Virgin Islands National Park

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Virgin Islands National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location:	United States Virgin Islands
Nearest city:	Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands
Coordinates:	18°20′0″N, 64°44′0″W
Area:	14,689 acres (59 km²)
Established:	August 2, 1956
Visitation:	803,040 (in 2005)
Governing body:	National Park Service

Virgin Islands National Park is a United States National Park covering approximately 60% of the island of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands. The park is famous for scuba diving and snorkeling and has miles of hiking trails through tropical forests.

Centerline Road overlook looking northward.

Ferries from Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie on Saint Thomas make regular stops at Cruz Bay, Saint John, near the park, which averages 725,000 visitors per year.

One of the Virgin Islands National Park's most famous attractions is Trunk Bay which sports a white sand beach and underwater snorkeling trail.

Plan accordingly and you'll be able to traverse the likes of the sugar-plantation-ruins-littered Cinnamon Bay Nature Trail and the Bourdeaux Mountain Trail that leads to the highest point on the island at 1,277 feet above sea level and whose view is best described as "what you must see from heaven." The most popular hike however is the Reef Bay Trail. This route paves the way to witnessing the beauty of the surrounding forestlands, remnants of sugar mills, historical petroglyph rock carvings, a spring-fed waterfall and reflection pool, and a chance for rest and relaxation or snorkeling excitement at Genti Bay.

Visitors can stay on Saint John nearby but off park land, or they may elect to stay in one of park's two campgrounds, Maho Bay and Cinnamon Bay, which offer varying levels of comfort.

Virgin Islands National Park also includes Hassel Island, just off Charlotte Amalie harbor, as well as a few isolated sites on the island of St. Thomas.

Reef Bay and VINP as seen from Cocoloba Point.

[edit] External links

• Official NPS website: Virgin Islands National Park
• PDF map from NPS PDF map from NPS
• geology of Virgin Islands National Park
• Virgin Islands National Park (fan site)
• Photos of Virgin Islands National Park - Terra Galleria
• VINP Intern Archeology blog

	Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Topics	Geography · Economy · Demographics · Communications · Transportation
Government	Politics · Governors · Congressional Delegates · Senators · Elections
Capital	Charlotte Amalie
Cities	Charlotte Amalie · Charlotte Amalie West · Christiansted · Frederiksted · Cruz Bay  · Anna's Retreat ·
Islands	Saint Croix · Saint John · Saint Thomas · Water Island · Other
Parks	Virgin Islands NP · Virgin Islands Coral Reef NM · Buck Island Reef NM · Christiansted NHS · Salt River Bay NHP and Ecological Preserve

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