Laurence Rockefeller owned a huge swath of land on and around Saint John Island. In 1956, he donated his land to the National Park Service, so that it could be set aside and protected for future generations.
On August 2, 1956, the Virgin Islands National Park came into official existence. Nearby, you can find Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.
Both of these national sites were devastated when two level five hurricanes struck the islands in 2017. While the islands have done a great job recovering from these natural disasters, the same level of visitors took a while to return.
Since then, the islands have been enjoying another boom in ecotourism. Here are some of the biggest sites within the Virgin Islands National Park.
Cruz Bay Visitor Center
This is a great place to start. When you arrive at Cruz Bay, swing by the visitor Center, where you can get oriented and find the next attraction on your list. Here they will have maps of the park for you to carry with you.
Here, you can also book a ranger-guided tour of the park and get the latest updates on conditions in the park, such as downed trees.
Honeymoon Beach
This beach is one of the more remote ones, so it may take you a bit longer to get there, but if you are looking to escape from the crowds, this could be perfect for you!
You can rent a cabana for the day here, which will run you roughly one to two hundred dollars. You can also rent snorkel gear, and visit the small tourist center, where you will find maps, restrooms, a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a bar.
All of this combines to make this beach ideal for a whole day. Being a bit farther way and having so many amenities, it is worth getting here and staying for many hours!
Hawksnest Beach
This beach is exceptionally beautiful, even for the Virgin Islands National Park. It is also extremely accessible. Located just a few minutes from Cruz Bay and with a large parking lot, you will only have to walk a few feet to get to the beach.
This is a great snorkeling spot, where it is totally worth spending a few hours. You will not have to walk much to get here, so a quick visit is easy.
Peace Hill Windmill
You can find ruins of old windmills throughout Virgin Islands National Park. They often mark excellent viewpoints as high points where great places to enjoy a lot of wind.
From the Peace Hill Windmill, you can see great views of Hawksnest Bay and Trunk Bay.
Everyone Has Their Specific Needs When They Visit the Park
While all of this history is fascinating, and all of these activities are exciting, everyone will have their own cup of tea when they come to the park. In fact, some of us may be accompanying other members of our family who are more oriented towards nature.
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Other people with specific considerations are the elderly. They will have different activities that sound appealing, reasonable, or safe. In this case, you can check out AARP’s Guide to visiting the Virgin Islands National Park. They will provide everything you need to have the safest and most enjoyable time at the national park no matter your age.
No matter your disposition, you can find the way to have a great time at the Virgin Islands National Park!