With three national park sites, the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands is a must-visit for national park lovers. But, let’s be honest, you don’t have to be a national park geek to enjoy a visit to St. Croix
If the national parks are your focus, though, you’ve come to the right place!
St. Croix is home to three different parks: Christiansted National Historic Site, Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve.
We visited all three parks in the Summer of 2024 as part of our quest to (eventually) make it to all 400+ NPS sites. In this guide, we’ll provide you all the details you need to visit the St. Croix national park sites yourself.
Note: Many national park sites have similar names. If you are looking for information on the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, check out our article on visiting the Minneapolis area rivers. For information regarding Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, check out our article on visiting the international parks in Maine.
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Visiting St. Croix, US Virgin Islands (Basic Information)
There are two main towns on the island of St. Croix: Fredericksted, on the southwest side of the island, and Christiansted, in the north-central part of the island.
The airport is located a few miles east of Fredericksted. The cruise ship dock is located pretty much right on the edge of downtown Fredericksted. There is also a seaplane terminal in Christiansted.
Even as the largest of the US Virgin Islands, St. Croix is fairly small. You can easily drive around the entire island in one day. Still, if your focus is visiting the national park sites, it’s most convenient to stay in or near Christiansted.
To visit all three national park sites, you’ll want to fly in and stay at least two to three nights. Visiting all the parks via cruise would be difficult, though maybe not impossible. With all the logistics, though, we wouldn’t recommend it.
We visited St. Croix in the summer, which is the off-season. Thankfully, there were enough restaurants and shops open that we had access to everything we needed. That said, the island was definitely a bit quiet and many shops were closed.
Additional Important Information:
- English is the main language.
- Credit cards are fairly widely accepted, though we did need cash for the taxi.
- Generally speaking, you should not drink tap water in St. Croix unless it has been filtered due to lead and copper contamination. Check with your hotel to see what they recommend.
- In all of the US Virgin Islands, vehicles have the steering wheel on the left side, just like in the States. But, they drive on the left side of the road because that’s what the Dutch did when the islands were Danish colonies.
- Summer (June – November) is hurricane season. While the storms are typically most active in the Caribbean later in the season (September-October), we arrived just one day after Hurricane Beryl passed south of the island in early July 2024. (Thankfully, that hurricane had no significant impact on St. Croix.)
Do you need a rental car in St. Croix?
You can easily visit two of the three national park sites in St. Croix (Christiansted NHS & Buck Island Reef NM) without a car. Getting to Salt River Bay, though, is a bit more difficult. You’ll likely want a car to visit that site, at least.
If staying in Christiansted, you can take a taxi to your hotel and walk to Christiansted NHS and the dock for tours to Buck Island. You can then get a rental car just for a few hours one day to visit Salt River Bay NHP&EP and anything else you want to explore on the island. This is what we did and it worked really well.
If you are staying outside of Christiansted, we recommend renting a car for your entire stay. Paying for a taxi to get everywhere you want to go would add up quickly.
Taxis are plentiful at the airport (there is no Uber or Lyft on the island). We paid $30 (plus tip) for the two of us to get to our hotel in Christiansted. From the hotel, we could easily walk to everything that we needed in town.
Note: your taxi will likely be a van that is shared with other visitors.
St. Croix National Park Sites
Christiansted National Historic Site is located on the edge of downtown Christiansted along the waterfront. It serves as the headquarters for all three sites. We suggest making that your first stop, if possible.
Christiansted National Historic Site
The island of St. Croix has a varied history, much of which can be explored at Christiansted National Historic Site. Central to the island’s history is the sugar industry, which had a rocky start but eventually flourished under Danish control in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Christiansted NHS is made up of seven buildings. Most notable of these is Fort Christiansvaern, completed in 1749, which protected the island from pirates and slave uprisings. In the late 1800s, the fort housed the police and served as a courthouse.
Today, the fort contains exhibits on its history. There is also a small ranger station by the entrance, along with a movie on the island’s people and culture.
