Hiking the Francis Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park
Distance (Full Loop): 0.8 miles / 1.3 km
The Francis Bay Trail, also called the Francis Bay Loop Trail, in Virgin Islands National Park is a short and easy loop on the North Shore of St. John that leads hikers past historic colonial ruins, out to a beautiful white-sand beach, all before completing the loop on a boardwalk across a natural saltwater pond!
Since the Francis Bay Trail is so short and the elevation changes are minimal, the loop is one of the best kid-friendly hikes in Virgin Islands National Park and a great way to escape the crowds at other, typically busier beaches across the North Shore.
It’s for all these reasons that I personally think the Francis Bay Trail is a great adventure to add to your bucket list when visiting St. John—especially late in the day, as the west-facing Francis Bay Beach is one of the best beaches to catch sunset in Virgin Islands National Park!
Francis Bay Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Francis Bay Trail is located at either the Upper or Lower Trailhead off Francis Bay Road.
That said, I recommend parking at the Upper Trailhead when driving down Francis Bay Road, as the Lower Trailhead near the beach is often much busier, with most visitors parking as close to the bay as possible.
Google Maps Directions: Upper Francis Bay Trailhead / Lower Francis 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 Francis Bay Trail
The Francis Bay Trail can begin at either the Upper Trailhead near the ruins or down by the beach at the Lower Trailhead, but since parking at the beach is a bit more challenging, I like to begin at the Upper Francis Bay Trailhead, the first trailhead off Francis Bay Road.
Mary Point Great House
Almost immediately, the Francis Bay Loop passes the Mary Point Great House, a late-era colonial sugar factory site and the only ruins on the entire trail.
This viewpoint above the Francis Bay Salt Water Pond is the highest point on the entire loop, meaning that from here to the beach, the Francis Bay Trail slowly winds its way downhill.
Who is the Francis Bay Trail Named After?
The Francis Bay Trail and the greater area is named after a former plantation slave named George Francis, who was enslaved at the Annaberg Plantation down the road in his early life and later freed in 1848 when slavery was abolished on St. John.
In the years that followed, George Francis became a landowner here at Mary Point and later acquired property at Annaberg as well, eventually serving as an overseer and then owner of the estate.
As with most adventures in Virgin Islands National Park, I highly recommend wearing a sun shirt when hiking in the park—something that can certainly be useful both on the Francis Bay Trail and at the beach just a few steps ahead.
Francis Bay Beach
After just over 0.3 miles (0.5 km), the Francis Bay Trail reaches Francis Bay Beach, one of the most beautiful—and notably quieter—North Shore beaches in Virgin Islands National Park, as taxis from Cruz Bay don’t often drive visitors this far!
This means that visitors who want to come are more likely to need a rental car, which in turn makes Francis Bay a much more enjoyable experience overall.
If you are planning to spend some time at Francis Bay Beach when hiking the loop, I highly recommend bringing a good mask and snorkel, which is truly a setup worth investing in for all the beautiful beaches across St. John.
That said, the mask and snorkel linked below are exactly the ones that I use at home in Hawaiʻi, and they’re exactly what I traveled to Virgin Islands National Park with when I visited for the first time!
After checking out the beach, the Francis Bay Trail continues on the path to the left, where it follows a boardwalk across the saltwater pond to Francis Bay Road on the far side.
The boardwalk passes two viewpoints of the saltwater pond, with the second—when hiking counterclockwise—being the better of the two, as it extends farther out into the water.
This is the second of the two viewpoints on the Francis Bay boardwalk.
After the second viewpoint, there is just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) left before the Francis Bay Trail reaches the lower trailhead and Francis Bay Road.
Lower Francis Bay Trailhead (Francis Bay Road)
This is the end of the Francis Bay Trail, which is also the Lower Trailhead and the optional parking area near the beach to begin the loop.
From the Lower Trailhead, go left to begin walking up Francis Bay Road to get back to the Upper Trailhead, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away.
Upper Francis Bay Trailhead
This is the Upper Francis Bay Trailhead and the end of the short, easy Francis Bay Loop around the saltwater pond.
