Virgin Islands National Park

Address

1300 Cruz Bay Creek
St. John, VI 00830
Telephone: (340) 776-6201

Trunk Bay Fee

Donations accepted at the Cruz Bay Visitor Center.

The Virgin Islands National Park on St. John encompasses miles of lush forest, historic plantation ruins, pristine beaches and coral reefs teaming with marine life. Trails weave by scenic lookout points, many ending at the shoreline of a wonderful beach. Sun seekers will be delighted by the beaches on St. John, which are some of the most beautiful in the Caribbean.

The park is well developed which makes exploring the historical sites, beaches and trails easy and rewarding. The top points of interest are Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Cinnamon Bay Plantation ruins and Annaberg Plantation. These are just four of the dozens of National Park Sites & Ruins you can explore. You can enjoy the National Park by boat, camping, fishing, kayaking, hiking, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming and bird watching!

Brief History of the Park

In 1956 Lawrence Rockefeller, through the non-profit organization Jackson Hole Inc., donated 5000 acres of land on St. John to the National Park Service. On August 2nd of the same year United States Congress passed legislation to establish the Virgin Islands National Park. The legislation stipulated that the Park’s holdings on St. John could not exceed 9,485 acres. St. John contains a total of 12,500 acres. In 1962 the boundaries of the Virgin Islands National Park were expanded to include 5,650 acres of submerged lands and waters that contain a significant amount of coral reefs, shorelines and marine life.

In 2001 the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument was established from 12,708 acres of federally owned submerged lands off the island of St. John. This area, administered by the National Park Service, protects coral reef and mangrove habitat crucial for the biological diversity of the entire Caribbean.

In 1978 a large portion of Hassel Island, a small island within St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie Harbor, was donated to the Virgin Islands National Park.

2023 British Virgin Islands Calendar