Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and kapok trees. It passes ruins of
Par Force
, an old estate,
and then, at about the midpoint, leads off to a waterfall and
the mysterious
petroglyphs
. No one has been able to deter-
mine the origin of these strange rock carvings. Prehistoric
Indians? Runaway slaves? Your guess is as good as any.
As you continue along the trail, notice the change in vegeta-
tion. The island's south shore is much drier.
Reef Bay Es-
tate
, one of the island's best-preserved Great Houses, is at
the two-mile point. You can wander the grounds, but the
Main Building is closed. At the end of the trail are the ruins
of the
Reef Bay Sugar Mill
, built in 1830, but modernized
in 1860 to accommodate steam power. Its equipment is
amazingly well preserved. A boat will pick you up for the re-
turn trip to Cruz Bay. Reservations are required for the Reef
Bay Trail.
a
Pack a
hat
,
sunscreen
and
bug spray
for all hikes.
You might enjoy the far less strenuous
Seashore Walk
,
lasting about 1½ hours. You walk n' wade along a rocky
coral-strewn beach exploring coral flats and a mangrove la-
goon area, observing its numerous shallow-water marine
animals.
You can also explore the underwater acres of the National
Park by joining the guided two-hour snorkel trip at Cinna-
mon Bay. Even children and beginners can follow the
marked underwater trail at Trunk Bay. The markers de-
scribe life on the coral reef. Snorkel gear rentals are avail-
able at both beaches, as are lifeguards and changing areas.
d
Get a monthly schedule of
programs
and
visitor activities
for the month of
your planned visit. www.nps.gov/viis or
(340) 776-6201.
