CTC Stays · The Park
North Shore beaches and trails
Valhalla sits beside Virgin Islands National Park, in the trees above Cinnamon Bay. The park holds more than half of St. John, and the reefs offshore. These are the beaches and walks on that shore.
I. The beaches
Cinnamon Bay is the one below the house. Trunk Bay is the marked snorkel. Maho Bay is the shallow one.
| Place | Where | Fee | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon Bay | The beach below the house | No beach entry fee | Long beach. A short shaded loop through the old sugar factory. Little Cinnamon is a rocky walk west from the end of the sand. |
| Trunk Bay | Next beaches west, North Shore Road | $5, ages 16 and up. Cards only. | Underwater trail, a few hundred feet along Trunk Cay. Showers, food, and snorkel rental. Go in the morning. |
| Maho Bay | East of Cinnamon, roadside | No beach entry fee | Shallow water and turtle grass. The beach for people who want to stand. |
| America Hill | Starts at the Cinnamon Bay ruins | About 1.2 miles round trip | Steep. Estate ruins and a view east. Do not climb on the stonework. |
II. Little Cinnamon
From the main Cinnamon Bay beach, walk west to the end of the sand, through the gate, and along the rocky path. It is short, and the rocks are slippery. Shoes, not flip-flops.
A small plane wreck sits in shallow water off the east end of Little Cinnamon. The engine and propeller are what people look for. Do not stand on the coral around it.
III. Two walks at Cinnamon Bay
- The sugar factory loop: A short shaded loop through the old Cinnamon Bay sugar works. This is the easier walk.
- America Hill: The climb starts at those ruins. About 1.2 miles round trip, steep switchbacks, to the estate house ruin and a view east over the bays. Bring water. Do not climb on the walls.
IV. Park rules
- Sunscreen: Oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene are banned. Read the ingredients. A reef-safe label is not enough.
- Coral and turtles: Stand on sand. Do not touch coral. Do not touch or chase a turtle.
- Donkeys: They are in the parking lots. Do not feed them, and do not crowd them.
- Water: The hill trails are hot. Carry water from the house.
The way onto the island is St. Thomas (STT) to Cruz Bay.
Park questions
Which beach is closest to Valhalla?
Cinnamon Bay is the beach below the house, on North Shore Road. The house is in the trees. It is not on the sand. Trunk Bay and Maho Bay are the next beaches along that road.
Does Trunk Bay charge a fee?
Yes. Trunk Bay is the only St. John beach with an amenity fee: $5 a person, ages 16 and up, from sunrise to sunset. Cards and mobile pay only. The underwater trail runs a few hundred feet along the west side of Trunk Cay, then back to the beach.
What sunscreen can you use in the park?
The Virgin Islands ban sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, or octocrylene. A bottle that says reef-safe can still contain them. Read the ingredients. Stand on sand, not on coral.