Virgin Islands National Park
U.S. Virgin Islands
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
8.5 h fully dark
Hikes
Easy–Strenuous
🟢 🔴
Crowds
low
Open today
Open
Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center: closed Nov 26 – Nov 26; Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center: closed Dec 25 – Dec 25
Entrance
Free entry
Trail 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 viis_interpretation@nps.gov
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.
Topics
No entrance fee.
Hours & seasons
Virgin Islands National Park is always open! The Visitor Center and store are open from 8:15 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 8:15 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. It is closed on weekends, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
⚠ Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center: closed Nov 26 – Nov 26; Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center: closed Dec 25 – Dec 25
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
📞 3407766201
✉ viis_interpretation@nps.govConditions
Quietest months (fewer crowds): Aug, Sep, Oct
Typical crowds: low
Weather now: ☁️ Overcast, 81°F
☁️ 82°/81°
🌦️ 82°/79°
🌦️ 82°/80°
Typical monthly recreation visits · NPS avg 2023–2025 — orange months are the quietest by crowds.
Quietest months
Relative crowds by month — lighter is quieter; ringed months are the calmest by crowds.
Jan
89%
Feb
83%
Mar
100%
Apr
91%
May
82%
Jun
80%
Jul
79%
Aug
41%
Sep
29%
Oct
34%
Nov
66%
Dec
85%
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Things to do
🔴 Reef Bay Trail · 900 ft gain · This is a steep strenuous hike. The duration depends on your physical condition and how much time you spend reading the waysides or at the petroglyphs and the ruins.
Discover Bird Watching in the Virgin Islands · <p>Meet at the trail head for Francis Bay Trail near the ruins. The guided tour takes about 90 minutes. </p>
Maho Bay
Trunk Bay Underwater Snorkel Trail · Snorkelers can drift along the trail enjoying the beauty of the underwater world as they learn about the residents of the coral reef and how to protect it. Please use reef-safe sunscreen or rash guard and be mindful of where you place your feet. Stand only in sand!
Annaberg Sugar Plantation · The beauty of the setting is an invitation to walk at leisure and be immersed in the stories of the realities of early plantation times and reflection on the difficult history of the lives of the 600 enslaved Africans whose work and purpose at Annaberg did not include enjoying the views and natural beauty of the site.
🟢 Cinnamon Bay Nature Loop And Accessible Trail · Though the trail can be walked quickly, the deep shade, quiet and excellent birding opportunites invite lingering and savoring the sunlight filtering through the green canopy and the scent of the bay rum trees.
🔴 Johnny Horn Trail · 1.8 mi · Plan on two to four hours for this hike; more if connecting with other trails in the area.
L'Esperance Trail · 2.6 mi · 2 - 4 hours
Campgrounds
Cinnamon Bay Beach and Campground ↗ · 121 sites · hookups · dump station
Visitor centers
Cruz Bay Visitor Center
Accessibility
1 accessible campground(s)
9 audio-described place(s)
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Parking
Visitor Center · 11 accessible spacesaccessible
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on Virgin Islands National Park — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
Trail difficulty
Difficulty mix across this park's trails.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
People & stories
Figures tied to Virgin Islands National Park — each spans a cross-park journey.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
— Philanthropy, Founders, Founding AcadiaLaurance Rockefeller
— Rockefeller, Mabi, Marsh Billings RockefellerSir Francis Drake
— Battle Of San Juan, Caribbean, Castillo De San MarcosPassport stamps
Mark the stamps you've collected — they show in your memory and along your routes.
🎫 Cruz Bay Visitor Center
Places to see
Annaburg Sugar Plantation
audio
Cinnamon Bay Beach
audio
Francis Bay
audio
Hawksnest Beach
audio
Honeymoon Beach
audio
Maho Beach
audio
Reef Bay Trail and Sugar Plantation
audio
Salt Pond Bay
audio
Trunk Bay
audio
Virgin Islands National Park
Audio & media
🎧
🎬
🖼
Learn more
A National Park Service (NPS) uniform weaves together the unique story of the person who wore it and the NPS mission. Sometimes the uniforms and their stories also reflect a larger history for the NPS and American society. That’s the case for the uniforms worn by Robert G. Stanton who began his career during the civil rights era and went on to become the first African American director of the NPS.
The Virgin Islands’ geographical features and strategic location were key factors in the struggles for control of the islands. The Virgin Islands consist of approximately 90 islands, islets, and cays, all of which are within no more than a day’s sail from each other and some of which are within sight of Puerto Rico.
We discovered a little white house on the beach, one of the oldest standing structures in the Virgin Island’s dating back to the 1600s. Having objects made by the people and cultures that came before us on display, provided a timeline of physical proof of the islands' rich past, inspiring a new appreciation for our heritage in both an older and younger generation and a desire to preserve these treasures for all to enjoy.
Every Friday morning this summer, a troop of slightly weary but content boy scouts arrive at the Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center, led by Captain Bryan Barnes. This is the concluding day of the scouts’ weeklong sailing trip around St. John, and the last stop before they return to St. Thomas for their flight home.
Through trial and error, outreach, and a small army of volunteer divers, scientists slow the progress of one of the Caribbean’s most lethal coral diseases—for now.
The primary duty of the Community Volunteers Ambassadors is to encourage local residents, particularly young people, to volunteer for climate-resilience-related projects in the park.
Learn more about Landscape Architect Kate Randall and the type of work she does for NPS.
Scientists have documented a decline in live coral at Virgin Islands National Park over the past few decades. This decrease has been from episodes of coral disease, intense storms, increased sea water temperatures, and damage from boats
How Virgin Islands National Park connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
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Activity
Topic
State
Campground
VisitorCenter
PassportStamp
ParkingLot
Trail
ThingToDo
Alert
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