Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Our favorite trail in this area takes about 2
1
⁄
2
hours one-way. From Frederiksted,
drive north on Route 63 until you reach Creque Dam Road, where you turn right,
park the car, and start walking. About a mile past the Creque Dam, you'll be deep
within the forest's magnificent flora and fauna. Continue along the trail until you
come to the Western Scenic Road. Eventually, you reach Mahogany Road (Rte. 76),
near St. Croix LEAP Project. This trail is moderate in difficulty.
You could also begin near the junction of Creque Dam Road and Scenic Road.
From here, your trek will cover a broad triangular swath, heading north and then west
along Scenic Road. The road will first rise, and then descend toward the coastal
lighthouse of the island's extreme northwestern tip,
Hams Bluff.
Most trekkers
decide to retrace their steps after about 45 minutes of northwesterly hiking. Real
die-hards, however, will continue all the way to the coastline, then head south along
the coastal road (Butler Bay Rd.), and finally head east along Creque Dam Road to
their starting point at the junction of Creque Dam Road and Scenic Road. Embark
on this longer expedition only if you're really prepared for a hike lasting about 5 hours.
Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge
St. Croix's rarely visited southwestern tip is composed of salt marshes, tidal pools, and
low vegetation inhabited by birds, turtles, and other wildlife. More than 3 miles of
ecologically protected coastline lie between Sandy Point (the island's westernmost
tip) and the shallow waters of the West End Salt Pond. This national wildlife refuge
is one of only two nesting grounds of the leatherback turtle in the United States—the
other is on Culebra, an offshore island of Puerto Rico. It's also home to colonies of
green and hawksbill turtles, and thousands of birds, including herons, brown peli-
cans, Caribbean martins, black-necked stilts, and white-crowned pigeons. As for
flora, Sandy Point gave its name to a rare form of orchid, a brown/purple variety. The
area consists of 360 acres of subtropical vegetation, including the largest salt pond in
the Virgin Islands.
Park rangers are determined to keep the area pristine, and in doing so they have to
face such problems as the poaching of sea turtles and their eggs, drug smuggling,
5
Sea Turtle Etiquette
These are some of the most highly
endangered species in the oceans.
Catching even a passing glimpse of one
is a magical experience, but you'll blow
the chance unless you heed some basic
guidelines. When you first spot a sea
turtle, resist the urge to move in and
get a closer look; you will only scare it
off and ruin the opportunity for others
to see it. Instead, stay still and watch at
a respectful distance as it goes about
its business, searching for food or glid-
ing along gracefully. Keep an eye out
for identification tags on their flippers
or shells—a sure sign these fellas are
being closely studied and well pro-
tected. You should never approach a
turtle or its nest, and never touch or try
to touch one—for your safety and
theirs. While it seems harmless to
humans, it is in fact quite stressful for
the turtles (how'd you like to be chased
around the grocery store by strangers
all day?).
Warning:
Do not swim above
the turtles; it will prevent them from
surfacing to breathe and subject them
to undue respiratory stress. And, of
course, if someone offers you sea turtle
shell, egg, or meat products, just say no.
—Christina P. Colón
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