, our captain took us all around the island, pointing out the more secluded beaches and sharing great commentary as we passed various sites. We anchored at Caneel Bay Beach, site of the old favorite Caneel Bay Resort.
Caneel Bay Resort | Virgin Islands National Park
This was one of the most popular places to stay on St. John until Hurricane Irma decimated it in 2017. Since then it has not been rebuilt. Currently, the owner is in negotiations with the National Park Service to hopefully come up with a solution for this much loved property.
Caneel Bay Beach is absolutely gorgeous and we were some of the few people there that day.
Caneel Bay Beach| Virgin Islands National Park
Another beach we visited on the boat tour was Reef Bay Beach. We anchored just off shore, jumped into the water, and walked up onto the beach to check out the old Reef Bay Sugar Mill.
Reef Bay Beach and our boat anchored in the water | Virgin Islands National Park
This secluded beach was small and more rugged, but that was part of the charm!
The path from Reef Bay Beach to the ruins | Virgin Islands National Park
The ruins were neat to check out, with overgrown greenery weaving its way through this once productive sugar mill.
Ruins of the Reef Bay Sugar Mill | Virgin Islands National Park
After exploring, we walked back into the water and hopped onto the boat. Stopping at various beaches and ruins was a great way to see the more tranquil areas of Virgin Islands National Park.
3.) Hit the Trail
If you want to mix up your beach time with some hiking there are a few trails on St. John. We hiked the Cinnamon Bay Trail at the advice of our taxi driver. The trail starts at Cinnamon Bay Beach campground, the only campground on the island.
Cinnamon Bay Trail | Virgin Islands National Park
Cinnamon Bay Trail is a 1.9 mile out-and-back, noted as “moderately strenuous”, due to its steady incline. The trail features beautiful tropical foliage on the hike with ruins at the beginning of the trail.
Cinnamon Bay Trail | Virgin Islands National Park
At the fork, you can continue on the Cinnamon Bay Trail or detour up to see the ruins at America Hill ruins. We took the fork to see the ruins, and I’m so glad we did. At the top we had the ruins to ourselves!
America Hill Ruins | Virgin Islands National Park
Overgrown and perched on the edge of a cliff, the views were incredible with the scene looking like something out of a movie.
Ruins with a view | Virgin Islands National Park
We hiked back down to Cinnamon Bay Beach and jumped right in the ocean. What a great way to end a hike!
4.) Visit the Ruins of Sugar Plantations
One of the blemishes on St. John’s history is the use of slave labor on the sugar plantations in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Annaberg Sugar Plantation, one of the biggest sugar plantations on St. John, produced sugar, molasses, and rum in its heyday.
Annaberg Sugar Plantation | Virgin Islands National Park
Today you can see the intact windmill tower, various buildings, and site of the slave quarters.
Annaberg Sugar Plantation | Virgin Islands National Park
5.) Check Out the Visitors Center
Unfortunately for us, the Visitor’s Center was always closed when we were nearby, so we never actually got to go inside to check it out.
Virgin Islands National Park Visitor’s Center
However, we usually seek out a visit to the visitor’s centers on our trips to national parks and recommend a stop here if you can.
6.) Take in the Views from the Lookouts
Leaving Cruz Bay, the drive along North Shore Road offers fabulous birds-eye views from various lookouts of the beaches below.
Cruz Bay | Gateway to Virgin Islands National Park
We stopped at the lookouts over Trunk Bay, Caneel Bay, and Maho Bay.
Views from the lookouts on North Shore Road | Virgin Islands National Park
Virgin Islands National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the United States National Park System. From its stunning white sand beaches and vibrant turquoise water to historical sugar plantations and tropical hiking trails, Virgin Islands National Park provides a well rounded national park experience!
When recreating in the great outdoors, be sure to follow the seven guiding principles of LEAVE NO TRACE: Plan & Prepare | Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces | Dispose of Waste Properly | Leave What You Find | Minimize Campfire Impact | Respect Wildlife | Be Considerate of Others
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
- U.S. residents do not need a passport to visit St. John. However, you do need a valid passport if you plan to visit the nearby British Virgin Islands.
- There is no airport on St. John, rather you arrive at STT, the airport code for Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. You then take a ferry over to St. John.
- A car makes it easier to reach the far reaches of St. John, especially if staying around Cruz Bay. However, if you just plan to hit the sites near Cruz Bay, you can rely on the prevalent taxis.
- Driving is on the opposite side of the road than how we drive in the U.S. The roads are steep and windy so use caution if self-driving.
- The only beach on St. John that charges an admission fee is Trunk Bay. As of 2024, it was $5/person.
OUR PACKING LIST
Here is our packing list for Virgin Islands National Park:
- Small dry bag: I had this Earth Pak bag for my camera to keep it protected while on the beach and on our hike. It had intermittently rained just before our hike so I wanted to protect my camera from the rain and humidity.
- Bug spray & bug bracelets: We are frequent users of Cliganic bracelets, which you can find here. When hiking in the humid rainforests, bug protection is a necessity.
- Keens: Rugged waterproof shoes are really good to have when getting in and out of the canoe and walking along the muddy shore. Mike uses these men’s Keen’s while I love my women’s version.
- Our go-to hiking backpacks are Osprey brand. They are very lightweight and comfortable and carry all our essentials. You can find the backpacks in a variety of colors and capacities.
- Camelback water reservoirs are a must when hiking longer distances.
- I really like these Black Diamond trekking poles. These fold up and are lightweight, especially great for packing when traveling and taking along on hikes.
- Sunscreen is a must in Virgin Islands National Park. We really like Blue Lizard as it is great for sensitive skin.
- No hike should be without a mini first aid kit!
Read More!
For more information on travel within St. John, a day trip to the British Virgin Islands, and more Caribbean travel:
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