Great news for those of you who want to check out the petroglyphs at Reef Bay, but prefer to skip the grueling two-mile hike back up the hill, the guided Reef Bay hike is returning!
This guided hike will take place every Monday and Tuesday beginning on Monday, January 5th and will continue through Tuesday, May 28th. The cost is $110 per person. The hike begins at the National Park Visitor Center where you will hop in a taxi that will take you to the Reef Bay trailhead. From there, a ranger will lead guests down the more than two-mike hike. The history of the area will be discussed, as well as plants and animals that are located in the area. Hikers will have the opportunity to check out the remnants of a sugar plantation – the longest running one on St. John – as well as the famed petroglyphs. A boat will be waiting at the bottom of the trail to transport hikers back to Cruz Bay.
You must reserve your space in advance. The boat is only available to those who are doing the guided hike with the National Park. Book early because spaces fill up quickly. Click here to purchase a space.
Here is the official description from Friends of the VI National Park:
The Reef Bay Hike is a guided hike that includes culturally relevant discussion topics that relate the flora, fauna, and history of the island as visitors take this journey with a Park Ranger.
Be sure to read all of the information below as some logistical elements of the hike have changed:
This excursion includes a boat pickup at Reef Bay beach for 11:45AM departure back to Cruz Bay. This 3-mile guided hike includes a 1,000-foot elevation change, areas of uneven terrain, high steps, steep declines, and can be slippery in any weather. It takes about three hours, hiking at a brisk pace, for the group to get from the trailhead to the beach under the best conditions, ending with an additional 40-minute boat ride back to the Cruz Bay Visitor Center.
Together, the guides will lead the group on a journey under some of the oldest and tallest trees on the island and explore the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean including a stop at the sacred site of the Taino petroglyphs. The trail itself is also an old Danish road where visitors will see dry-layed stone walls, and the remains of multiple sugar plantation structures and the Reef Bay Sugar Factory.
Arrive at the Visitors Center at 7:45am. The group will depart the Visitor Center promptly at 8:15am and needs to meet the boat at Reef Bay Beach promptly by 11:45pm to arrive back in Cruz Bay by 12:45pm. There is NO PARKING at the Visitor Center so please allow time to find parking in town somewhere. Participants catching a ferry from St. Thomas must catch the 6:30am boat. The Visitor Center is just a 5-minute walk from the ferry.
IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO HIKE THE ROUND TRIP, approximately 5 miles and over 1,000-foot elevation gain, you should NOT attempt this hike. Ocean conditions, weather, medical emergency, or other factors may prevent the boat from picking up hikers, requiring a STRENUOUS trek back up the mountain to the trailhead. If the group is not able to make the 11:45am rendezvous at Reef Bay Beach there may not be a boat pickup, but instead a shuttle will collect visitors at the top of L’Esperance Trail after the group hikes out. The guides will keep the group together at all times from start to finish.
You must wear your sturdy walking shoes and bring at least two liters of water; we will check. Snacks, mineral-based sunscreen, and a hat are also highly recommended.