Virgin Islands National Park
Encyclopedia
Virgin Islands National Park is a United States
National Park
covering approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands
, plus a few isolated sites on the neighboring island of St. Thomas
. The park is famous for scuba diving
and snorkeling and has miles of hiking trails through tropical forests.
Ferries from Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie on Saint Thomas make regular stops at Cruz Bay, Saint John, near the park, which averages 725,000 visitors per year.
One of the Virgin Islands National Park's most famous attractions is Trunk Bay, which sports a white sand beach and underwater snorkeling trail, although the trail's chronic overuse has led to extensive coral bleaching
along its path.
The park includes the sugar-plantation-ruins-littered Cinnamon Bay
Nature Trail and the Bourdeaux Mountain Trail that leads to the highest point on the island at 1277 feet (389.2 m) above sea level, and whose view is best described as "what you must see from heaven". The most popular hike, however, is the Reef Bay Trail. This route paves the way to witnessing the beauty of the surrounding forestlands, remnants of sugar mills, historical Taíno
petroglyph rock carvings, a spring-fed waterfall and reflection pool, and a chance for rest and relaxation or snorkeling excitement at Genti Bay.
Visitors can stay on Saint John nearby but off-park land, or they may elect to stay in one of the park's two campgrounds, Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay, which offer varying levels of comfort. The park is free of hotels and resort, with a notable exception, the Caneel Bay
resort on the north shore, which lies on Rockefeller’s former personal estate.
Virgin Islands National Park also includes Hassel Island, just off Charlotte Amalie harbor, as well as a few isolated sites on the island of St. Thomas
.
and winter and the sea is warm year round. Because of the park's typically hot weather a park visitor is recommended to bring sunscreen, a bathing suit, sunglasses, and shorts. The tourist season is from December to April and outside of those months prices for accommodation drop considerably. Camping is available in the park, as well as lodging.
Trunk Bay is a body of water and a beach on St. John in the United States Virgin Islands
. It has consistently been voted one of the Ten Best Beaches in The World by Condé Nast Traveler
magazine and has received similar recognition from other publications. Also the National Geographic Society
has labeled Trunk Bay as the most beautiful beach in the world. It is one of the most popular beaches on the island whose amenities include a snack bar, showers and restrooms, lifeguards, and, most famously, an underwater trail for snorkeling its coral reef
. Trunk Bay is the only National Park beach on St. John which requires a fee to visit, though this can be avoided by arriving early in the day, late into the evening.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
covering approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
, plus a few isolated sites on the neighboring island of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
. The park is famous for scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
and snorkeling and has miles of hiking trails through tropical forests.
Ferries from Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie on Saint Thomas make regular stops at Cruz Bay, Saint John, near the park, which averages 725,000 visitors per year.
One of the Virgin Islands National Park's most famous attractions is Trunk Bay, which sports a white sand beach and underwater snorkeling trail, although the trail's chronic overuse has led to extensive coral bleaching
Coral bleaching
Coral bleaching is the loss of intracellular endosymbionts through either expulsion or loss of algal pigmentation.The corals that form the structure of the great reef ecosystems of tropical seas depend upon a symbiotic relationship with unicellular flagellate protozoa, called zooxanthellae, that...
along its path.
The park includes the sugar-plantation-ruins-littered Cinnamon Bay
Cinnamon Bay
Cinnamon Bay is a body of water and a beach on St. John in the United States Virgin Islands, adjacent to the historic Cinnamon Bay Plantation. The bay is just east of Trunk Bay, and is about a mile west of a famous eco-tourism destination called Maho Bay Camps...
Nature Trail and the Bourdeaux Mountain Trail that leads to the highest point on the island at 1277 feet (389.2 m) above sea level, and whose view is best described as "what you must see from heaven". The most popular hike, however, is the Reef Bay Trail. This route paves the way to witnessing the beauty of the surrounding forestlands, remnants of sugar mills, historical Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
petroglyph rock carvings, a spring-fed waterfall and reflection pool, and a chance for rest and relaxation or snorkeling excitement at Genti Bay.
Visitors can stay on Saint John nearby but off-park land, or they may elect to stay in one of the park's two campgrounds, Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay, which offer varying levels of comfort. The park is free of hotels and resort, with a notable exception, the Caneel Bay
Caneel Bay
Caneel Bay is a Rosewood Resort located on the northwest side of St. John, one of the US Virgin Islands. The resort is nestled within Virgin Islands National Park on property once owned by Laurance Rockefeller. The hotel was one of the early members of Rockefeller's hotel chain, Rockresorts...
resort on the north shore, which lies on Rockefeller’s former personal estate.
Virgin Islands National Park also includes Hassel Island, just off Charlotte Amalie harbor, as well as a few isolated sites on the island of St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
.
Basic facts
Each year, about 700,000 people visit the park. Virgin Islands National Park is spread out on 14689 acres (59 km²) of land. It became the 29th U.S. national park in 1956, when Laurence Rockefeller visited the area and thought the land was incredibly beautiful. The park is free to enter and the only fee is to enter Trunk Beach and is $4 for adults. The park covers almost 60% of St. John Island, and a small portion of Hassel Island as well.Features
The main features of the Virgin Islands National Park are the coral reefs and oceans. They almost completely surround the park. As new coral species replace older ones, the coral reefs are experiencing rapid change. For example, in 2006, the Elkhorn and Slaghorn coral were introduced to the Virgin Islands. Another important feature of the Virgin Islands are the tropical forests. The tropical forests hold most of the park's plants and wildlife. The plants and wildlife are what the Virgin Islands Park is famous for. Bats are the only mammal native to the island. Wild donkeys and crabs are other very common species.Climate
The climate conditions at the Virgin Islands National Park are subtropical. The average rainfall per year is 55 inches (1,397 mm). In the winter, trade winds blow from 11 to 21 knots (41.2 km/h). The average temperature for the park is 79 °F (26.1 °C). At the Virgin Islands, the dominant plant species are dry tropical forest plants.When to visit
There is very little temperature difference between summerSummer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
and winter and the sea is warm year round. Because of the park's typically hot weather a park visitor is recommended to bring sunscreen, a bathing suit, sunglasses, and shorts. The tourist season is from December to April and outside of those months prices for accommodation drop considerably. Camping is available in the park, as well as lodging.
Trunk Bay
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
. It has consistently been voted one of the Ten Best Beaches in The World by Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
magazine and has received similar recognition from other publications. Also the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
has labeled Trunk Bay as the most beautiful beach in the world. It is one of the most popular beaches on the island whose amenities include a snack bar, showers and restrooms, lifeguards, and, most famously, an underwater trail for snorkeling its coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
. Trunk Bay is the only National Park beach on St. John which requires a fee to visit, though this can be avoided by arriving early in the day, late into the evening.
External links
- Official NPS website: Virgin Islands National Park
- PDF map from NPS PDF map from NPS
- NPS page about geology of Virgin Islands National Park