Virgin Islands NP
Virgin Island NP is on the island of St. Johns and makes up about 60% of the island. As a national park this lush and beautiful land is protected from development and was donated by the Rockefeller family in 1956.
The park is full of beautiful hikes and tropical rain forest but the star of the show here is the famous beaches which are always ranked as some of the best in the world! There are many options for beach choices but we focused on these three; Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay and Saltpond.
Beaches
Trunk Bay- is named for the Leatherback turtle, which is endemic to the U.S.V.I. and is locally known as trunks.
Cinnamon Bay- is named for the many cinnamon trees (bay rum) found here.
Saltpond- The saltponds ("ponds") in the Virgin Islands were bays that, over time, have been closed in by reef or mangrove growth across the bay's mouth. The barrier separating the pond from the sea is created by storms which accumulate coral rubble and sand. This barrier is called the berm.
Getting Around- Assuming its not overcrowded when you visit is very accessible by car and its good idea to book one ahead of time since inventory is limited. A bike would also be pretty cool to have, we did not rent one but we did see them all around.
Map of Virgin Island National Park
Courtesy of: https://www.nps.gov/submerged/Parks/VIIS.html
