Hiking the Reef Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park
Distance (One Way): 2.3 miles / 3.7 km
Elevation Change: ~820 ft. / 250 m
The Reef Bay Trail in Virgin Islands National Park is a very popular, all-downhill day hike between Centerline Road and Reef Bay Beach that leads to arguably one of the most beautiful remote beaches of any that can only be reached by trail on St. John!
That said, there are a variety of different ways to access the Reef Bay Trail, including the Reef Bay and L'Esperance Trailhead off Centerline Road, the Lameshur Bay Trail on the South Shore, and even the Maria Hope Trail via Maho Beach.
It’s because of all these options that the Reef Bay Trail is one of the most trafficked trails in Virgin Islands National Park, though I would not consider it to be a busy adventure in the same way that others on the island are, like the Leinster Bay Trail.
To this point, it’s actually quite a popular option among more adventurous visitors to get dropped at the Lameshur Bay Trailhead and hike across St. John to the Maria Hope Trail, ending at Maho Beach. I’ve actually met a few people doing just that when some in a group weren’t as interested in hiking as much as visiting the North Shore beaches.
In any case, this article is about the Reef Bay Trail via Centerline Road, the most popular route to do the hike.
Reef Bay Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Reef Bay Trailhead is located at the joint Reef Bay–Maria Hope Trailhead at mile marker five, directly off Centerline Road.
It is here that there are a few side-of-the-road parking spots that serve either trailhead. This is why I think it’s important to highlight the need to be careful when beginning or ending the hike, as blind turns from both directions make this stretch of Centerline Road particularly dangerous, considering how fast local traffic moves on St. John.
Google Maps Directions: Reef 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 Reef Bay Trail
The Reef Bay Trail begins on the south side of Centerline Road, where it immediately drops steeply below the road to begin the all-downhill descent toward Reef Bay Beach.
Even though the entirety of the Reef Bay Trail from Centerline Road to the beach is downhill, only the first 1.1 miles (1.8 km) are worth noting, as that is where the vast majority of the elevation change is located.
That said, it is these first 1.1 miles (1.8 km) that make the return hike so challenging—which is why the National Park Service offers guided one-way hikes with the option to exit via Lameshur Bay and ride back up to the Centerline Road trailhead at the end.
To learn more, be sure to check the National Park Service calendar linked below for the most up-to-date information.
National Park Service: Virgin Islands Guided Hikes
This first switchback is a nice sign that the Reef Bay Trailhead is only 0.25 miles (0.4 km) away on the steep climb back up to Centerline Road.
Since the Reef Bay Trail and all the day hikes off Centerline Road have so much elevation change, some hikers may want to visit Virgin Islands National Park with a good pair of trekking poles, as there are truly very limited options in terms of flat day hikes across all sides of St. John.
These next two switchbacks are the last ones before the Reef Bay Trail levels out.
Jossie Gut Sugar Estate
The Jossie Gut Sugar Estate ruins are one of the earliest plantation sites along the Reef Bay Trail, which is the site of a horse-powered mill that once crushed sugarcane in the early 1800s.
Today, the remaining stone walls and mill platform sit about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) from the bottom of the most significant descent on the Reef Bay Trail.
This lone south-facing viewpoint on the Reef Bay Trail is a nice sign that the bottom of the steep descent is just a few steps ahead!
This is where the Reef Bay Trail reaches the bottom of the steepest sections on the hike!
That said, the trail continues to descend from this point to the beach, but the sections to come are nowhere near as steep or as challenging on the hike back up as the first 1.1 miles (1.8 km) to get to this point.
Even though the viewpoint shown above may make Reef Bay look very far away, these flat sections at the bottom of the valley move very quickly compared to the sections prior.
Par Force Village
Par Force Village is a nice sign that the Reef Bay Trail is only 0.1 miles (0.2 km) away from the Petroglyph Trail.
Reef Bay-Petroglyph Junction
After 1.5 miles (2.4 km), the Reef Bay Trail reaches the first of two back-to-back junctions.
The first is the Petroglyph Trail, which is one of the most popular destinations in the valley, apart from the beach at the very end.
That said, all the details about the Petroglyph Trail can be found in my separate post linked below, but to continue on the Reef Bay Trail toward Reef Bay Beach, go straight (left) at this first split.
Read My Separate Post: Petroglyph Trail
Reef Bay-Lameshur Bay Junction
Just a few steps after the Petroglyph Trail, the Reef Bay Trail splits once again with the Lameshur Bay Trail, which heads east from this point toward Little and Great Lameshur Bay.
At this split, go right at the junction to continue on the Reef Bay Trail toward the beach, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) from this point.
Read My Separate Post: Lameshur Bay Trail (Coming Soon)
After the Lameshur Bay Trail junction, the Reef Bay Trail continues on a very easy, mostly flat path toward the Reef Bay Sugar Mill and Reef Bay Beach shortly thereafter.
For those interested in trail running in Virgin Islands National Park, the lower elevations of the Reef Bay Trail are one of the best areas to consider, especially given how hot and humid the weather is to try to run steeper trails across St. John.
Reef Bay-L'Esperance Junction
Just steps before the Reef Bay Trail reaches the Reef Bay Sugar Mill and Reef Bay Beach, the trail passes the third and final junction before the end.
This is the split with the L’Esperance Trail, which leads over to Genti Bay and the Great Sieben Trail about halfway between this point and the L’Esperance Trailhead off Centerline Road.
All that aside, go straight to continue hiking toward the Sugar Mill and Reef Bay Beach, just a few steps ahead.
Read My Separate Post: L'Esperance Trail (Coming Soon)
Reef Bay Sugar Mill
The Reef Bay Sugar Mill is the final set of ruins and the most significant historic site on the Reef Bay Trail.
Once here, hikers are encouraged to walk around the old structure and read the different interpretive signs to learn more.
After the Reef Bay Sugar Mill, Reef Bay Beach is just a short walk through the trees!
Reef Bay
This is Reef Bay, and in my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful, quiet beaches that visitors can hike to in Virgin Islands National Park!
For this reason, I highly recommend hiking down with 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!
