Beaches · St. John
Beaches / St. John
Hawksnest Beach on St. John has tree shade and three small offshore elkhorn-coral reefs. The National Park Service lists picnic tables, grills and restrooms, and notes limited parking. Check conditions before planning to snorkel.
Plan your visit
Some visit details need confirmation. Current details are unconfirmed for access & parking, facilities, costs & hours, accessibility, safety & seasonal conditions. Check the linked visitor information before you go.
Earlier briefing details are withheld pending a source check. Briefing review deadline: .
NPS — Getting around St. John (opens in a new tab) · Source checked ; answer review deadline .
A choice that fits
Confirm current details directly: Access, Shade, Ground underfoot, Walking features, Operating notices.
Photo explorer / Hawksnest Beach
1 / 1 · Sand and turquoise water at Hawksnest Beach on St. John, photographed in 2006.
Photo: Hawksnest Bay, St. John, Virgin Islands by Skellig2008 / Flickr · CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Beaches
Turtles, long swims and snorkeling along the rock shoreline at the north end, inside Virgin Islands National Park on St. John. A boardwalk follows the salt pond behind the beach for birding, and a trail climbs to the remains of a Great House and the Francis Sugar Factory.
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Beaches
White sand under palm and seagrape trees inside Virgin Islands National Park on St. John. A reef runs east toward Caneel Bay, with elkhorn and pillar coral off the rocky point. The trail in starts at the park sign off North Shore Road, and there is a kayak launch, picnic tables and parking.
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Beaches
Jumbie Bay is a small North Shore cove in Virgin Islands National Park, between Hawksnest and Trunk Bay. A short path from a limited roadside lot leads to a compact sandy shoreline with beach rock at center and no facilities beyond park trash cans. Trade winds can chop the water; calmer days are better for a quick snorkel around the rocks. Bring everything you need and expect tight parking.
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Beaches
A St. John bay reached along the Leinster Bay Trail from the Annaberg parking lot. Coral heads sit on a sandy bottom in the shallows, and snorkelers swim out to a cay ringed with fish, corals and gorgonians. The waterfront is part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, used by enslaved people escaping to Tortola.
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