The two-and-a-half hour journey from the South Shore Road to the Reef Bay Sugar Mill and the warm water of Reef Bay should be at the top of any visitor’s list. Whether you take the National Park Service’s guided walk, or hoof it yourself, the hike is one of the island’s best activities.
This video via YouTube was produced by Andrew Burnett, a big fan of the island.
Should I Take the Reef Bay Hike on My Own?
A word of caution, though. If you wouldn’t walk up the 400+ steps of Notre Dame, don’t think about taking the Reef Bay hike on your own. While it’s all downhill at the start, there’s always the return trip. Taking the Park Service tour means your guide is a Park Ranger and you get a boat ride back to Cruz Bay, along the south shore of the island. (Lots of villa gawking to be done on the way.) One veteran hiker added in a comment on TripAdvisor, “Hang out near the boat pilot and ask questions the whole way and you’ll learn a lot.”
If you hoof it yourself, going down is OK, it’s climbing back up that’s the killer for anyone who’s not in great shape and used to uphill hikes. At the very least, pack a couple liters of water with you.
What Will I See on the Reef Bay Hike?
Civilizations lived on St. John long before the Europeans arrived to the region, as evidenced by the petroglyphs, or rock carvings left by the Taino people. Their carvings are found on the hiking trail and the ranger will point them out. These people were all but driven into extinction by Europeans in the 17th century seeking new territories as colonial properties.
Ranger-led hikes on Mondays and Thursdays take visitors down the three-mile path through tropical forests to the sugar mill. Reservations are required and there are fees for taxi transportation to the trail head and boat return to the Visitor Center.
- Info on Reef Bay Trail Hike here
Our last time on the island we hiked the Reef Bay Trail. What a great hike. The downhill hike was just as describe a nice walk. At the end what a treat, Genti Bay with no one else there. We snorkled for about an hour or more and saw a large Tarpon, several rays and schools of smaller fish. The trip uphill was as they said slower and longer. But it was worth every step up and down hill. We would do it all over again.
Lets protect natural artifacts like this.
Never have done the trail from that side, we usually take the path from the telephone pole that comes out on the beach by “Half Moon House”.
We’ll have to try this way next time.
The Park Service trip is terrific – I highly recommend it.
Plan in advance and make a reservation!
The downhill hike was just as describe a nice walk. At the end what a treat, Genti Bay with no one else there.good blog..i got the good information in this..keep sending like this good post..