Park Details
Maps!
Trails Illustrated:
Virgin Islands Nat'l Pk
Acreage: 12,908.60; water area: 5,650.
Park Details
Location Information
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Address:
Headquarters: Virgin Islands National Park
6310 Estate Nazareth
St. Thomas, V.I. 00802
Telephone:
Cruz Bay, St. John Visitor's Center: (809) 776-6201
Headquarters: (809) 775-6238
Directions:
Park on St. John accessed via North Shore or Centerline
Roads.
Transportation:
To Park: Hourly ferry service from Red Hood, St. Thomas is
available to St. John and operates from 6:00 a.m. until midnight.
Less frequent ferries make the trip from Charlotte Amalie.
In Park: Most popular park areas easily accessed by taxi, otherwise known as safari buses. Rental vehicles are needed to travel to more remote parts of the island. Boat rentals and charters are necessary to visit some of the park bays that do not have road access.
Operating Hours/Seasons
Park's Visitor Center open daily, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Reservations/Permits/Fees
No admission fees. Donations are accepted. There is a donation box available at the Cruz Bay Visitor Center.
Reservations for special tours for school groups and others are necessary. At least two weeks notice preferable. Campground reservations during the winter months should be made four to six months in advance. Filming permits are arranged on an individual basis, depending on size of production and whether a movie, commercial, etc. Special reservations for large groups for use of pavilions and picnic areas are required. Direct all permit queries to (809) 775-6238.
Climate, Recommended Clothing
Light cotton clothes recommended. Lightweight trousers help protect against insect bites. Casual clothes sufficient for majority of dining establishments.
Advisories:
Hurricane season extends from June through November. The
park provides ongoing information for visitors including where to
go in the event of a serious storm.
Facilities and Opportunities
Visitor Center/Exhibits:
Cruz Bay Visitor Center is only a five minute walk away from the
public ferry dock. The visitor center is the ideal place to
start your park explorations. The center contains exhibits, a
park video, brochures, maps, and books.
Programs/Activities:
At the visitor center, Park Rangers are available to help
plan your visit, which may include guided island hikes,
historical tours, snorkeling trips, cultural crafts
demonstrations, and evening campground programs. Advanced
registration and transportation fees are required in some
cases.
Lodging and Camping Facilities:
Camping is restricted on park land to Cinnamon Bay
Campground. Accommodations include bare tent sites, sites with
tent-covered platforms already set up, and cottages. Cottages
and prepared sites are equipped with cooking supplies and linens.
There is also a camp store with food, other supplies, and a
cafeteria.
Food/supplies:
There are a wide variety of restaurants and small grocery
stores in the Cruz Bay area and in some of the outlying parts of
the island as well.
Other Concessions/NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and
Opportunities:
There is a volunteer manned kiosk at Trunk Bay where you can
receive park information. A number of bulletin boards are
located throughout the park and contain informational
listings.
Accessibility:
Some picnic areas and beaches are more accessible than
others. Call the park for further information. Several of the
trails are also more easily traveled. Cinnamon Bay Campground
has several sites that are accessible.
Recommended Activities/Park Use
Guided park ranger activities which include hikes, evening programs, snorkel trips, and historical tours. Trunk Bay has a unique self-guiding underwater trail in front of a lifeguarded beach. Other self-guiding trails introduce sugar plantations and natural history. Bird watching is popular during winter months.
Visitation
Highest December through April; lowest May through November.
Basic Visit Recommendations:
An island "tour" via safari bus requires two hours plus any
travel time to and from St. Thomas. Frequent taxi service
available to popular beach areas; allow three to five hours.
Renting a vehicle for the day permits more extensive tours of
island to areas which are less visited.
Special Events Programs
Annual two to three day event to commemorate Black History Month is held at Annaberg Sugar Plantation the latter part of February and includes crafts, storytelling, cooking demonstrations. St. John's Carnival on July fourth includes parade and island cultural activities during the week prior. The park presents interpretive theater during the winter season at Cinnamon Bay campground; productions are free and include a puppetry program on the Coral Reef as well as a historical rendition of St. John's Slave Revolt.
Adjacent Visitor Attractions
The island of St. Croix includes Christiansted National Historic Site, Buck Island Reef National Monument, and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.
Additional Information
Write Park Headquarters, Virgin Islands National Park, 6310 Estate Nazareth, St. Thomas, V.I. 00802, or call (809) 775- 6238.