Virgin Islands National Park
Go beyond Virgin Islands National Park's stunning white-sand beaches. Hike to historic plantation sites to learn about a challenging past when sugar and enslaved labor dominated life on the island. Visit the Indigenous Taino's ancient petroglyphs. Snorkel coral reefs to discover hidden marine life. Two-thirds of the island of St. John is national park, making it a unique destination for visitors.
Alerts
- CautionTrail Conditions
Rain may cause trails to be slick and overgrown. Staff and Volunteer Trail Crews clear trails regularly. Visitors should use caution and report trail issues to [email protected]
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Trunk Bay charges an Expanded Amenity Fee of $5.00/person ages 16 and up from sunrise until sunset. Expanded Amenity Fees, such as the fee at Trunk Bay, are not waived on the "Fee Free Days" that are indicated below. The fee in the dropdown below titled "Private Vehicle" is for boaters' use of overnight moorings, not for vehicles such as cars, trucks, or SUV's.
Hours
| Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center | Varies by day ▾
|
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas | Closed |
| Jul 4, 20274th of July | Hours not published |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and September the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground | 121 sites | |
| $50 a night · Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground is open annually from November through August, closing during September and October. · Books through bookings10.rmscloud.com | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Cruz Bay Visitor CenterPassport stamp
Visitor and Information Center for Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.
Explore
Things to do
- Reef Bay Trail2-4 Hours
Reef Bay Trail is a strenuous hike that will take you past some of the oldest and tallest trees on the island. Danish sugar plantation ruins, stone walls from cattle grazing, and ancient rock carvings left behind by the pre-Colombian Taino can be…
Opens on the Park Service site - Discover Bird Watching in the Virgin Islands90 Minutes
Join our Park Ranger for a tour of Francis Bay Trail and the nearby salt pond. While there you will enjoy to opportunity to view the many resident and migratory birds that call Francis Bay home.
Opens on the Park Service site - Tektite Trail20-60 Minutes
The trailhead can be found to the right of Lameshur Road at the first switchback. The .7 mile trail begins with a moderately strenuous ascent on the Cabritte Horn Point. Hike through the desert-like terrain to reach scenic views atop coastal cliffs.
Opens on the Park Service site - Maho Bay1-2 Hours
The perfect experience for sea turtle lovers!
Opens on the Park Service site - Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail30-60 Minutes
This unique underwater trail is a great way to learn about the diverse animals of the coral reef habitat.
Opens on the Park Service site - Annaberg Sugar Plantation1-2 Hours
Take a self-guided tour of the Annaberg Sugar Plantation and immerse yourself in the time when "Sugar was King" on the island. Volunteer docents are often available during weekdays to answer questions.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Cinnamon Bay Nature Loop And Accessible Trail30-60 Minutes
Cinnamon Bay Plantation was established in 1717 and was one of the earliest and most prosperous sugar plantations on the Island.
Opens on the Park Service site - Johnny Horn Trail2-4 Hours
This strenuous trail leads to the remains of some beautiful stone historic sites and incredible views.
Opens on the Park Service site - L'Esperance Trail2-4 Hours
L'Esperance Trail follows a historic Danish road passing ruins of some of the earliest plantations established on St. John. View the island's only baobab, a sacred tree species that was brought to the Caribbean by enslaved Africans.
Opens on the Park Service site - Francis Bay Trail30-90 Minutes
Francis Bay Trail starts at the Francis Bay Sugar Factory. It continues past the Mary's Point Estate house and around a salt pond. The dry tropical forest and salt pond provide an excellent opportunity to view birds.
Opens on the Park Service site - Cinnamon Bay Trails15-30 Minutes
Meander through the ruins of the historic Cinnamon Bay Sugar Plantation. Smell the scent of the leaves from the bay rum trees, which were once used to make the famous St John Bay Rum Cologne.
Opens on the Park Service site - Caneel Hill Trail30-60 Minutes
Hiking trails in the park provide an excellent way to experience the beauty of the landscape and the rich natural and cultural history of the park/
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- Drowning at Salt Pond Bay ↗2026-06-11
On June 4, Virgin Islands National Park rangers responded alongside St. John Rescue and the Virgin Islands Police Department to an incident at Salt Pond Beach.
- Virgin Islands National Park Issues Request for Proposals for Caneel Bay Redevelopment ↗2026-05-07
The National Park Service has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of Caneel Bay at Virgin Islands National Park.