Be sure to take time to wander through the fort, checking out the exhibits and taking in the views. At this point, we’ve toured countless forts – and this one is not that dissimilar to all the others. Still, the exhibits provide a great introduction to St. Croix and its history.
Also be sure to check out the Scale House, which is right on the corner of town and the park grounds. There are a few more exhibits here on the sugar industry. It also houses the park’s bookstore, which, sadly, was closed during our visit.
Between the fort and the Scale House is the Customs House. Today, it houses the park offices.
The other buildings are under construction or closed to visitors. All told, we probably spent about an hour touring the fort and the grounds.
A reminder to talk to the ranger at the fort regarding any questions you have about visiting Salt River Bay NHP&EP. Additionally, if you have (or are renting) a private vessel, you’ll need to see a ranger here for a permit to moor at Buck Island Reef NM.
Buck Island Reef National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument preserves a small island off the coast of St. Croix and the surrounding waters. Interestingly, there is also a Buck Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is a different island closer to St. Thomas.
While there are a couple of trails at Buck Island Reef NM, the highlight of the park is the water surrounding it. The island has a small, but nice, sandy beach: Turtle Beach. There is also an underwater snorkeling trail.
The best way to visit Buck Island Reef NM is on a tour, which will depart out of Christiansted. You will find several NPS-approved concessionaires on the park’s website, offering both half and full-day tours.
Private vessels can also visit, though you’ll need to apply for a permit to moor. See a ranger at Fort Christiansvaern for more information.
Note: when anchoring at Buck Island, you’ll likely have to swim a very short distance before you can actually stand.
If you decide to explore the island, watch out for the manchineel tree. Any contact with the tree can cause chemical burning. Additionally, its fruit, a small green apple, is very poisonous and is known as the “death apple.”
Buck Island Snorkeling Tour
We initially booked a full-day snorkeling tour with Big Beard’s Adventure Tours. The main reason I chose this company is that they provided lunch, something that I did not find with other tours. We wanted to maximize our time at the park without having to worry about finding a place to get a picnic lunch ahead of time.
Unfortunately, we ended up on the half-day tour, due to sea conditions. (The full-day tour is on a catamaran sailboat, while the half-day tour is on a motorized catamaran.)
Both tours offer time at the beach, snorkeling at the underwater trail and unlimited fruit punch (with or without the local Mutiny Island vodka). The full-day tour also includes a hamburger and hot dog lunch at Big Beard’s private beach on St. Croix.
Stopping at Turtle Beach first allowed everyone time to get acclimated to the water and test out the snorkel gear. I (Bonnie) really appreciated this since before this trip I had very little experience snorkeling.
There was a little bit of reef in this area, but nothing spectacular. It was a nice beach, though, and a great way to start the tour. If you are new to snorkeling, the crew will make sure you know what you are doing.
From there, the boat took us to the main reef on the other side of the island. We initially went out in small groups with a guide. Again, they made sure we were all comfortable in the water and pointed out where we should and shouldn’t snorkel.
After that, we were given time to explore on our own. Grant and I both swam around for a bit checking out the reef. We spotted a variety of corals and many different fish.
I headed back to the boat first, while Grant spent more time following the underwater trail. Unfortunately, somewhat choppy water brought him in earlier than he would have liked. Parts of the reef are fairly shallow and he didn’t want to get pushed into the coral.
Honestly, though, we were happy to make it to Buck Island at all. The seas were fairly rough due to the hurricane that had just passed by. In fact, even as we headed out on the tour, the captain noted that he wasn’t 100% sure we’d actually make it.
Once we were all back on board, the crew mixed up the punch and we had a fabulous trip back to the dock! Even though the water was a bit rough, it was a wonderful tour to Buck Island.
The captain and crew with Big Beards did a fantastic job sharing information about the park and the island and making sure we all had a great time!
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
Salt River Bay is, reportedly, where Christopher Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Here, he encountered the Carib natives, which ultimately led to the first documented fight between Europeans and New World natives.
To say there’s not much to Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve is a bit of an understatement. As of our visit in July 2024, there’s nothing there other than one warning/informational sign.
