Overview

St. John is considered one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, and much credit for that can go to Laurance Rockefeller, a wealthy philanthropist who donated much of the land that now constitutes Virgin Islands National Park. The park's visitor center is located in Cruz Bay, close to the ferry terminal that brings most visitors over from Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie on the neighboring island of St. Thomas. Rangers lead tours of the 2.2-mile Reef Bay trail, which passes dramatic ruins of old sugar plantations and ends at a secluded beach, where some visitors may arrange for a boat pickup rather than retracing their steps back uphill. A side trail leads to petroglyphs carved by Taino indians. The ruins of the Catherineburg Sugar Plantation, also within the park, are far more extensive, including a windmill and boiling house. For many park visitors, St. John's gorgeous beaches are the main attraction, including that at Cinnamon Bay, which has the park's only campground. Trunk Bay has a unique underwater snorkeling trail. Established: August 2, 1956 Area: 13,892.78 acres Website: [www.nps.gov/viis](http://www.nps.gov/viis)