Experience nature

on an uncrowded island.
Even camp out, too!

St. John Vacation and Tourism Information

St. John Weather

As big as St. Thomas but without its big city ways, St. John and its main town, Cruz Bay, are tiny backwater outposts, reminiscent of what the Caribbean was like a half century ago.

They're both just 4 miles and a short ferry ride away from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook on St. Thomas. (See Ferry Schedule)

Most of St. John, including the waters around it, is a national park. It's still mostly green and natural thanks to developer Laurance Rockefeller who in 1956 donated two-thirds of St. John to the U.S. National Park Service.

As a result, about 10,000 acres of landscape have evolve naturally into second-generation forest including, sea grape, kapok trees, cactus and century plants.

The Park Service has opened the forest to visitors with 20 different walking/hiking trails, among the easiest and most scenic paths in the Caribbean. Some paths are actually old donkey-cart paths, in use as late as the 1940s.

The precise distance of all these trails has been measured by the Park Service, a rarity in the Caribbean where hikes are normally measured by walking time.

St. John also enjoys some spectacular beaches. The best-known (and one of the Caribbean's most photographed beaches ) is Trunk Bay, famous for its spectacular white sand beach bordered by shade trees.

With lifeguards on duty and rental snorkel equipment available, Trunk Bay is home to one of the region's few self-guided snorkeling trails.

The snorkel trail offers an excellent introduction to marine life as underwater signs to identify the variety of corals and sponges. The snorkel trail extends for about 200 yards and takes between 20 and 30 minutes to swim.

With campgrounds at Cinnamon Bay and Maho Bay, St. John is perfect for experiencing the outdoors 24 hours a day. On a more luxurious scale, Concordia Eco-Tents' s enjoy a fabulous perch overlooking remote Salt Pond Bay and Ram Head on the island's south end.

St. John Weather

St. John-St. Thomas Passenger Ferry

St. John-St. Thomas Car Barge Ferry

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

St. John Hiking Trails (Descriptions)

U.S. Virgin Islands Marriage License Application

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