The website claims the Visitor Contact station is closed due to hurricane damage. Honestly, though, I’m not sure there ever was a building. We didn’t see one or even signage for one. Regardless, there are no official services on site.
The ranger we spoke to at Christiansted NHS told us there was no reason to even go to the park. In a way, he discouraged us from visiting, saying the local police do not monitor some of the illegal activities that take place there.
But, we are national park geeks and we knew that we couldn’t “check it off the list” without actually visiting.
So, we walked to the Centerline Car Rental office in Christiansted (it’s right next to the seaplane terminal), got a car for a few hours, and drove out to Salt River Bay NHP&EP.
Once there, we snapped a few pictures and continued to explore the rest of the island.
In terms of the beach… it was ok. The day we were there was a bit overcast and dreary. There also was a bunch of seaweed on the beach. Otherwise, it didn’t look too bad. Honestly, though, we didn’t explore enough to give a complete description of the conditions.
If you are interested, several operators offer kayak tours of Salt River Bay. We thought about trying to book one at the last minute. Ultimately, it was cheaper to just get a car for about 6 hours rather than book a tour for just a couple of hours.
And, having a car allowed us to explore more of the island. If you book a tour, you’ll likely have to drive yourself (or get a taxi) to the park, anyway.
Other Things to Do in St. Croix
Both Fredericksted and Christiansted are walkable towns with plenty of shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, many of them were closed during our summer visit. I’m sure both would be bustling in the high season (late Fall to early Spring) and on days when a cruise ship is in town.
If staying in Christiansted, you should definitely spend a little time walking along the waterfront boardwalk. There are several restaurants and shops in this area, with Christiansted NHS at one end and the seaplane terminal at the other end.
From the boardwalk, you can admire all the boats tied up to the mooring balls, people watch, look for fish in the water (we saw tons of large tarpon) and, quite simply, relax.
Fredericksted seemed to offer better beach access right from town. There was also a nice park not too far from the cruise ship pier.
Additionally, I would suggest that you spend at least half a day driving around the island. That will give you a look at the variety of the landscape and vegetation.
Driving Around St. Croix
After visiting Salt River Bay, we spent the rest of the afternoon driving around the island. We first explored the west side – driving through the rainforest and out to the northwest coast.
A word of warning: the roads on this side of the island were in very poor condition. We made it in the rented Toyota Corolla but we had to be very careful in a few areas.
We also drove through Fredericksted to check out the city. Unfortunately, most everything was closed – likely a combination of it being the low season and the fact that it was July 4.
From there, we continued to the east side of the island and Point Udall. In St. Croix, Point Udall marks the easternmost point of the United States. (Interestingly, the westernmost point of the US, located in Guam, is also known as Point Udall. They are named for two brothers, both political figures from Arizona.)
At Point Udall, you’ll also find a rather unique sculpture, known as the Millennium Monument erected in 2000. It marks the first US sunrise of the year 2000. There are also fantastic views of Buck Island.
Throughout the island, we passed by many lovely beaches full of folks sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling. Unfortunately, we were on a bit of a time crunch to get the rental car back so didn’t have time to hang out at the beach.
That said, in just six hours we were able to drive the entire perimeter of the island, making a few stops to take in the sights and snap a few pictures. It was a great way to at least see more of St. Croix, even if we didn’t get to do much in any one place.
Our Three-Day St. Croix Itinerary
We spent three nights on St. Croix, giving us two full days to explore the three national park sites. For us, that was the perfect amount of time. That said, we could have easily spent another day or two just relaxing on the beach or by the pool and enjoying island life.
We stayed at the Company House Hotel, which we booked through the Citi Travel Portal so we could take advantage of our card member discount ($100 off a $500 stay). The hotel was comfortable and a perfect location. It was just a couple blocks to Christiansted NHS and a 5-10 minute walk to the center of the waterfront.
