Hiking the Brown Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park
Distance (RT Not Including Brown Bay Ruins): 3.2 miles / 5.1 km
The Brown Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park is a little-known day hike on the far eastern end of St. John that connects East End Road with the Johnny Horn Trail and the Leinster Bay Trail beyond!
The highlight of the relatively short out-and-back trail is Brown Bay Beach and the hidden Brown Bay Ruins, about halfway between the trailhead and the Johnny Horn junction.
However, what far fewer visitors know is that Brown Bay can actually be connected directly with the Leinster Bay Trail at Waterlemon Bay by hiking the coastline. This is something that I talk about in more detail below.
In any case, the Brown Bay Trail is a great option for those looking to escape the crowds in Virgin Islands National Park and hike a trail that is neither too difficult (meaning steep) nor too easy, as it is not entirely flat either.
Brown Bay Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Brown Bay Trail is located in a small pullout directly off East End Road.
That said, finding a spot to park is typically never an issue, as the Brown Bay Trail is one of the least-trafficked trails to hike across Virgin Islands National Park.
Google Maps Directions: Brown Bay 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 Brown Bay Trail
At the trailhead, go right to begin the Brown Bay Trail, which will pass the first set of ruins almost immediately after beginning the hike.
Hermitage Plantation Ruins
Just a few steps into the hike, the Brown Bay Trail splits with a short side trail that leads up to the Hermitage Plantation Ruins on the right-hand side.
After the plantation ruins, the Brown Bay Trail will continue to climb, gaining roughly 200 ft. (61 m) of elevation in the first 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to the top of the first hill.
When the Brown Bay Trail makes this right-hand turn, the top of the first hill is just a few steps ahead.
This is the top of the initial hill, meaning that from this point to the beach, the Brown Bay Trail is all downhill.
For those looking for a great hike or trail run in Virgin Islands National Park, the Brown Bay Trail is one of the better options, in my opinion, because most of the elevation gain is right at the beginning and not nearly as steep as the trails off Centerline Road.
If trail running is something you’re considering, I recommend using the shoes I have linked below, as they work perfectly for both hiking and trail running on all the best adventures in Virgin Islands National Park.
This is the beginning of the final hill that leads down to Brown Bay.
When the Brown Bay Trail levels out, the junction for Brown Bay Beach is only 0.1 miles (0.2 km) ahead!
Brown Bay-Brown Bay Beach Junction
After roughly 0.8 miles (1.3 km), the Brown Bay Trail reaches the junction for Brown Bay Beach, the highlight of the entire trail—that is, unless you decide to continue on to the viewpoint atop Windy Hill on the Johnny Horn Trail ahead.
In any case, go right to walk out toward Brown Bay Beach and the ruins on the far side, or go straight to continue on the Brown Bay Trail toward the Johnny Horn Trail, another 0.8 miles (1.3 km) away.
To skip past Brown Bay Beach, click here.
Brown Bay Beach
This is where the short side trail reaches Brown Bay Beach, just a few steps after leaving the main path.
Unlike most North Shore beaches in Virgin Islands National Park, Brown Bay Beach is not really the picturesque white-sand beach that most visitors have in mind.
However, it is very aptly named, as the shoreline is often covered in seaweed—something that is common on beaches that receive more open-ocean swell on St. John.
On a different note, if you are interested in seeing the plantation ruins at Brown Bay Beach, go left once the trail reaches the water and walk along the easiest path for just over 0.1 miles (0.2 km) to the far end of the beach.
Brown Bay Plantation Ruins
The Brown Bay Plantation Ruins, at the far western end of Brown Bay Beach, is typically as far as most visitors hike on the beach before turning back.
However, as mentioned in the beginning, Brown Bay can actually be connected with Waterlemon Bay and the Leinster Bay Trail by hiking along the coastline and around Leinster Point to get to the other side.
The hike is truly nothing more than a rocky and typically windy walk along the water, but if you are interested, be sure to come prepared for a lot of time in the sun, including packing plenty of water and a hooded sun shirt, as it will likely take a little longer than you anticipate.
Brown Bay-Brown Bay Beach Junction
Once back at the Brown Bay Trail, go right to continue toward the Johnny Horn Trail.
However, if you’re not interested in continuing past the end of the Brown Bay Trail to the viewpoint at the top of Windy Hill, I think Brown Bay Beach is a great turnaround point, since the best part about continuing farther is the short Windy Hill Trail and the view of Waterlemon Cay once at the top!
After Brown Bay Beach, the Brown Bay Trail remains flat for the next 0.5 miles (0.8 km), at which point it will gradually begin climbing up to the Johnny Horn Trail at the very end.
If you look closely, something very subtle about the photo below is the long Termite tube running up the branch on the right-hand side of the trail.
These are Arboreal Termites, and they are truly are something to see when visiting the island for the first time!
Since the Brown Bay Trail is such a low-elevation coastal trail in Virgin Islands National Park, it is much more exposed than many other day hikes on the island, which is why I recommend hiking in a hooded sun shirt—especially if you plan to continue farther on the Johnny Horn Trail once at the end.
This long, mostly flat stretch after Brown Bay Beach, including the gradual uphill at the end, is one of the reasons why I think the Brown Bay Trail is one of the best trail-running hikes in Virgin Islands National Park!
This typically dry stream is where the Brown Bay Trail starts the gradual climb up to the Johnny Horn Trail, meaning that there is only about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) left until the junction at the end.
This hard left-hand turn is a nice sign that the Johnny Horn junction is just a few steps ahead!
Brown Bay-Johnny Horn Junction
After 1.6 miles (2.6 km), the Brown Bay Trail ends where it meets the Johnny Horn Trail, roughly 0.5 miles (0.8 km) before the Windy Hill junction and 0.8 miles (1.3 km) before Waterlemon Beach and the Leinster Bay Trail.
That said, if you’ve hiked this far, I could not recommend continuing on to Windy Hill more, as the viewpoint at the top is without a doubt one of the best across all day hikes in Virgin Islands National Park!
Read My Separate Post: Johnny Horn Trail
