Francis Bay Trail

There are two parking lots that can provide access to this trail, one down by Francis Bay Beach and a paved parking lot on the right on the way to Francis Bay. This is trail is built and maintained by Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting our National Park. A large portion of this trail is ADA and eco friendly. Almost half of the trail is built as a raised platform to protect the ecosystem of the local salt pond. Here you'll find many native species of birds and ducks. It is also common to see lots of land crabs, hermit crabs, iguanas, deer, mongoose and, of course, donkeys. The trail can be completed as a loop using the dirt road or treated as an out-and-back if one wants to park in the paved area and enjoy a short hike to the beach. Hiking this way you'll see some ruins on the right side from when this entire area of the island was used to raise cattle.The National Park Service also offers Ranger-led bird walks here every Friday morning. Contact the NPS for more information at 340-693-PARK.