Read TripAdvisor Reviews and Book the Hotel
Day 1 (arrival day)
- Arrive in Fredericksted, taxi to Christiansted
- Check into Company House Hotel
- Visit Christiansted NHS (you could also do this on Day 2 or 3 if you arrive later in the day)
- Walk along the Boardwalk
- Dinner at Shupe’s on the Boardwalk
Day 2
- Breakfast at Toast Diner (near the Boardwalk)
- Snorkeling tour to Buck Island Reef NM with Big Beard’s
- Lunch at Captain Dogs Chili Dogs (on Company Street)
- Relax – pool/beach/nap
- Dinner at Rum Runners (along the Boardwalk)
- Ice Cream at Cream & Co at the King Christian Hotel
Day 3
- Breakfast at TLC Cafe (a lovely outdoor cafe & bar on Queen Cross St.)
- Pick up the rental car at Centerline Car Rental in Christiansted (near the seaplane terminal)
- Visit Salt River Bay NHP&EP
- Drive around island
- Dinner at Brew STX (along the Boardwalk)
- Drinks at Common Cents Pub (on Company Street)
Day 4 (departure day)
- Breakfast at Twin City Coffee House (next to Company House Hotel)
- Depart (seaplane to St. Thomas)
If pressed for time, you could probably squeeze all three park sights into just a two-night visit. You may need to time your flights just right, though, to make sure you have time to drive to Salt River Bay and get to Christiansted while the fort is open.
For us, this was just the start of an 18-day trip through all the national park sites in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. From St. Croix, we took the seaplane to St. Thomas, then headed over to St. John to visit Virgin Island National Park. From there, we continued on to Puerto Rico, where we spent 4 days in San Juan for a conference, and then explored the rest of the territory.
Stay tuned for several upcoming articles on visiting the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Final Thoughts on Visiting the St. Croix National Park Sites
Overall, we really enjoyed our visit to the St. Croix national park sites. We got a little bit of history at Christiansted NHS, mixed in with some snorkeling and sand between our toes at Buck Island Reef NM and Salt River Bay NHP&EP.
While I don’t think we got to experience the “best” of the island, based on the timing of our visit, we also didn’t have to deal with any crowds. As we get older, we tend to appreciate that more and more.
Enough shops and restaurants were open for us to do everything we wanted to and eat somewhere different for every meal. We also had time to talk to servers and bartenders and learn a little about the people of St. Croix and island life.
We’ve been to some very remote (and rustic) places on our quest to visit all of the national parks and found something to love about them all. On St. Croix, we were able to slow down and live life on island time, if only for a few days.
Travel Resources
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What if I need more space than I can get at a hotel?
We use Vrbo for the times when we have rented a cabin for a weekend getaway, like this cabin in Townsend, TN, or needed to rent a house for a large family vacation. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them.
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Who do you use for rental cars?
As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We have had nothing but good experiences with them. Plus, we really like unlimited mileage and not worrying about crossing state lines. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia.
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How about booking a cruise?
We have found some amazing prices for booking a cruise through Cruise Direct. We have saved a lot of money on our cruises compared to what we found elsewhere, making a last-minute Bahamas cruise even cheaper.
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What if I want to rent an RV?
We highly recommend Outdoorsy for RV rentals. We rented a camper van for a week to visit Rocky Mountain National Park for the elk rut and Custer State Park for the Buffalo Round-Up and had a blast. The program was easy to use and we really enjoyed the freedom of having a camper van for that trip.
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We don’t often book tours. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way. So, when we do want to book a tour, we always check Viator first.
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Do you use anything to get discounts on the road?
We make extensive use of both Good Sam and AAA on the road. Good Sam is normally regarded as a discount card for RVers at campgrounds and Camping World but anyone can use the 5 cents off a gallon at the pump at both Pilot and Flying J.
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We have had AAA as long as we have been married and it has more than paid for itself in discounts at hotels, aside from the peace of mind of having roadside assistance. Add in paper maps and the ability to get an international driver’s license and it is more than worth it for any traveler out there.
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Where can I get Travel Insurance?
We have partnered with Global Rescue for travel and evacuation insurance. This provider will put you out of the worst situations and get you to medical care promptly. You can even purchase “cancel for any reason” insurance from Global Rescue. This is our go-to provider of travel insurance. Traveling somewhere dangerous? They will even extract you if war were to break out on your trip.
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