Well folks, some tidbits are too good to wait to share! The Reef Bay hike is returning next month… how great is that??!!
For those of you who are not familiar with the Reef Bay hike, it’s a rather tough 2.2-mile hike down a rather steep hill from Centerline Road to Reef Bay beach. There are remnants of the longest running sugar plantation at the base of Reef Bay, as well as petroglyphs, which are reached from a quick .22-mile spur trail. The hike down isn’t too terrible; it’s the more than two mile hike back up that gets you. But that’s all about to change!
Beginning on Monday, November 21st, you will be able to hike down Reef Bay alongside a Virgin Islands National Park ranger, who will discuss a variety of items along the way, including the area’s rich history, the local flora and fauna, and much more. You will have the opportunity to visit the petroglyphs, as well, which are ancient rock carvings done by the pre-Colombian Taino. Once you get to the bottom of Reef Bay, you will hop aboard the Sadie Sea boat, which is now owned and operated by Wharfside Watersports.
The cost of this guided hike is $75, and trips run on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trips will depart from the National Park Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m., and transportation will be provided to the Reef Bay trailhead. The hike down takes roughly three hours. The guided hike concludes with a picturesque 40-minute boat ride back to Cruz Bay… so no more hiking back up! Unless you want to, that is. 🙂
Please note: The only way to take advantage of the boat ride back to Cruz Bay is by buying a ticket for the guided hike in advance. If you hike Reef Bay on your own, a boat will not be waiting at the bottom to transport you back to town, nor will you be able to hop on the boat when it is there, unless you have a ticket.
And for those of you who have been paying attention to our weather lately, you have probably seen that the island has received a tremendous amount of rain this week. Rains like this create an beautiful waterfall at Reef Bay. I’d like to thank Sarah Hanson for sharing the following pics with us, which she took yesterday during a hike with her two adorable pups.
If you’d like to learn more about the guided Reef Bay hike, please visit the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s website. Ready to book? Simply click this link to visit their secure checkout page.
Please don’t forget to enter our raffle. For just $25, you can enter to win a St. John vacation. Proceeds will support the Animal Care Center of St. John. Get the details and purchase tickets at www.explorestj.com/raffle.