Hiking the America Hill Trail in Virgin Islands National Park
Distance: 1.2 miles / 1.9 km
Elevation Gain: 440 ft. / 134 m
The America Hill Trail in Virgin Islands National Park is a very short, almost all-uphill day hike that begins at Cinnamon Bay and climbs to a beautiful summit with east-facing views and the remnants of a former 1800s-era plantation house!
That said, the America Hill Trail is not as difficult as an entirely uphill hike may seem.
I say this because there are countless other adventures in Virgin Islands National Park where the elevation change is much more significant and prolonged, such as the many trails that begin off Centerline Road.
On the contrary, only the very beginning of the America Hill Trail is worth noting for its steepness, while the switchbacks after the Cinnamon Bay Trail are fairly gradual.
America Hill Trailhead Parking
Parking for the America Hill Trail is located at the Cinnamon Bay Trailhead, the same parking area that also serves Cinnamon Bay Beach and the Cinnamon Bay Loop Trail.
As a result, finding parking to hike any of these three trails out of Cinnamon Bay can be very difficult by mid-morning, given that Cinnamon Bay Beach is one of the most popular North Shore beaches in Virgin Islands National Park.
Google Maps Directions: America Hill Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Virgin Islands
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Virgin Islands National Park.
Hiking the America Hill Trail
The America Hill Trail begins at the Cinnamon Bay Trailhead, located at the far eastern end of the beach before North Shore Road leaves Cinnamon Bay toward Maho Beach.
As previously mentioned, the very beginning of the hike is the most challenging section of the American Hill Trail in terms of elevation gain.
However, this very steep section only lasts about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) before the hike levels out.
This is where the steep elevation change at the very beginning of the America Hill Trail comes to an end.
Once the Cinnamon Bay Trail crosses this typically dry stream, the America Hill Junction is just a few steps ahead!
America Hill-Cinnamon Bay Junction
After about 0.2 miles (0.3 km), the Cinnamon Bay Trail reaches the junction for the true America Hill Trail.
Once here, go left to begin the switchbacks that climb to the summit of America Hill, about 0.4 miles (0.6 km) from this point.
Read My Separate Post: Cinnamon Bay Trail
After leaving the Cinnamon Bay Trail behind, the true America Hill Trail begins, where the hike climbs five switchbacks to reach the old plantation ruins at the top.
This is the first of the five switchbacks on the hike to the top of America Hill.
This is where the America Hill Trail turns the second of the five switchbacks.
If there’s one thing I hope these photos show more than anything else, it’s that the switchbacks to the summit are nowhere near as steep as the very beginning of the hike off North Shore Road.
Since the America Hill Trail is fairly short and not all that steep, I personally believe the summit is the best sunrise hike near Cruz Bay, with sunrises being best from March through September based on how the sun’s position shifts throughout the year.
This is where the America Hill Trail turns the fourth of five switchbacks on the hike to the summit.
This is the fifth and final switchback before the top of America Hill!
America Hill
This is the summit of America Hill and the America Hill Great House Ruins, the site of a late-nineteenth-century hilltop estate overlooking the Cinnamon Bay plantation lands below.
The best viewpoint from the summit of America Hill is on the left-hand side of the Great House, which has been described to me by some that live on the island as the best viewpoint on St. John!
However, I personally debate that thought in favor of the beautiful viewpoint atop Margaret Hill on the Caneel Hill Trail.
This is the path around the left side of the ruins.
This is the main viewpoint from the top of America Hill, which looks east toward the British Virgin Islands in the distance!
The one thing I think is worth noting is that the view looking east is quite narrow. This is why I want to stress again that not all times of the year are great for catching sunrise from the top, with April – August being the best months to try.
If this is something you are considering, I recommend traveling to Virgin Islands National Park with a good headlamp, which can also come in handy on the Ram Head Trail and the Caneel Hill Trail, both of which are great golden-hour day hikes in their own regard!
This is the path around the right side of the ruins.
The view from the right side is significantly more limited than the left.
Coming Soon!