- Apply for 2026 Youth Conservation Corps Summer Employment Program at Virgin Islands National Park ↗2026-04-16
Virgin Islands National Park is accepting applications for Youth Conservation Corps summer employment program until May 15. Applicants must be 15 through 18 years old.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Virgin Islands National Park and national parks across the country
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Junglefowl 2×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 153 birds, 16 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Hen Harrier · Merlin · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Puerto Rican Screech-Owl · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Coot · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Brown Pelican · Caribbean Coot · Cattle Egret · Double-crested Cormorant · Glossy Ibis · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Least Grebe · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Mangrove Rail · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Reddish Egret · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · West Indian Whistling-Duck · White-cheeked Pintail · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Golden Plover · American Oystercatcher · Arctic Tern · Audubon's Shearwater · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Black-headed Gull · Bridled Tern · Brown Booby · Common Tern · Dunlin · European Herring Gull · Greater Shearwater · Greater Yellowlegs · Gull-billed Tern · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Leach's Storm Petrel · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Yellowlegs · Magnificent Frigatebird · Masked Booby · Pectoral Sandpiper · Pomarine Jaeger · Red-footed Booby · Ring-billed Gull · Roseate Tern · Royal Tern · Ruddy Turnstone · Sanderling · Sandwich Tern · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Solitary Sandpiper · Sooty Tern · Spotted Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · White-rumped Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Plover · Wilson's Snipe · Wilson's Storm Petrel
Gamebirds & dovesBridled Quail-Dove · Common Ground Dove · Common Pigeon · Ruddy Quail-Dove · Scaly-naped Pigeon · White-crowned Pigeon · White-winged Dove · Zenaida Dove
WoodpeckersYellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAntillean Crested Hummingbird · Chimney Swift
Also on the checklistAe'o · American Redstart · Antillean Mango · Antillean Nighthawk · Baltimore Oriole · Bananaquit · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-faced Grassquit · Black-whiskered Vireo · Blue Grosbeak · Bobolink · Brown Noddy · Brown-throated Parakeet · Caribbean Elaenia · Caribbean Martin · Chuck-will's-widow · Cliff Swallow · Common Moorhen · Common Nighthawk · Common Yellowthroat · Dickcissel · Eurasian Whimbrel · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Kingbird · Green-throated Carib · Helmeted Guineafowl · House Sparrow · Indigo Bunting · Lesser Antillean Bullfinch · Mangrove Cuckoo · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Ovenbird · Pearly-eyed Thrasher · Prothonotary Warbler · Puerto Rican Flycatcher · Red Junglefowl · Red Knot · Red-billed Tropicbird · Red-eyed Vireo · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Scarlet Tanager · Shiny Cowbird · Smooth-billed Ani · Sora · Swainson's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Troupial · Veery · White-eyed Vireo · White-tailed Tropicbird · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-throated Vireo
Small mammalsNorway rat · black rat · house mouse
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsAntillean fruit-eating bat · Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat · Pallas' Free-tailed Bat · Southern Yellow Bat · greater bulldog bat · red fruit bat
Also on the checklistIndian mongoose · feral cat · feral dog · feral donkey · feral goat · feral hog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Diving and snorkeling in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Mostly Perfect! The Tradewinds (the Easterlies) dominate the weather in the Virgin Islands, blowing east to west across the tropical Atlantic. The winter tends to bring stronger winds and less rain, and the summer tends to bring more rain and lighter winds. Be sure to check the forecast often during hurricane season or winter swell events.
Questions people ask
Does Virgin Islands charge an entrance fee?
No. Virgin Islands is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Virgin Islands?
Hours differ by day of the week. The full schedule is under Hours on this page. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Virgin Islands?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Virgin Islands: Cinnamon Bay Beach and. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Which Virgin Islands campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Cinnamon Bay Beach and. Dump station: Cinnamon Bay Beach and. Electric hookups: Cinnamon Bay Beach and.
Source: Campgrounds
Do Virgin Islands campgrounds book through Recreation.gov?
No. Cinnamon Bay Beach and takes reservations through bookings10.rmscloud.com.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Virgin Islands right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Trail Conditions.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Virgin Islands?
471,074 recreation visits in 2025, number 118 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
What is the weather like at Virgin Islands?
Mostly Perfect! The Tradewinds (the Easterlies) dominate the weather in the Virgin Islands, blowing east to west across the tropical Atlantic.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in U.S. Virgin Islands
