Virgin Islands National Park

Virgin Islands National Park, established in 1956, protects roughly sixty percent of the land area of Saint John in the United States Virgin Islands, along with more than 5,500 acres of adjoining ocean and nearly all of neighboring Hassel Island. Its founding purpose is to preserve outstanding scenic features, Caribbean tropical marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and cultural heritage running from pre-Columbian times through the Danish colonial period. The park contains beaches regularly ranked among the world's best, including Trunk Bay with its underwater snorkeling trail, Honeymoon Beach and Cinnamon Bay, along with an extensive network of hiking trails through tropical rainforest. Historic remains within the park include the sugar factory of the Annaberg Historic District and Taino petroglyphs, and its surrounding coral reefs and forests support wild donkeys, deer, iguanas and many bird species.